Hiking Collection by Luc Gesell
From the Vosges to the Jura mountains – Hexatrek, le Grand Est
39 days
2-8 h/day
690km
20,980m
20,850m
Although the Hexatrek was only created in 2022, it promises to be no less iconic, given time. The route leads over famous passes and through nature reserves, offers spectacular views of internationally famous peaks, and crosses national parks that are the stuff of hikers’ dreams: the Vanoise, the Écrins, the Pyrenees National Park.
If you’re now chomping at the bit, there are a great number of things you should know about Hexatrek before you start. For example, this long-distance hiking trail isn’t marked. Sometimes it follows the GR, sometimes the GRP and sometimes it goes the way of the black paths. It’s a combination of trails, so don't be surprised when you leave the GR. Most of the time, this will be for the benefit of a spectacular climb or a viewpoint unknown to ‘GRists’.
The Hexatrek consists of six main stages. This Collection offers you the opportunity to discover the first one: le Grand Est (the Great East). From Wissembourg on the French-German border to Nyon on the shores of Lake Geneva, this stage is the Hexatrek’s longest. A whopping 672 kilometres (418 mi) and 23,300 metres (76,500 ft) of elevation gain await you. I propose to divide the route into 39 stages for an average of 17 kilometres (10.5 mi) per day.
Apart from two or three ambitious days where you’ll have to redouble your efforts, the others remain relatively manageable. The Grand Est section is not the one that offers the most wild camping opportunities or mountain huts and the stages have often been designed to end at hostels on the route, to ensure that you have a safe night's sleep at the end of each day. You can, of course, adapt this itinerary to your liking.
The Grand Est is divided into two parts. The first part winds down the entire Vosges massif, while the second part crosses the Jura massif. Two individual massifs, two different characters.
In the Vosges massif, you’ll be received like kings. First, you follow the route of the castles and then the wine route. Nowhere in the world is there such a concentration of castles. Some are only ruins, while others have been lovingly restored and can be explored. Even the ruins are worth a visit, especially the troglodytic examples. As for wine, you’ll find many opportunities to taste and enjoy in Alsace.
In addition to the historical aspects of this itinerary and the opportunities to unleash your inner connoisseur, lovers of landscapes and nature will also enjoy themselves in the heart of the two regional nature parks of the Vosges. Here, you’ll cross mysterious forests and find unique views of the Ballon chain and the Black Forest. The icing on the cake is the famous blue line: symbolically, it marks the old Franco-German border but also designates a tangle of fir tree valleys from which the mist emerges at sunrise. An enchanting panorama.
As for the Jura section, you’ll see the magnificent Doubs canyon; picturesque ‘cow mountains’ as they are called here, or alpine pastures as they are more widely known; viewpoints of Mont Blanc; and also sparkling lakes and glorious mixed forests. For food, you’ll be spoilt by rustic inns that offer charcuterie, cheeses, blueberry tarts, double cream meringues and perhaps a cheeky absinthe to wash it all down. Take your time and enjoy but don't forget that you have to continue your hike afterwards.
Of course, you probably won’t be treating yourself to slap up meal out every day. Fortunately, buying provisions is quite easy all along the route. You’ll come across shops in the many villages you visit, meaning you’ll never have to carry more than two or three days worth of food in your bag. The same goes for water.
This Grand Est section of the Hexatrek is a mid-mountain route, so you’ll rarely go above 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). This widens the period in which you can plan your adventure compared to routes at higher elevations. The Hexatrek is easy to access from the beginning of April to the end of October. Just remember to pack extra layers as nights can be cooler at the beginning and end of the season. However, pack for the possibility of rain, which is particularly likely on stages 28 and 29 through the canyon between France and Switzerland.
Most of the stages are also accessible by public transport. There are train stations or bus stops in the towns at the start and end of the stages, making them well suited to dividing the route into shorter sections. Sometimes the stages start and end at mountain huts. When this is the case, the stage in question usually passes through a village served by bus. You can go to rome2rio.com for more information.
It's easy to get to the start point of Wissembourg, which is well served by bus and train. In Nyon, at the end of your trek, you can take the ferry across Lake Geneva to continue your Hexatrek on the Northern Alps stage. See cgn.ch/en/horaires-billets for more information. Otherwise, from Nyon, you can reach all the major Swiss cities by train.
Hopefully now you know everything, or almost everything, you need to know. For the rest, I wish you a beautiful time on the trails.
And if you are already curious about the next stage of the Hexatrek, through the Hautes Alpes, see my Collection here: komoot.com/collection/1730773
Visibility:
Anyone
Do it yourself!
Ready to get going? Create and customize your own version of this adventure using the full route below as a template.
Complete route of the Hexatrek, Grand Est section
679km
20,850m
20,670m
Last updated: June 18, 2024
Do it yourself!
Premium
Ready to get going? Create and customize your own version of this adventure using the full route below as a template.
Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.
Activities
18.5km
05:19
510m
360m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
16.8km
05:09
540m
560m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
Sign Up To Discover Places Like This
Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.
Sign up for free
13.3km
04:06
420m
550m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
18.0km
05:33
710m
580m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
17.3km
04:48
320m
310m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
20.6km
05:57
460m
600m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
17.7km
05:13
630m
280m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
16.4km
05:14
590m
790m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
28.5km
08:41
940m
980m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
22.7km
06:57
980m
540m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
25.4km
07:25
720m
660m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
17.9km
05:42
830m
510m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
9.78km
03:03
470m
190m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
9.17km
02:59
280m
420m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
16.1km
04:57
330m
1,090m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
10.8km
03:31
780m
10m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
Hard hike. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
15.8km
04:38
190m
840m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
32.0km
08:50
510m
580m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
Collection Stats
Activities
39
Distance
690 km
Duration
209:11 h
Elevation
20,980 m
20,850 m
Create your own Collection
Learn more
Comments
Want to know more?
Sign up for a free komoot account to join the conversation.
Sign up for free