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Charcoal Burners' Trail (Köhlerweg)

Charcoal Burners' Trail (Köhlerweg)

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

Charcoal Burners' Trail (Köhlerweg)

Recommended by 405 hikers out of 418

This Highlight goes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord

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Location: Wingen, Hagenau-Weißenburg, Alsace, France

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Best Hiking Routes to Charcoal Burners' Trail (Köhlerweg)

4.9

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1. Hohenbourg Castle – Château du Loewenstein loop from Nothweiler

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Moderate

4.8

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2. Château du Loewenstein – Hohenbourg Castle loop from Hirschthal

8.28km

02:33

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Moderate

4.9

(211)

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3. Hohenbourg Castle – Château du Loewenstein loop from Schönau (Pfalz)

28.5km

09:04

1,030m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Hard

Tips

Nico

October 7, 2023

Interesting, practically illustrated tour on the Köhlerweg

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guude 🤘

April 17, 2021

Very clearly structured and described.

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Tzi

April 14, 2017

Wonderfully prepared insight into the production of one of the most important raw materials of the Middle Ages and still highly valued today by many grate masters: charcoal.

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Martin Schreiner

August 21, 2020

Nice shady level path with numerous explanations about charcoal burning and demonstration models of a charcoal kiln.

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Freelancer 🥾 🚵 🏍️🏃‍♂️

September 18, 2023

The path is approx. 600-700 m long and starts at the Fleckenstein car park. From here to the Kohlmeiler square behind the Fleckenstein forester's lodge there are five information boards and models to illustrate the work of charcoal burners.

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Martin Schreiner

August 20, 2020

Nice path between Fleckenstein and Gimpelhof. Above it goes to the rock path.

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Jonathan

August 13, 2018

The trail, which lies between Gimbelhof and Fleckenstein, brings the hiker closer to the history of the charcoal burners and explains how it worked with the aid of a coal mine. Especially if you go to the annual Köhlerfest the path is interesting.

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Matthias Brandt

July 2, 2017

Entertaining way to Chateau Fleckenstein, very instructive and understandable explains the charcoal burning

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May 24, 2018

The Sentier des Charbonniers, that is the Köhlerlehrpfad gives insight into the method of charcoal production. It connects the castle Fleckenstein and the Gimbelhof and describes the different stages of the kiln production to the charring of wood.
This method was used in the region until the 20th century.

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Michelly

September 6, 2021

The production of charcoal is clearly explained here. The way to the Fleckenstein ruins becomes an open-air museum. The path is easy to walk, a nice, soft forest path, nice in the shade and therefore pleasant even in hot temperatures.

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🚵‍♂️ Volker 🌲

January 7, 2022

Nice hiking trail to Fleckenstein Castle

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Martin

April 29, 2022

Beautiful path through the forest that tells the story of the charcoal burner! Great representations!

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Sam

December 15, 2018

Definitely plan on the tour. It is worth it

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Rainer & Petra

May 20, 2023

Numerous cabbage plots stand out in the surrounding forests. the charcoal was then used in the smelters and glassworks. A lot of coal was burned in the Fleckenstein Forest, especially in the 19th century. (as well as in other forests in this period of emerging industrialization)

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JakobusPilger

October 25, 2023

Charcoal burning is a craft that is now almost extinct, but in the past it was a decisive factor in the industrialization of entire areas of the country: the blast furnaces of the iron and steel industry, for example, depended on charcoal in order to reach the operating temperature necessary for smelting ore. As a result, however, entire areas of land were once completely deforested by the charcoal burning and it is only thanks to later reforestation that nature can be seen again.

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Rainer & Petra

May 20, 2023

From the hiking car park, the so-called "Köhlerweg" leads with numerous information boards in the direction of Fleckenstein Castle.

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M Demuth

April 25, 2022

Access from the parking lot almost to the castle. Here is a step-by-step explanation of charcoal burning at the stations. Very nice models along the way.

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Euphemia Anna 🌳

July 30, 2024

If you walk from Gimbelhof towards Fleckenstein Castle, you can walk through all 4 stations of the charcoal burner’s path in consecutive order, i.e. from the creation to the burning of a charcoal kiln

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K2000

April 24, 2022

At several stations you get a little insight into the tedious work of the charcoal burners.

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🍰 Ohne en

July 2, 2023

Beautiful path with many explanations about charcoal burning

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Dora

May 27, 2024

Here you will find out how coal is produced. A great way to learn, especially for interested children

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Andrea 🚴‍♀️⛷️🎿🥾

October 4, 2025

Very informative and clear. Great for young and old.

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Uwe

May 19, 2024

Pure history

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Details

Informations

Distance 989 m

Uphill 40 m

Downhill 40 m

Weather

Saturday 15 November

12°C

7°C

0 %

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Max wind speed: 2.0 km/h

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Location: Wingen, Hagenau-Weißenburg, Alsace, France

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Château du Loewenstein

4 Sentiers des Châteaux /frontière Allemagne France

Kappelstein

Hotel-Restaurant Gimbelhof

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm

German-French Border at Kaiser-Wilhelm Stone

Kuhnenkopf

Château de Hohenbourg

Wachtfels und Krötenstuhl

St. Anna Iron Ore Mine (Nothweiler)

Historic Boundary Stone Between Rock Formations

View of Château de Fleckenstein

Charcoal Burners' Trail (Köhlerweg)

1. Hohenbourg Castle – Château du Loewenstein loop from Nothweiler

2. Château du Loewenstein – Hohenbourg Castle loop from Hirschthal

3. Hohenbourg Castle – Château du Loewenstein loop from Schönau (Pfalz)

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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