Weiss River Walk to Fréland
The GR5 long-distance path follows the Weiss river upstream from Kaysersberg through a narrow, forested gorge toward the village of Fréland — a 7-kilometre one-way trail that trades the wine-route crowds for birdsong, mossy boulders and the sound of fast, clear water over granite.
The trail itself
The path begins at the northern edge of Kaysersberg's old town where the Weiss emerges from the gorge, and is well-signed with GR5 red-and-white blazes throughout. The terrain is mostly flat to gently undulating, following the riverbank through mixed oak and silver fir forest — the Vosges equivalent of a Black Forest walk.
In spring, the verges are thick with wild garlic (ail des ours) and wood anemones; in autumn the beeches turn a deep copper that reflects in the river pools. Kingfishers are a regular sighting between April and September.
Fréland and the return
The village of Fréland sits in a high valley and has a small auberge, the Auberge du Moine, where local trout, Munster cheese and Alsatian beer make a restorative lunch before the return walk or the bus back to Kaysersberg.
The round trip of 14 km is manageable in 4–5 hours including a lunch stop. Alternatively, the bus line 145 (Colmar–Lapoutroie) stops at Fréland, allowing a one-way walk with an easy return.
More of Kaysersberg
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Kaysersberg →
