CREST CIRCUIT

Saint-Léon hamlet is a part of Walscheid village. You may enjoy Saint-Léon Chapel and Saint-Léon Grotto which is 32m deep, 24m wide and 8m high. When you enter the cave, on the left, you may see a commemorative plaque in memory of Pope Saint Léon IX: it is said he withdrew to this cave. He may have come here to pray and meditate when he was young.

The Saint-Léon cave, formed by erosion, is the deepest natural cavity in the Vosges. A majestic oak tree, several hundred years old, seems to stand guard over its entrance. From this spot, the walker can enjoy a splendid panorama of Walscheid and its surroundings. The Saint-Leon cave is also the scene of an extraordinary living nativity scene organised on the 3rd Sunday of Advent by the Walscheid Tourist Office. Depth: 32m - Width 24m - Height 8m.

While hiking on the GR53 (a hiking trail), folllow the signs with a red rectangle and a white stripe in the middle: by doing so, you will reach the Hohwalsch pass or "Hohwalschplatz" (as it is called by locals). It used to be a very popular pass between Alsace and Lorraine from Antiquity to Middle Ages. Nowadays, it is a place to relax and reconnect with nature, far away from traffic.