Voie d'Alsace

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Bad Bergzabern (Palatinate) → Belfort (Gateway to Burgundy)
• Length: approx. 303 km (302.9 according to the GPS track — starting in Bad Bergzabern; the operator’s route from Wissembourg measures 276 km)
• Stages: 13 day stages — opening leg Bad Bergzabern–Wissembourg, then the operator’s twelve stages (10–27 km)
• Elevation gain: approx. 4,420 m of ascent, 4,280 m of descent (GPS track of the route)
• Highest point: Mont Sainte-Odile, 764 m
• Duration: 11–14 days
• Waymarking: A yellow scallop shell on a blue background, along with the Club Vosgien logo—since 2003
• Organisation: Les Amis de Saint-Jacques en Alsace (since 1998) in collaboration with the local chapters of the Club Vosgien
• Best time: April through October — best in mid-September during the grape harvest

Overview

The Voie d'Alsace runs the length of Alsace: 303 Kilometer in 13 stages, from Bad Bergzabern via Wissembourg along the German border through the Rhine Valley to Strasbourg, up to the Mont Sainte-Odile (764 m), then six days along the border between forest and vineyard—Barr, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg—and through the tranquil Sundgau region to Belfort. He was honored by the local chapters of the Club Vosgien featuring a yellow shell on a blue background, and the sponsoring association waited to hold the inauguration until the date was right: 25. Juli 2003, St. James' Day. An organization that waits for a specific date is serious about what it does.

What underpins this approach is a set of documents: 1189 Strasbourg dedicated its first Chapel of St. James, 1346 There was an altar dedicated to St. James in Thann, 1363 Rosheim founded a St. James Hospital, 1365 The country’s oldest Brotherhood of St. James was founded in Strasbourg—and the sponsoring association compiled and published this chronicle itself. Then came the Reformation and wars, and the pilgrimage tradition fell silent for four hundred years. Today, you can follow the same route again—and quite comfortably, at that: bed-and-breakfasts and monasteries instead of dormitories, with a hot meal every evening. You just have to book in advance—Alsace isn’t a deserted region.

Consecrated in 1189, closed in 1525, reopened on St. James' Day in 2003

Alsace doesn't have a made-up Way of St. James—it has a rediscovered one, and the supporting association itself has published the evidence. On 13. Dezember 1189 The first St. James Chapel is consecrated in Strasbourg. Then the chain of events unfolds: 1346 an altar dedicated to St. James in Thann, 1363 St. James Hospital in Rosheim, 1364 Rue Saint-Jacques in Thann, 1365 The oldest Brotherhood of St. James in Alsace, located in the Dominican Church in Strasbourg, along with three altars dedicated to St. James in the cathedral and hospices strung together like pearls on a string—Kaysersberg in 1361, Dambach-la-Ville after 1370, Haguenau around 1455, Saint-Hippolyte in 1502. 1409 Peter Wilfung brought the first documented souvenir from Santiago to Alsace. And anyone who didn't want to go could buy their way out: Heinrich Blankhart of Lofen vowed 1372 He undertook the pilgrimage as an act of penance, received a dispensation, and instead offered up a Mass.

The most powerful story bears a coat of arms: the Herren von Rappoltstein from Ribeauvillé, through whose streets you'll be running on Stage 7. Bruno begins on July 21 1397 In his will, he set aside money for a pilgrimage—he sent someone else to go instead of going himself. Caspar turns around 1400 He sets off for Compostela and never returns. Maximilian II returns 1493 home safe and sound. Three men, one family, three outcomes: paid, missing, returned home. After the 1510s, the sources fall silent—the Peasants’ War strikes Marbach Abbey, the chapel from 1189 falls victim to the Reformation, and the Thann Hospital provides free care only “until the Thirty Years’ War.” Then: four hundred years of silence.

"The Return" has a release date again. 1998 Odile Egele founded the “Amis de Saint-Jacques en Alsace”—in the same year that the French Routes of St. James were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Starting in 2000 The local chapters of Club Vosgien will install brass shells, and the dedication will take place on 25. Juli 2003, St. James' Day. But the best part is this: this trail didn't leave its documents in the archives—it put them up as signs. In Marienthal shows a scallop shell stamp indicating 2,376 kilometers to Santiago, at Châtenois There is a sign that reads “Compostelle 2,263 kilometers.” In between lie 113 kilometers of trail—the difference matches the sign exactly. Only one thing is missing, and let’s be honest: Alsace has no archaeological finds of shells. Instead, it has something rarer—a complete paper trail.

Other Names

In French, the trail is called Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle en Alsace, in short Chemin d'Alsace; in German, you'll find it as Elsässer Jakobsweg. We list it as Voie d'Alsace, because that is exactly what it is within the French trail family: a trail in its own right, not a feeder trail. The confusion over the numbers online has a solid reason: the sponsoring association and Club Vosgien describe the trail from From Wissembourg to Belfort — that's the official 303 kilometers —, whereas the Franche-Comté guidebook begins as early as Thann, and a well-known komoot collection totals 349 kilometers because it includes an 83-kilometer feeder route from Freiburg and the Colmar variants. And here’s a clarification that will save you some planning headaches: Colmar, Sélestat, and Obernai are not located along the main route. The trail passes by them—through Katzenthal, Châtenois, and Barr.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

Perfect if you love rich cultural and historical sites but aren’t in the mood for austerity: Along 303 kilometers, you’ll find Strasbourg Cathedral—the oldest church in Alsace— a 7th-century mountain monastery, a Gothic masterpiece in Thann, and a dozen picture-perfect Wine Route villages—and every evening you’ll arrive at a place with a bed and a warm meal. It’s also a great route for beginners: stages ranging from 10 to 27 kilometers, exceptionally clear signage thanks to Club Vosgien, and a train station is never far away.

To be honest, though, it’s not for you if you’re looking for solitude and the romance of a pilgrim’s inn. There are almost no traditional pilgrim hostels here like the ones in Spain—you’ll stay in chambres d’hôtes, gîtes, monasteries, and hotels, and you’ll need to book in advance, especially during wine season. About a quarter of the route is paved, because Alsace is densely populated. And the climb up Mont Sainte-Odile is no walk in the park: the entire route involves a total elevation gain of about 4,300 meters, a good portion of which is covered in just this one day. You plan around stages like this in advance, not on the go.

Route & Landscape

The route passes through three very different parts of Alsace. The first three days are spent on the plains: Wissembourg at the border, the open Outre-Forêt, the Basilica of St. Mary in Marienthal, the vast Haguenau Forest, then the Rhine Valley as far as Strasbourg. The sponsoring association’s description of the trail’s history best sums up the next section: “As it leaves Strasbourg, the trail follows the waterways very closely”—you’ll follow the Bruche Canal along the Dompeter, the oldest church in Alsace, according to Molsheim, and suddenly you're at the foot of the Vosges.

Then the second part of Alsace begins: The trail climbs up to the Mont Sainte-Odile, the highest point of the route, past the Heidenmauer — a ring wall about ten kilometers long, made up of some 300,000 stone blocks — and then spends six days on the edge between the forest and the vineyard: Barr, Mittelbergheim, Andlau, Châtenois, Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, the Haut-Kœnigsbourg above you. This is the Alsace Wine Route from above. Passing through Les Trois Épis and Notre-Dame du Schauenberg, the route continues to Guebwiller and Thann — and the third Alsace is the quietest: the Sundgau, hilly, wooded, hardly anyone around, until the path leads through the Burgundian Gate to Belfort is expiring.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

The operator divides the route into twelve daily stages about 25 kilometers — a total of about 80 hours of pure walking time and approximately 4.300 Höhenmeter Ascent. Technically, there’s nothing difficult: just under a quarter of the route is on asphalt; the rest is on field and forest trails, all marked by Club Vosgien. The one real challenge is Stage 5 up to Mont Sainte-Odile; after that, the trail remains undulating but predictable. For those short on time: the southern section starting from Kaysersberg can be covered in a week on its own—the club and tourism offices have organized a five-stage route covering 100 kilometers in the Haut-Rhin. All stage distances are rounded figures—the total length of 303 km is the official figure.

1. Wissembourg → Walbourg (27 km) — The route begins through the Outre-Forêt: from the Gothic abbey church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul along field and forest paths to the former Benedictine abbey of Sainte-Walburge, founded in 1074.
2. Walbourg → Brumath (27 km) — past the Basilica of Our Lady in Marienthal, where a scallop shell marker indicates that Santiago is 2,376 km away, then through the Haguenau Forest and on through Weitbruch.
3. Brumath → Strasbourg (22 km) — a flat route through the Rhine Valley via Reichstett and Hoenheim to the city center: Strasbourg had its first St. James Chapel as early as 1189.
4. Strasbourg → Molsheim (27 km) — along the Bruche Canal through Ernolsheim-Bruche and Avolsheim, where the Dompeter is considered the oldest church in Alsace.
5. Molsheim → Mont Sainte-Odile (24 km) — the queen stage: from the Jesuit Church up to 764 m, past the Heidenmauer rampart to Hohenburg Abbey.
6. Mont Sainte-Odile → Châtenois (24 km) — Descent via Ottrott, Barr, Mittelbergheim, and Andlau; near Châtenois, there is a sign that reads “Compostelle 2.263 kilomètres”
7. Châtenois → Kaysersberg (22 km) — the Wine Route stage through Kintzheim, Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, and Riquewihr, passing beneath Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle.
8. Kaysersberg → Saint-Marc Convent (22 km) — via the pilgrimage site of Les Trois Épis and the Notre-Dame du Schauenberg Chapel to the convent near Gueberschwihr.
9. Saint-Marc Convent → Guebwiller (10 km) — the short leg: Time to visit the churches of Guebwiller, from which two citizens set out for Santiago in 1514.
10. Guebwiller → Thann (27 km) — through Soultzmatt and past the Notre-Dame de Thierenbach pilgrimage basilica to the Collégiale Saint-Thiébaut.
11. Thann → Bellemagny (20 km) — a hilly route through forests and meadows, passing through Guewenheim and the Notre-Dame-des-Bouleaux Chapel on the way to the Saint-Joseph Convent.
12. Bellemagny → Belfort (24 km) — the final leg from the Sundgau region through the Burgundian Gateway and on into Belfort.

The individual stages follow the operator’s division from Wissembourg (totalling 276 km); the overall length of 303 km comes from the GPS track starting in Bad Bergzabern. Potential rest days: Strasbourg and Kaysersberg.

Highlights Along the Way

• Wissembourg — Starting point on the border: the Gothic abbey church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, featuring a High Gothic cloister and the 11th-century Romanesque Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul; a stop on the “Path of the Stars” project.
• Marienthal Basilica — A Marian pilgrimage site with a pilgrim shop and the scallop shell marker indicating the 2,376-kilometer distance to Santiago.
• Strasbourg Cathedral — In the Middle Ages, there were three altars here dedicated to St. James; the city’s first St. James Chapel was consecrated on December 13, 1189.
• Dompeter near Avolsheim — is considered the oldest church in Alsace, located right on the road between Strasbourg and Molsheim.
• Mount Sainte-Odile (764 m) — Hohenburg Abbey, founded at the end of the 7th century; Odilia died in 720 and left behind a shelter on the mountain for the sick and travelers. In addition, the Heidenmauer: a ring wall about 10 kilometers long, made of approximately 300,000 stone blocks.
• Andlau — Seat of the sponsoring association, with a mention of St. James dating from 1454.
• Ribeauvillé — The town of the Lords of Rappoltstein, from whose family three documented pilgrims to Santiago hailed: one who paid the fee, one who went missing, and one who returned home.
• Riquewihr, Hunawihr, Kaysersberg — the "Wine Route Triad": fortified villages, half-timbered houses, and church treasures; in Kaysersberg, there is evidence of a hospital dating from 1361 and an altar dedicated to St. James from 1478.
• Saint-Thiébaut Collegiate Church in Thann — A Gothic masterpiece dating from the early 14th century; the spire was designed by Rémy Faesch. Every June 30, the legend of the three fir trees is reenacted in front of it as the “Crémation des trois sapins”—the town owes its name, coat of arms, and pilgrimage to a finger bone in the pilgrim’s staff.
• Sundgau and the Burgundian Gate — the quiet final two days after Belfort, staying at the Couvent Saint-Joseph in Bellemagny.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

The traditional pilgrimage route comes from the north, and this is by no means a modern invention—the history of the sponsoring association clearly states: “Pilgrims coming from the north via Worms, Speyer, and Wissembourg undoubtedly passed through Haguenau and Strasbourg on their way to southern France.” This exact route exists again today: The Jakobsweg Speyer–Bad Bergzabern ends in Bad Bergzabern — exactly where the Voie d’Alsace now begins. The handover happens at the same town sign: via the Deutsches Weintor in Schweigen-Rechtenbach you cross the border to Wissembourg, and if you come from Speyer you don’t change route — only the waymarking: from here on, the yellow shell on a blue background.

Pilgrims are coming from the east across the Rhine: For the route from the Breisgau region, an 83-kilometer feeder route from Freiburg to Thann has been mapped; those traveling from farther away via Tübingen and Freiburg will find the route here as Jakobsweg Rottenburg–Freiburg–Héricourt. Otherwise, the route is simply easy to reach: Wissembourg, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, and Belfort are all along the railway line, so you can board the train at almost any stage boundary. The organization explicitly views the route as a link between Northern Europe and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté—which is precisely why it was marked in 2003.

Continue the pilgrimage?

The path ends in Belfort, but the pilgrimage does not. Just under twenty kilometers to the west lies Héricourt, where the route Héricourt–Beaune starts—across Franche-Comté to Burgundy. The official route guide from the Association Franc-Comtoise even begins in Thann and, once past Belfort, presents you with the classic choice: 19 Stages to Cluny or 18 Stages to Vézelay, at the fork in Gy in the Haute-Saône.

Both routes lead to the major French pilgrimage routes: via Cluny and Le Puy-en-Velay to the Via Podiensis, via Vézelay to the Via Lemovicensis — and both eventually flow into the Camino Francés. If you turn southeast instead, you'll reach the Swiss city of Basel via Via Jacobi and via Geneva to the Via Gebennensis. According to the signs along the way, it’s still a good 2,300 kilometers from Wissembourg to Santiago—the 303 kilometers to Belfort are just the beginning. But what an extraordinarily beautiful start.

Preparation & Practical Information

The best time is between April and October — and if you have a choice, take Mid-September: An Alsatian pilgrim who walked the route in 2007 recommended exactly that—good weather, fewer tourists, and the grape harvest is in full swing. In July and August, the villages along the Wine Route are crowded and rooms are expensive; in winter, many chambres d'hôtes are closed.

When it comes to lodging, you’ll have to think outside the box: there’s no Spanish hostel network. You’ll stay in chambres d’hôtes, gîtes, small hotels, and occasionally in monasteries—the Couvent Saint-Marc near Gueberschwihr and the Couvent Saint-Joseph in Bellemagny are even official stops along the route. The sponsoring association maintains lists of affordable accommodations and publishes the annual “Guide du chemin,” which includes maps and a directory of lodging options. Make a reservation in advance — The French route descriptions explicitly state that this is essential. The Pilgrim's Passport (Credencial) The association distributes them free of charge; the tourist office in Wissembourg sells a Crédencial for 10 euros, complete with its own starting stamp, and in Marienthal, you can get one at the basilica’s pilgrim shop (as of August 2026). Order it in advance so you’ll have it in time for the start of your journey.

Plan your Mont-Sainte-Odile Day with respect and the wine season well in advance—the rest is pure enjoyment. With the Camino Ninja App You're in good hands—it has the entire route on board, and you can put together your own itinerary and plan suitable accommodations right away.

What the journey will cost you

Expect a higher daily budget than in Spain: 60 to 90 euros per day are realistic if you stay in chambres d'hôtes and gîtes and eat one hot meal a day (estimate as of August 2026—the organization does not publish price lists). A double room in the wine-growing region usually costs between 60 and 90 euros; monasteries and simple gîtes are cheaper—and if you’re passing through Riquewihr or Kaysersberg in the summer, you’ll pay tourist prices: in that case, plan to stay in a neighboring village instead. You can save money in two ways: by shopping, since almost every stop along the route has a supermarket or boulangerie—and by getting a pilgrim’s passport, which is free from the association. The best things about Alsace are free anyway: the churches, chapels, and pilgrimage sites along the route don’t charge an admission fee, and the view from Mont Sainte-Odile isn’t one you’d expect to have to pay for.

Getting Here

Wissembourg is located right on the German border and is easily accessible by train: from Strasbourg on the TER in about an hour, and from the German side via Neustadt an der Weinstraße and Winden. Anyone who wants to Jakobsweg Speyer–Bad Bergzabern Once it has come to an end, the route simply continues for the last four kilometers from the Deutschen Weintor. The nearest airports are Strasbourg-Entzheim, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, and Frankfurt.

Belfort With the Belfort-Montbéliard TGV, it has a high-speed rail station on the Rhine–Rhône line—just over two hours to Paris, about three back to Strasbourg. Those traveling on can take a regional train to Héricourt, where the Héricourt–Beaune route begins.

• Getting to the starting point: TER to Wissembourg (approx. 1 hour from Strasbourg; from Germany via Neustadt/Weinstraße–Winden); Timetables are available at [sncf-connect.com](https://www.sncf-connect.com) and [bahn.de](https://www.bahn.de).
• Getting on/off while the vehicle is moving: Strasbourg, Molsheim, Mulhouse, and other stops are part of the TER network (Fluo Grand Est)—convenient for traveling between these locations.
• Return trip: Belfort-Montbéliard TGV (Rhine–Rhône line), Paris in just over 2 hours.
• Sponsoring Organization: Route guide, neighborhood lists, and pilgrim pass available at [saint-jacques-alsace.org](https://www.saint-jacques-alsace.org).