The Ill rises in Winkel at an elevation of around 600 m on the northern slope of the Glaserberg anticline, in the northern foothills of the Jura. Together with Église Saint-Laurent, Wart Chapel east of the village, and the Sentier des Marocains, it gives your stay two tangible focal points: landscape and heritage. For hikes, you can compare several routes by their stated lengths; in winter, a snow-dependent option is also available.
Église Saint-Laurent and Wart Chapel
Église Saint-Laurent was built from 1786 and consecrated on September 14, 1788. Its Cistercian Baroque style is associated with the influence of Lucelle Abbey. Two Baroque side altars in the transept come from the former Lucelle Abbey and are classified as historic monuments. The construction period, stylistic links, and features offer different points of interest if you are interested in church history and its connections to Lucelle.
Wart Chapel tells an older story. Leaning against a rock east of Winkel, it stands on the site of a former grange belonging to Lucelle Abbey. After a fire set by the Armagnacs in 1444–1445, Lucelle Abbey rebuilt the chapel around 1460. Further restorations took place in 1956 and again in 2019 and 2020. Compared with Église Saint-Laurent, whose construction began in the late 18th century, the documented history of Wart Chapel reaches further back. Lucelle is a recurring point of reference for both buildings: for the church, through its stylistic influence and altars; for the chapel, through its reconstruction and the former grange site.
Hiking by route length and theme
The Sentier des Marocains is a hiking trail in Winkel that explores local history and heritage. Its three circular routes are 2.6, 3.6, and 5.6 km long. This lets you start by choosing a route based on your preferred distance. Historical features include remnants of the Maginot Line, including casemates, anti-tank positions, and shelters. The trail thus combines hiking plans with a glimpse of local history, without requiring you to choose a particular loop length.
The La Charrière site is the starting point for numerous hiking trails, including the Allée des Hêtres and the Sentier des Marocains. Nearby, in Ligsdorf, the Allée des Hêtres is located in the Saint-Pierre-Lucelle state forest. There are around 40 beech trees there, each more than 150 years old. A marked circular route at the Allée des Hêtres is 6 km long and has an elevation gain of 160 m; it starts at the Charrière car park. In terms of distance, this loop is slightly longer than the longest of the three Sentier des Marocains loops, at 5.6 km.
Season and getting around
In winter, two snowshoe routes and Nordic trails are signposted in Winkel. The Winkel Nordic Site has two signposted, ungroomed Nordic trails for ski touring or cross-country skiing. They are between 2.5 and 6.5 km long. As this option is seasonal and depends on snow, check the snow conditions and current conditions before planning. This will help you distinguish the winter options from the cultural and historical themes and hiking routes described as available year-round.
Winkel is served by a bus or tram line that operates regularly. Check the timetable for your travel day if you want to include this connection in your plans. When choosing where to stay, you can therefore compare the topics and route lengths described here with your specific travel arrangements.
Discover more destinations: Carspach, Orbey, Dessenheim, Goldbach-Altenbach, Thannenkirch, Ueberstrass, Breitenbach-Haut-Rhin, Grentzingen
Return to the regional travel overview: Haut-Rhin.
