4th Day Alsace

Done!! The longest and supposedly most difficult stage is completed.

The path started where it had ended the day before. Through Kaysersberg and steep uphill, the path meandered through dense forest. Soon, we found ourselves high above the town, which lay beneath us like a model railroad. Further up. Our clothes were quickly soaked with sweat. Fortunately, there were flatter sections in between.

By noon, we reached Obschel, just a place to stop in the mountains. This place also marked the halfway point of our hike. A suitable reason to celebrate. Which we did, together with two fellow hikers from Essen.

And we continue. We still had some height and distance ahead of us. A significant landmark was a soldiers' cemetery on the hill. Many German soldiers had fallen there during World War I. On this occasion, we noticed that we were now in an area that had been heavily contested in both World Wars, as we also saw various military installations along the route. Trenches, bunkers, and more.

At the highest point of the tour, or as Yogi would say, the "högsch" point, we were happy to have reached it. However, the descent wasn't necessarily more enjoyable. And it wasn't. Of course, 1200 meters of ascent need to be done, but then 1000 meters of descent on 6 kilometers. It was quite exhausting. Especially since it got warmer as we descended.

The spa hotel compensated all of us for the efforts. Quickly to the room, shower, put on swim trunks, and into the pool. Only then did we fill up the tanks at the bar again. The highlight of the evening was dinner at the gourmet restaurant. Food at a star level at an excellent price-performance ratio. A worthy conclusion of a beautiful day with great friends. It is and remains a great idea to go on a hike together once a year!