Trail des Marcaires

The Trail des Marcaires is a 65-kilometer trail race with 2,800 meters of elevation gain starting from Munster, in the Vosges department. Its name pays tribute to the marcaires, the shepherd-cheesemakers who, for centuries, have driven their herds up to the high pastures to produce Munster cheese, a raw-milk treasure of Alsatian gastronomy.

Munster, nestled at the bottom of the Fecht valley, is the beating heart of this pastoral tradition. The small town, whose name derives from the Latin monasterium in reference to its former Benedictine abbey, is surrounded by wooded mountains and high-altitude pastures that form the playground of the Trail des Marcaires. The Protestant church, half-timbered houses, and winstubs of the town provide a picturesque setting for the start of this demanding event.

The Trail des Marcaires course is an alpine tour de force in miniature. Runners climb from the floor of the Munster valley to the High Vosges ridges, above 1,300 meters altitude, before descending into adjacent valleys and climbing back up again. The succession of climbs and descents is relentless, with sections of more than 500 meters of elevation gain in a single stretch.

The 2,800 meters of elevation gain over 65 kilometers place this race among the most demanding trails in the Vosges massif. The terrain is extremely varied: wind-exposed ridge trails on the chaumes, technical descents through beech and fir forests, peatland crossings, and rocky passages along ridgelines. Weather conditions often add an extra dimension, with fog, rain, or even early snow in autumn.

The chaumes, those vast high-altitude pastures crowning the Vosges summits, are the most emblematic backdrop of the course. It is here that the marcaires establish their mountain farms, the fermes-auberges, where they produce Munster and welcome hikers. Trail des Marcaires runners cross these open spaces, bathed in light and swept by wind, with panoramic views over the Alsatian valleys, the Rhine plain, and, in clear weather, the Black Forest summits.

The course passes through major natural sites: the Hohneck, the third-highest Vosges summit at 1,363 meters, the Frankenthal glacial cirque, the Wormsa valley, and the Col de la Schlucht. Each col crossing is a small victory, each descent into a valley an immersion into the coolness of Vosges undergrowth.

Aid stations, set up in the fermes-auberges along the course, are a highlight of the race. Runners enjoy farmhouse Munster, roigabrageldi, blueberry tart, and Alsatian wine in a convivial atmosphere that softens the harshness of the effort. The Trail des Marcaires is a celebration of the Vosges mountains, their pastoral traditions, and their wild beauty.