Trail du Mont Sainte-Odile

The Trail du Mont Sainte-Odile is a 38-kilometer trail race with 1,500 meters of elevation gain starting from Obernai, in Bas-Rhin. This event takes runners to the summit of Mont Sainte-Odile, the foremost spiritual site in Alsace, at 764 meters altitude, on a course that blends religious heritage, prehistoric vestiges, and Vosges forests of spellbinding beauty.

Mont Sainte-Odile is the most visited pilgrimage site in Alsace. Its convent, founded in the seventh century by Saint Odile, patron saint of Alsace, dominates the plain from atop a rocky promontory. The view from the convent terrace encompasses the entire Alsatian plain, from Strasbourg to the foothills of the Black Forest, in a panorama that has inspired generations of mystics, artists, and travelers.

The Trail du Mont Sainte-Odile course rises from Obernai, a charming wine-growing town with half-timbered facades and cobbled streets, toward the wooded heights of the Vosges massif. Runners first cross the foothill vineyards, then enter the beech and oak forest covering the slopes. The ascent toward Mont Sainte-Odile passes along the Pagan Wall, an enigmatic megalithic enclosure over 10 kilometers long, made of cyclopean sandstone blocks assembled without mortar. The origin and function of this wall, more than 2,000 years old, remain debated by archaeologists.

The 1,500 meters of elevation gain are distributed across several significant climbs punctuating the course. The terrain is technical and varied: pink sandstone trails typical of the Vosges, passages between the blocks of the Pagan Wall, winding forest paths, and steep descents into wooded ravines. Sandstone rocks, sculpted by erosion into strange shapes, dot the course and add a striking mineral character to the forest landscape.

Obernai, the start and finish point, is one of the most picturesque towns on the Alsace Wine Route. Its belfry, corn exchange, and Renaissance houses compose a postcard setting that enchants visitors from around the world. The town is an ideal starting point for exploring the Vosges, and the Trail du Mont Sainte-Odile offers a sporty and immersive way to discover this region.

The course also crosses remarkable natural sites: the Hohwald waterfalls, the Maennelstein rocks, and the source of the Bruche. Forest wildlife is abundant, with deer, wild boar, and wildcats in the deep undergrowth. Wild orchids bloom in spring in the limestone clearings, adding touches of color to the forest's dominant green.

Aid stations celebrate Alsatian gastronomy: bredele, quetsch tart, Munster, and Gewurztraminer. The Trail du Mont Sainte-Odile atmosphere is imbued with the spirituality and conviviality that characterize this unique place. Runners leave with the feeling of having traversed a territory steeped in history and mystery, where nature and human culture have been intimately intertwined over millennia.