Le Donon
Sacred mountain
À the junction of Alsace and Lorraine, the Donon massif forms a barrière some twenty kilometres long. Its highest point, 1009 metres above sea level, has long served as a place of worship. Dedicated by the Romans to the god Mercury, this sacred mountain takes its name from a Gallic word meaning "mountain" or "fortified enclosure". At the heart of the Vosges Massif, this listed historic monument offers an incomparable viewpoint from its summit over the Vosges range, the Forêt Noire, the Alsace plain and the Lorraine plateau. The impressive rocky table allows you to admire the surrounding forest massif at any time of year.
A strategic observation site, the Donon was the scene of fierce fighting during the First World War. During the Second World War, it was an important crossing point for evacuees from Nazi camps and Alsatian refugees trying to reach the free zone.
The Donon massif can be reached from Alsace via the Bruche valley (Molsheim, Schirmeck). To get there, take the 4-kilometre signposted archaeological and historical discovery trail.
Photography owned by à Ralf Schulze