Taennchel

The Taennchel is one of the tops of the Massif of the Vosges culminating with 988 meters. On the north-eastern side of Taennchel the village of Thannenkirch hides, and towards the south of the mountain one reaches old the Verrerie S of the Ribeaupierre which overhang the rock masses of the Mittelberg (approximately 600 meters), Venuskopf and Schelmenkopf (905 meters). Taennchel is one of the tops which, of west in is, constitute the watershed between the basin of the Liepvrette in north and that of the Strengbach in the south. It is an imposing mountain, with the largely opened out sides and strongly shouldered side of the valley of Liepvrette, while side opposed towards Ribeauvillé, it grows hollow with peak in a imposing circus around the two twin small valleys of Great and Small Glassmaking. Taennchel with the form of a Growing which extends on nearly 4 kilometers since the rock known as of Rammelstein which culminates with 988 meters of altitude to the mountain which overhangs lower Taennchel from where one can see the three castles in ruin of the lords de Ribeaupierre: Haut-Ribeaupierre, Saint-Ulrich and Girsberg.

In the North-West one reaches the forest area of Hury (named in the old documents Jefurthe ) which depends on Holy-Cross-with-Mines. The forests of Hury, Hinterwald and Kaelblin belonged until in 1718 to the Great Chapter of the Cathédrale of Nancy, since these forests depended before on the Prieuré of Lièpvre. The monks of the priory led towards the autumn on the top of Taennchel the Porc S which raffolaient nipples.

On the side of the north-eastern point the rock of the Corbels rises which dominates an abrupt slope and which lets appear rocks with odd and impressive contours. A little beyond, is the Rock-shelter which with the shape of a cave. The pointed or acute Rock resembles a sitted Sanglier. The Bad weather S, the Wind S and the Orage S corroded its outside and left apparent of stones of Quartzite of different colors. Not far from this place draws up split rocks which are formed enormous blocks and a little further one sees the beginning of the pagan wall.

According to the tradition this site was used for the pleasures of hunting, and the Lords of Ribeaupierre there locked up and nourished the stags and the hinds. But, in fact, this site forever which been able to be used with this intention for the simple reason which this enclosure is not closed and forever built for this use.

Hydrology

There exist three sources in the south of the solid mass feeding Ilbach and the Beam of the Small Glassmaking and a source in the east whose water throws all in Strengbach upstream of Ribeauvillé.

In north, the number of collected sources is more important and these last feed the Liepvrette.

Geology

The base of Taennchel is consisted a base of Gneiss dating from the Précambrien, its base is formed by the Granite higher Carbonifère (approximately 300 million years) and is covered by a considerable tablecloth with ic sandstone Conglomérat Vosgean with the Trias (approximately 200 million years) which wraps in horizontal layers the top and the slopes of the Montagne.

Etymology

For some, the Sapin “Thannen” would have given the name of the solid mass of Taennchel; for others, it would be Tan or Taen which wants to say bark of Chêne which would be in the beginning.

According to Robert Forrer, archeologist celebrates who studied the Mont Sainte-Odile between 1898 and 1899 and published several works or article devoteds to at the time medieval, “Taennchel” would come from the Gallic word dunon or dunom which means pregnant strengthened.

The name “Taennchel” is quoted for the first time in a document of file gone back to 1357. Its name appears then under different orthographies: Taennchel in 1441, Thennichel in 1473, Dannchel in 1538, Tenchel in 1416, Thaennchel , Tannchel , Dannichel , Taennchel , Tännel in 1871 and Taennchel starting from 1918.

Famous rocks

While arriving on the peak of Taennchel, one is struck by the curious configuration of many rocks to odd contours. They take the form of Saurien S, Pyramide S, or incomprehensible figures which with the wire of times gave place to legends. Certain rocks are regarded still nowadays as furnace bridges druitic or stones with Sacrifice S. the basins or Cupule S were used in popular imagination to collect the Sang victims and the grooves which connected them to pour it ones in the others.

the rock of the Titans (925 m)
the rock of Reinolstein (982 meters) is with the intersection of the four banns of the communes of Holy Cross-with-Mines, Lièpvre, Rodern, Ribeauvillé where is stone-limits with the weapons of the duchy of Lorraine and of the Ribeaupierre gone back to 1718.
the Rammelstein (988 m) is the culminating point of Taennchel.

the rock of the Giants (949 m) (in German: Hochfelsen ) comprises a number impressing of cups on its top (approximately 120). This rock constitutes the articulation is peak of Large Taennchel or “cyclopean wall” and the northern articulation of the peak of former Taennchel. It is starting from this rock that begins towards the west a demarcation going back to 1538 with the letter has (which is completely illegible today) and which is prolonged until Reinolstein (letter V). These letters are on the rocks and the natural stones along the path. The letter NR for example is engraved on the plate of the Three Small Tables. The rock of the Giants especially imposing is seen top. Its flagstone of approximately 17 X 24 meters overhangs of more than 15 mètres.

According to the legend, it is here that the fairies prepared their strange drinks. This rock is at the place where the path of peak turns to right angle, with the limit formed by the banns of Rodern, Thannenkirch and Ribeauvillé (national forest). The popular legend believes to recognize in this rock the remainders of a pillar made up of a bridge having emjambé the Chalmont with the Val of Lièpvre and the rock of the Giants in Taennchel. This place one enjoys a very beautiful sight on Lièpvre, Vancelle, Thannenkirch, the High Koenigsbourg and the plain of Alsace. One distinguishes there clearly also the tops from the Chalmont and the Rocher of the Cuckoo.

the rock of the Reptiles (954 m) or rock of the Crocodile to the form of a fixed saurien since mists of time. Since this top one can comtempler a superb sight on Lièpvre, the entry of the village of Rombach-the-Franc, Vancelle, Sainte Cross-with-Mines, the Climont with far, and the mountains of Chalmont and the rock of the Cuckoo.

Three small tables (988 m), rock carved by erosion. Its base retains three other rocks. On the side of the one of it one discovers a mark of demarcation with figures 208 and 32.
the Three large tables (860 m) (in German: Ringenfelsen ), according to an old legend could have been used for giants. These rocks can be climbed by an iron staircase. At the top one finds an iron ring there who is sealed in the rock and who according to the legend would have been used for Noah to moor his arch during the flood. An inhabitant of Ribeauvillé sealed in 1879, a ring out of iron which wants that ships came to moor at the top of the mountain at the time where the sea the valley of the Rhine covered. This ring carries the following inscription: In diluvio salus Noae - J.J. Becker - MDCCCLXXIX . One year later, in 1810 the block where the ring is sealed is provided with iron cramps to facilitate the access of them. It is only in 1910 that one arranges the iron scale to allow the ladies to reach, without too many difficulties, on the higher platform of the rock from where one can enjoy a splendid panorama. A second ring a little larger is sealed in 1938 by an engineer of Strasbourg whose initial ones which is engraved on the rock are those of its family.

the rock of the Ring
the reversed Roche is a natural curiosity with two basins in the shape of outfall
the Schelmenkopf (699 m) or Tête of the Giants , where the legend locates the burial of the Giants, a median projection of the mountain, separating the small valley of the Large-Glassmaking of that from the Small-Glassmaking, both emerge in the valley of Strengbach, leading to Ribeauvillé. The name of Schelm is besides with him only a source of information. Evolving/moving starting from the Germanic , it takes the direction of death amongst other things, fall, corpse, but also of finaud and scélérat. Schelmenkopf can thus mean at the same time mountain of the giants or head of the tomb of the giants .
long Rock German (: Langefelsen ) is a rock starting from where a very beautiful sight is offered on the small valley of the Great Glassmaking and with the accesses of which in 1968 was celebrated the first mass in the open air of the Friends of Taennchel.
Rock with corridors
the Lion's den
the Rammelfelsen or Welscher Hochfelsen (949 m)
the Venuskopf (905 m)
the rock Bellevue (919 m)
the rock of the Solstice

the rock of the Guard or Wachtfelsen , according to the legend, would have been a point of observation and a station of monitoring which were used for the Celtes to supervise the plain for the period of the great invasions.
the rock of the Corbels (in German: Wachtfelsen , Krappenfelsen ) belonged to a rock unit leant with the side of the part of mountain dominating the bottom of the small valley of the Great Glassmaking (domanial piece N°2, locality of Krappenfels). This unit is appeared as two vertical great walls of which one of them is made up of several stages with the rock located at the accesses of the way of Taennchel where the sandstone angel and the source called in the past are Wesserfelsen . Higher, with the variation of the path which goes up towards the peak, in a rock carrying a cavity, is sealed a statue of Virgin. At the bottom of this cavity which obviously lets appear traces of gravers, one can see a mysterious hardly visible inscription and the year 1503.

the Rock-shelter (in German: Schutzfelsen ) affects the shape of an enormous rock shelter.
the pointed Rock or acute Rock German (: Spitzigfelsen ) is one of most imposing and most spectacular the rock of Taennchel which has a 8,50 meters height and a length of approximately 11 meters. It is a Conglomérat in Quartzite which resembles a sitted wild boar. The bad weather, the winds and the storms corroded its apparent outside and left stones of quarzite of different colors. It appears to be a monumental work in mosaic, remains of a destroyed temple of a woodland divinity. It is with this rock that A. Stoeber attaches the legend of the rings of Taennchel in the work Die Sagen im Elsass .

the Small rock of the Fairies or rock of the Small fairy
the split Rocks German (: gespaltene Felsen ) is composed of gigantic masses which are presented in the form of a masonry of Titans. Not far from the split rocks is a formed enclosure of enormous blocks with corridors and share part of the pagan wall: it bears the name of Salzlecke or Salzschlecke ( lick-salt ). The tradition wants that the lords of Ribeaupierre there locked up and nourissaient the stags and the hinds which served to them with the pleasures as hunting. But this site forever which been able to be used with this use because the place does not comprise any closed enclosure.

the stone of the Shoe-makers inherited his name because of the rassemblance with a “last-maker”, the tool used by the shoe-makers for resemeler the shoes. It is a base from 7 to 8 meters length where rests horizontally on a narrow basis an enormous block from 4,50 to 5 meters length and 1,50 to 2 meters height and width. In the neighborhoods of this mass lie of other covered blocks of foam and in communication with the pagan wall.
the rock of Haselkopf (918 m)
the rock of the Peace of Udine (902 m)

the Necropolis
the Source of the Spirits or Fountain of the Spirits or Geisterbrünnele represents a 6 depth meters rock corridor, cover of a flagstone a 2,20 meters height. This corridor is very wet and water oozes through the many slits along its walls. This characteristic explains the name given to this unit dolmenic, deprived of a true source which existed there perhaps formerly. It is said that at this place the spirits of the mountain gathered.
the Rock commemorating the treaty of Paris of 1718 on the slope of the forest belonging to the commune of Lièpvre.
the Wasserfelsen ( Stones of water ) represent a chaotic unit. The sometimes superimposed rocks, sometimes drawn up, affect the most curious and various forms: the ones resemble tables, to shaking masses, shelters - under - rock, the others recall the memory of monstrous sauriens, others still have human profiles. The upper parts of the rocks frequently carry basins or cups filled with water; this characteristic their was worth the water stone name.
the Reinolstein : genuine stone of the four banns, located at the western end of the peak of posterior Taennchel.

Signs engraved in the rock

There exist various signs engraved in the rock that supersitieux spirits interprêté with their way. These rocks generally carry notches, crosses, basins, basins, cups, grooves. The engraved cross, only or associated with cups, frequently meets on the blocks out of sandstone of Taennchel (water Pierre, rock of the Giants, etc) directed sometimes according to the four cardinal points. Beside the Greek Cross, it was noted only once a Cross of Saint-Andrew, but of others are perhaps hidden in thick foam. One finds rock-limits on the top of Reinolstein with the lette U accompanied by the cross and the year 1538 and with approximately 100 meters further another rock which indicates the lette T which is visible on the southern part of the path. One will find thus on the 3,5 kilometers of path of the peak of Taennchel of other distinctive signs engraved in the rock generally of the letters of the alphabet followed by a number which represents the forest piece. Certain marks engraved on the rocks date from the year 1538 which relates to the end of a litigation which was concretized by an award between Guillaume II of Ribeaupierre and the community of Bergheim. The original of this statement is with the files of Bergheim, but also with the files of Meurthe-et-Moselle, since part of Taennchel depended before the Moyen-âge on the Prieuré on Lièpvre. The Val of Lièpvre was made dispossess of part of the forest of Hinterwald and Kelblin which included part of Taennchel by the troops of Louis XIV which then occupied the Lorraine whose Valley of Lièpvre made at the time part.

When France returned Lorraine to the duke Léopold Ier, the old possessions of Hinterwald remained with the Alsace. Lastly, there exists another curiosity at the top of Taennchel: the existence of many armoriées terminals delimiting the borders between the various communes which go back to several times. A first demarcation took place in 1583 between the communes of Thannenkirch, Bergheim and Rodern. These terminals are marked by the letters T (Thannenkirch), B (Bergheim) and R (Rodern). In 1718, the commune of Lièpvre, according to an award between France and the Duchy of Lorraine proceeded to a plantation of stone-terminals to delimit the border between Lorraine and Alsace. These stone-terminals go from Spiemont to the rock of Reinolstein on the peak of Taennchel. These terminals are 26. The terminal n°1 is in Reinolstein with the cross of Lorraine then the other terminals are engraved only with one simple cross on the top of the stone. In 1828 the commune of Thannenkirch proceeded to a new layout of terminals in Taennchel for the part of the forest relating to it. The commune of Ribeauvillé proceeded to another layout of borders in 1812 then in 1874 for the part of the national forest which returns to him. The stone-terminals marking the border with Ribeauvillé are engraved by letter R. One also finds on old terminals the letters S.P which want to say Sankt-Pilt, that is to say Saint-Hippolyte which still belonged before the treaty of Paris to the Duché of Lorraine.

Some historical details

The top of Reinolstein

The top of Reinolstein was a benchmark to trace the limits of territories between Ribeaupierre and the various communities. A first layout was carried out by Maximilien Ier de Ribeaupierre in 1436 of which there exists still a reference mark on one of the rocks at the top.

The rock of the Peace of Udine

This rock is on the extreme point of Taennchel former also called Grand Taennchel to a certain time. It is located slightly at the variation of the path of peak which skirts the pagan wall and at the shape of a 1,70 meters natural furnace bridge of 4,70 height meters and. This rock with the characteristic to relate to on its right side, on the side of the path of the hikers, an inscription engraved in the rock which evokes a historical fact of the revolutionary time . This inscription thus formulated WITH the PEACE Of UDINE MG. DK. LS. JB. EC. 22 Br.VI recalls that with Udine was signed in 1797, the treaty between the France and the Austria which devoted the conquests of the revolution. In remembering this memorable date, some citizens of Ribeauvillé engraved on the rock their names in the form of initial: Michel Greiner, David Koehler, Louis Steiner, Jacques Beyser, Charles Eberhard. The line of bottom represents the date of the 22 brumaire of year VI of the republican Calendrier which corresponds to November 12th, 1797, that is to say one Sunday. She recalls that in the Italian canton of Udine was signed in October of the same year the famous Traité of Campo-Formio between France and the Austria whose general-in-chief was Napoleon Bonaparte.

The rock of Venuskopf

This rock with the form of a Parallelepiped. On his top one finds there the letter F which remains not easily decipherable. One also distinguishes there a cross, the year 1763 and a number of demarcation. Escutcheons its visible step. In July 1943, an inhabitant of the Glassmakings sealed there an iron ring bearing on a side his name: Scheidecker (EDAX = Eugene Donath, Alphonse Xavier) and other the inscription “ leben in Frieden ”.

Three large tables

The Three large tables or rock of the Ring form one of the oddest phenomena of this mountain. On this principal rock an inscription SALUS IN DILUVIO NOAE is engraved. J.J. BECKER MDCCCLXXIX (1879) accompanied by an enormous iron ring sealed in the stone. The author of this humorous allusion was an employee of administration of Ribeauvillé. It makes following an old tradition which wants that the iron rings were used as point of anchoring to moor boats at one time or a vast lake covered the valley of the Rhine, between the Black Forest and the the Vosges, since the the Alps until the Taunus.

Rammelstein

On Rammelstein (988 meters) three statuettes were found in 1998 by two clandestine diggers of the Val of Lièpvre. They represent the divinities of the the Pantheon Alémanique: Loki and twice Wotan. These statuettes are currently with the Unterlinden museum of Colmar.

The Russian shelter

There exists in Taennchel a formed shelter of a level stretch of rock which was inhabited by two Russian prisoners during the First World War. The German army at that time uses many Russian prisoners for various work, repairs of roads, agricultural work, etc This “shelter Russian” is with 200 meters upstream Kleinfels (altitude 850 m). With approximately 20 meters on the right of the track is a rock platform, whose plate fixed on a tree indicates the mention “shelter Russian” and an arrow giving the direction. The shelter forms a species of Dolmen made up of an enormous flagstone which rests on two other vertical rocks thus forming a shelter. This cave is closed with before (northern side) by a dry stone low wall leaving a central opening as a door. Towards 1917 two Russian prisoners succeed in escaping and hiding in this tax haven. They are supplied with Lièpvre, one of the villages closest or with the farm to Rotzel occupied then by the husbands Séraphin Stahl and Marguerite Harter and their children. They were owners of the farm of Rotzel of 1911 with 1936. Later one of wire of the couple, Adolphe Stahl living Lièpvre will confirm this version.

Legends on Taennchel

Taennchel is surrounded by legends more or less in connection with the monumental rocks which are drawn up on the plate. For some Taennchel was regarded as a kind of sanctuary for the Prêtre S Celte S which celebrated the worship of the Sun, of the stones, and the Vent. The legend also reports that Taennchel was populated with the prehistoric era giants who would have transformed the animals into stone. According to the legend, Vogesus sheltered Wotan and its two corbels, Hugin and Munin. Then Wotan entrusted Taennchel to his/her son Donner or Taranis (Celtic).

The Losbrunnen fountain

According to the local tradition, the hiker is invited to stop close to this Source and with drinking a little sound Eau by formulating a wish. The fountain is on the northern face, after the refuge of Rotzel, but it is directed towards the west. To profit from the benefits of this source it is necessary to let run a little water along the hands.

A fort running revitalizing

According to the legend, the top of Taennchel was considered by the Druide S as a line where a power of energy with revitalizing and regenerating effects on the people was on who passed in the vicinity or who exposed themselves to it. The rumor wants that the pagan wall would be the layout of an old geological fault which would make it possible to materialize the passage of this current and to guide the walkers in the search of this energy. The radiesthesists highlighted at this place a strong earth current making react the Oscilloscope S. This current producing of the vibrations on the peak of Taennchel would be one of strongest of Europe.

Three small tables

They would have been useful, according to the legend, with the children of the giants to take their meals.

A known mountain of the Celts?

The Celtes undoubtedly knew the mountain of Taennchel because, according to the legend, they went up there there to celebrate certain festivals and to venerate their gods (Teutatès, Belenos, Taranis, Esus, Lug, Dagda, Brigit, Epona, etc). In Alsace the Celts venerated particularly the worship of Vogesus and Sucellus, the god with the mallet, the Master of the life and death, the god of the passage. The partner of Sucellus is Nautosuelta, goddess of source and life. Sucellus is represented by a man of ripe age, bearded, vêtu with Gallic, the short tunic with belt, is fitted boots and accompanied by a Chien. Nantosuelta symbolizes the Fécondité, whereas Sucellus ensures the survival of late thanks to the wine of its small cask. It nourishes the alive ones and accommodates deaths. If there is a rock having to represent the Sucellus god, it is the stone of the Shoe-makers whose form is that of a mallet.

The enigma of the pagan wall

Description

The pagan wall represents the most interesting part and most discussed of the solid mass of Taennchel. This wall a length of: 2300 meters skirts the peak of the mountain in direction of north-western south-east/and is incontestably the most remarkable monument of its kind in the Haut-Rhin. It is often stopped by enormous natural rocks, to which it comes to rest to form only one compact assembly. This wall is built out of superimposed more or less uniform stones the ones on the others, without any trace of masonry. The wall is not built in straight line; it follows curves in certain places and is collapsed in certain parts of its layout. Murier S savages cover little by little the remains of this antique construction. The greater current height of the wall is of approximately of 1,80 meters and its greater thickness or width at the base of 1,70 meters. The stones, catches on the spot, appear squared, but one finds also many blocks cut, mingled with a rough apparatus. Quantities of stones of the same kind rise in the vicinity of the wall, removed from their primitive place by the Orage S and the Tempête S, or dismounted by the hikers of passage. This wall does not have any resemblance to that of the Mont Sainte-Odile or the Château of Frankenbourg which are not that with a few tens of kilometers of Taennchel.

Assumptions

A wall of defense raised by the Romans?

According to pH. of Golbéry, the pagan wall formed the limit between Médiomatriques and Séquanes or between Séquanes and Triboques. Other historians decide for a construction dating from the time pre Roman or Gaulois E. Some evoke also a cutting off for the inhabitants of the plain and the close valleys at the time where the cruel hordes the country invaded. Faudel and Bleucher consider that the wall was used at the time Celtic for a religious goal, but do not formulate any final opinion. Schoepflin and the Grandidier abbot sees there the remainders of a wall of defense of the Roman epoch which furnished the peak with the the Vosges, of the Honack until Bergzabern. Auguste Schricker regards construction with the top of the mountain as a limit of demarcation dating from the Roman epoch. F.X Kraus, the Mulhousian industrialist , place the construction of the wall at the time pre-Roman and sees a limit of the Gallic people there. It is thus noted that the points of view of the historians only agree very seldom. Several of these historians who put forth assumptions had ever seen the construction of the wall of near. Their assertions were based generally only on reports/ratios coming from more or less suspect sources.

A wall which marks the borders between the people mediomatric and séquanes?

Golbéry gives to the wall an age much older. For him, this wall marked the border between the people Médiomatriques and Séquanes, even Triboques which populated Alsace before the arrival of the Romans.

A wall built by Pélasges?

Felix Voulot proposes the Pélasges as builders of the pagan wall of the Vosges. These people originating in Greece, were driven out by Hellènes. He would have then emigrated and would have lost himself in the mountains of Taennchel.

A wall built with the Middle Ages?

Many essays were published on the mountain of Taennchel until the day when one discovered with the files of Bergheim a document of 1473 saying that there existed on the peak a “hedge out of stones” to delimit the properties belonging on both sides, to the Ribeaupierre and the Rathsamhausen. Many estimated whereas the myth of the pagan wall had lived. However others were resigned with difficulty to admit its funeral oration. Fritz Kessler belonged to those which supported that the wall dated from the time of the Moyen-âge. The archeologists who believed there to see a work of this time are based on two documents of, preserved at the communal records of Bergheim and used especially by B. Bernhard.

By these parts gone back to 1473 and 1537 we know that there existed at the top of Taennchel a “hedge out of stones” ( Steinener Haag ) which was used as wall of delimitation between the forests of Ribeaupierre and the small town of Bergheim. However these parchments prove by no means but construction goes back to this time; they state to us on the contrary that the wall existed already at the 15th century and that it was used then to mark a limit. But it is known today that the stone hedge mentioned in these two documents is not the pagan wall, but the wall which left the rock of the Giants which goes towards the crossroads of Rotzel. This stone hedge was used by the noble ones of Rathsamhausen, owners inter alia Thannenkirch and the lords of Ribeaupierre. August 24th, 1470, Henri de Rathsamhausen, knight, yields to Guillaume de Ribeaupierre the rights which they have at the village of St Annekirch (Thannenkirch) with incomes, royalties, forests and jurisdictions without reserve of justice and rights ecclesiastical and laic. This stone hedge was mentioned for the first time in an award going back to 1473. This stone hedge was often confused with the pagan wall, but two constructions do not have any resemblance. This stone hedge could date indeed from the Middle Ages, perhaps of 1615. Thus the assertion of a pagan wall dating from the Middle Ages is not credible. No assumption is for the moment acceptable.

Fauna and flora

The solid mass of Taennchel became a land of welcome for the reintroduction of the Lynx in 1983 in the the Vosges. Rich person of more than: 1500 plant species, of 200 species of Bird X of which the capercaillie, and of 60 species of Mammalian S, whose Wildcat, the mountain of Taennchel offers a mosaic of natural environments where the Biodiversité reign and where the hiker comes more and more for ressourcer.

From the botanical point of view, one meets the Hêtre on the lower slopes southernmost and Western; the fir tree occupies of great extents in north and the east. The pine is rather rare there. The heights are strewn with blocks out of sandstones, covered by places of a thick foam. The flora remains poor in general. Fern S and Digitale S grows on some sites wet and shaded, while elsewhere the Genêt, the Myrtille and the brambles cover the rocky and desiccated ground.

The reintroduction of the lynx

It is within the framework of the operation “Great Return” of the WWF France that the reintroduction of the lynx was programmed in close connection with the Lynx Group of Alsace. The disappearance of the lynx in Alsace goes up with 1640 and the Brown bear was exterminated between 1750 and 1760.

First to release was carried out on May 5th, 1983 in the solid mass of Taennchel with the support of the National office of the forests. The project to release some specimens of lynx was highly criticized by the stockbreeders and the hunters fearing for the survival of their livestock. Other people, under the influence of an atavistic fear of the lynx of our ancestors, united with the complaints of the adversaries of the lynx. Three animals, two males of 19,5 and 21 kg and a female of 15,5 kg captured in Czech Republic and provided with collars radio-transmitters to allow the tracking of their displacements are released in the solid mass of Taennchel. Transferred in cages located in the middle of the slope of Taennchel, the site of releasing, they carried out one period of rest and underwent a vaccination anti rabic before they are released. The first couple, Xenie and Boric, released on May 2nd, 1983 remained near the point to release, which proves that they were very quickly acclimatized. The Boric male was found died on January 10th, 1984 in the forest of the Willer-on-Thur, victim of a poacher. Another male lynx, Alex, released on June 4th, 1983 in Taennchel disappeared on October 28th, 1983 from telemetric controls. One will find his cranium on March 24th, 1986 not far from its releasing in the national forest of Ribeauvillé. It arrived on several occasions, in other circumstances, that the lynxes disperse on great extents.

This first to release by seven others at the end of 1991 was followed. One can say that until in 1993, animal blackjacks were reintroduced in the Vosgean solid mass. To continue and follow the yellow rectangle which joined initially Schweinsbach, then Schwartz. From there it is necessary to continue until Sandweg then in Kesselthal and then with the shelter of Rotzel. Close to the tunnel, towards Hoimbach another way leaves towards Frarupt which also makes it possible to join the crossroads of Rotzel where a shelter refuge is. The duration of walk of Lièpvre until Rotzel is one hour. For the crossroads it is still necessary to go during 40 minutes while passing close to the Lossbrunnen source to arrive at the top of Taennchel, which emerges close to the rock of the Giants which is at an altitude of 949 meters. One can also arrive at the crossroads of Rotzel, while borrowing in the car, since Lièpvre the road of Thannenkirch to the collar of Schaenzelkopf and from there take a forest road not bituminized which goes to the crossroads of Rotzel and passes by the refuge of the Vosges Trotters de Sélestat. This refuge is located at 678 meters of altitude to the foot of the solid mass of Taennchel which is distant of 3 kilometers of the crossroads. This way can be made in the car, which saves one hour of road to foot. But it will be necessary nevertheless to climb with foot the mountain of Taennchel with uneven rather important of which the duration is approximately 40 minutes. The crossroads of Rotzel located at 729 meters of altitude is in against-low peak of the top. It is then enough to climb until the top while following the way marked out by a yellow rectangle. After a rather stiff rise the path emerges in Pierre of the Shoe-makers who is an assembly of two blocks of superimposed sandstones. A horizontal block rests on a vertical block high of 3 meters. The unit resembles an anvil of shoe-maker. Since the rock of the Giants (949 meters) one can go in several directions of which the pagan wall which is to approximately 1 kilometer on the path which goes on the left. This wall a length of: 2300 meters is one of the most discussed curiosities and which raises the most interrogations.

The round of applause of Lièpvre joined the limit of the round of applause of Ribeauvillé by only one passage located on the top of Reinolstein at the west of the peak of Taennchel. One can discover on the most advanced rock of this top of the marks of demarcations in the middle of which one sees a Greek cross and in the higher corner a small cross of Lorraine and the numbers of demarcations for the forests of Lièpvre, Rodern, Sainte Cross-with-Mines and Ribeauvillé. This sector of the forest belongs to the forest canton of Spiemont, a dependence of Lièpvre, since the Traité of Paris signed between the King de France and the Duc of Lorraine in 1718. Before this treaty the hamlet of Spiemont was attached completely to the forest known as of Hinterwald had into undivided by the communes of Bergheim, Saint-Hippolyte and Orschwiller which formed before part of the goods of the Prieuré of Lièpvre since the year 780 according to a donation that Charlemagne with his friend the abbot Fulrad made to . Before 1718, this part of the forest of Hinterwald was shared between the communes of Saint-Hippolyte, Orschwiller and Bergheim in spite of a delivered award Sunday of Jubilee of the year 1516 in favor of Lièpvre. The monks of the priory of Lièpvre profited however from a “right of Glandée” and to certain conditions. The treaty of Paris regularized this situation by allotting the sector of Spiemont to the commune of Lièpvre. The treaty of Paris is recalled on one of the terminals located at the limit of Lièpvre and Rodern at the point where it cuts the Fallerwasserweg below the top of Reinolstein.

Since Ribeauvillé

For the exit of the village, by taking the secondary road 416 which goes towards Holy-Marie-with-Mines, it is necessary to go until the Great Glassmaking which is a hamlet of Ribeauvillé, composed of several dwelling houses, from where one can start various circuits which carry out until the top of Taennchel. The road D 416 passes not far from the sanctuary of Notre Dame of Dusenbach which was set up by Egelolphe, lord of Ribeaupierre to the return of a crusade, and entrusted in 1221 to a hermit who lived in these places. It made build on a rock escarpé a vault to shelter the Madonna with the child. One can also go to Taennchel while passing by the Small Glassmaking which is a little more far from the road D 416. From this place it is possible to go directly towards the Venuskopf . Another possibility consists in going on the carpark of Ribeauvillé along the road, at the exit east. It is then necessary to borrow a marked out path of a red rectangle from where one sees the ruins of the three castles of Ribeaupierre of which Haut-Ribeaupierre. This castle date completion of the 12th century and was used as prison between 1384 and 1387 to the English knight John Harleston. From there one arrives at a crossroads where one discovers five paths of which one marked out of a rectangle red-white-red who goes to the black cherry tree (647 meters). While borrowing this path one arrives at the general crossroads of the guard Hasenclaver (726 meters) whose result is the pagan wall. Then it is possible to visit successively the rock of the Titans (925 meters), then the rock Bellevue (919 meters), etc

Since Thannenkirch

It is necessary to leave the car to the exit of the village, close to the road which goes to Lièpvre. There exists a path which joined Taennchel directly. It is however necessary to attack a strong disalignment. While arriving at the crossroads of the black cherry tree one passes in front of several martyrdoms. The convent of Dusenbach is not very far. One can comtempler a pretty sight before being inserted in the forest. From the crossroads of Hasenclever the course takes several broad and pleasant forest roads. The shelter of Hasenclever makes it possible to make a halt. There are a table and benches inside. Then to follow the path marked out by a rectangle red-white-red until former Taennchel.

The turn of the solid mass of Taennchel

A race on foot is organized every year, at the beginning of June, in Taennchel and attracts participants of all the France as well as Bénélux, of Germany and even of the Japan. The course proposes 22,56 kilometers of paths for 780 meters of made uneven, on roads, forest roads, ways and paths with percentages up to 80%. The best crosses the line of arrived in 1:25 min. It exists also a course of 9,3 kilometers.

See too

Dusenbach
Ribeaupierre

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