Hiking trail D06: Le Petit Donon, sanctuary of the Great War
67130 Grandfontaine - Find
The terrible Battle of the Donon on 20 and 21 August 1914 marked the beginning of the French retreat. Following 12 hours of shelling and bayonet attacks, the battle saw between 500 and 2000 soldiers die on the slopes of the Donon. In 1916, the German authorities set up around 180 pink sandstone gravestones to the memory of the French and German soldiers who fell here. Le Petit Donon, after being the site of a battle, became an open-air necropolis for the soldiers on both sides.
Description
Length of circuit
:
7 Km
Trailhead
:
Col de la Côte de l'Engin
Difference in altitude
:
320 m
Dates and timetable
Duration
:
2h30 min
Vallée de la Bruche
L'accueil est dans notre nature
Alsace - Massif des Vosges - France