Burg Gorge
The Biederthal / Burg gorge is a small, hidden gem on the border between France and Switzerland. The river Birsig has it's source in Switzerland near to the village of Burg, best known for its Schloss perched on the top of a large fin of rock. The stream cascades down a pretty little gorge in a series of small waterfalls between steep but short limestone walls. The climb up this gorge is an interesting and pictureque scramble from the bottom in France to the top in Switzerland.
The gorge is situated just off the road that runs from Biederthal in France to Burg in Switzerland. Both are pretty little villages. Just after you leave the village of Biederthal there is a small parking spot on the left before a bend in the road.
From the parking spot walk upstream for a few minutes past a cave on the left until the stream forks. Cross over and follow the left fork through a series of short waterfalls with scrambling sections that can be passed on either the left or the right until you reach a footpath by a small bridge over the stream where the difficulties end. Either turn right and follow the footpath back until it reaches the car park (prettiest route), or turn right and then turn left to follow the track that leads back to the parking spot (shortest). The round trip can take anything from 15 minutes to an hour, depending how difficult and scary you find the scrambling sections. The climbing is never more than 7 metres long, but it is worth taking a rope for children, or for adults who are not confident on steep, wet, slippy limestone. The difficulty varies according to the amount of water coming down. It is easiest in the dry, and is still possible in the worst of conditions, whether torrential rain or snow and ice.
Map of scrambles and alpine climbs
Photos (click for full view)
