Réserve naturelle nationale de Frankenthal-Missheimle, National nature reserve in Stosswihr, France

The Frankenthal-Missheimle national nature reserve protects 746.36 hectares of the Alsatian slope of the high Vosges crest, in the Hohneck massif, between 690 and 1,363 metres in altitude. Its terrain holds former glacial cirques, avalanche corridors, beech and fir forest, high pastures and peat bogs. The Martinswand rock face, a pale grey wall split into tall angular columns, rises above the wooded slopes.

The area was settled as far back as Merovingian and Carolingian times, as shown by traces found in the Dagobert cave. Forest protection rules were first introduced in this region in 1766.

The marcairie de Frankenthal, built in 1927, was originally a summer pasture farm housing cows and the vacher who guarded them and made cheese. It now welcomes walkers in summer. The Vosges cattle breed still grazes the high chaumes seasonally, under regulated pastoralism.

Access is via the D417 road linking Colmar to Gérardmer over the Schlucht Pass; in summer a regular shuttle bus (navette des crêtes) serves the site. The GR 5 crosses the reserve, and the Rocher de la Martinswand is used for climbing. Dogs are allowed only on the GR 5 and must be kept on a leash; motor vehicles, fires, camping and bivouacs are prohibited.

The area is home to plant species that survived the ice age, sheltered in the peat bogs and high-altitude forests. These rare plants are living reminders of climate conditions from thousands of years ago.