The Gründel Ponds

Nestled in the heart of a forest crossroads located north of the Haguenau Exceptional Forest®, the Gründel ponds site, also known as Grünes Wasser (the green ponds), consists of two shallow bodies of water. Dug at the end of the 19th century, these ponds were initially created to extract gravel and sand needed for the construction of the railway line connecting Mertzwiller to Seltz, which opened in 1893. This railway, which later served the Maginot Line, was destroyed during World War II. Today, the site, cleared of its dense vegetation, features hiking trails on some sections following the old railway route. From March onwards, the ponds become a favored breeding ground for several species of frogs and newts. Around these ponds, oil wells, exploited until the 1970s, still reveal some remnants of this past industrial activity.