- The Ried Nature Reserve at Sélestat :

The Ill*Wald Nature Reserve, near Sélestat, is one of the largest in France, covering 1,855 hectares. It hosts a vast alluvial forest and a dense network of wetlands, offering remarkable biodiversity: over 160 plant species, numerous animal species including fallow deer, beavers, dragonflies, amphibians, and rare birds such as the Eurasian curlew. It also plays a crucial role in water regulation.

Two wonderful hikes are available:

     🥾 Illwald Forest – 8.5 km (2 hours walking):
Explore this 8.5-km loop trail near Sélestat, Bas-Rhin. It is a popular hiking route, accessible year-round and worth visiting in any season. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash. The trail goes through Illwald Forest, in the heart of the Ried de Sélestat Nature Reserve. You’ll pass through wet hay meadows interspersed with hedgerows and reeds, an alluvial forest featuring 28 tree species including ash, oak, and alder, and a dense and varied network of rivers — a testament to the omnipresence of water in this wetland. On the way, you may be lucky enough to spot some fallow deer.

    🥾 The Ill of Treasures Trail – 4.8 km (1h04 walking):
Discover this 4.8-km loop trail near Sélestat, Bas-Rhin. It's popular for mountain biking and walking, though you can still enjoy peaceful moments. The best time to visit is from January to August. Amid enchanting landscapes, discover how water has shaped the town and a rich, diverse nature, thanks to playful interpretive installations. This 5-km marked loop is accessible to all: on foot, by bike, with a stroller, and even in a wheelchair. Six types of environments are crossed: city, allotment gardens, farmland, alluvial forest, hay meadows, and rivers, with 12 interpretive stations and 14 fun discovery installations.

- The National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve of La Petite-Pierre :
 

Several hikes are possible:

    🥾 Loosthal Nature Trail – 4.2 km (1h08 walking):
This is a popular hiking route. The best time to visit is from April to October. A walk through the National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve.

    🥾 Hunebourg Castle – Gurérite Rock – 5.0 km (1h38 walking):
This is a popular route for birdwatching and hiking. Best time to visit: April to July. This short hike in the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park takes you through the landscapes of the La Petite-Pierre National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve.

    🥾 Grand Oak – Hunebourg Castle – 10.5 km (3h14 walking):
This route is ideal for hiking, and you likely won't encounter many people. This beautiful forest hike in the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park starts in Neuwiller-lès-Saverne in Bas-Rhin, leading you to the Grand Oak, a tree over 400 years old labeled a "Remarkable Tree of France".

- The Rhine National Hunting and Wildlife Reserve :

This reserve spans 4,135 hectares in the Bas-Rhin department. Several man-made lakes and canals coexist with relic Rhine ecosystems. While waterbirds thrive in the artificial habitats—justifying the site's designation as a hunting and wildlife reserve—the natural zones serve as habitats that the French Office for Biodiversity strives to maintain or improve.

The reserve offers a mosaic of environments, including watercourses with riparian forests, reed beds, and flooded forests with willows and poplars that host a wide variety of plant and animal species.

On average, the Rhine welcomes 50,000 waterbirds each year, making it an important site for wintering birds such as the Mallard, Bean Goose, and Common Pochard.
Numerous breeding birds such as the Eurasian Hobby and various amphibians (Pool Frog, Yellow-bellied Toad, Great Crested Newt, European Tree Frog, etc.) have also been recorded.

In terms of flora, species that thrive in river valleys can be found here, such as the Tall Violet and many orchids.

- The Erstein Forest National Nature Reserve :
Covering 180 hectares in the former bed of the Rhine, protects an alluvial forest rich in biodiversity.
Fed by the river’s floods, it is home to nearly 400 plant species and numerous animal species, including forest birds, amphibians, and rare dragonflies.

- Mount Sainte-Odile :
From Obernai, set out to discover Mount Sainte-Odile, an iconic site perched on the Vosges heights just 10 km away. It offers an exceptional panorama over the Alsace plain and a unique natural and spiritual setting.
A major pilgrimage destination dedicated to Saint Odile, it houses a famous convent, hiking trails, and mysterious remains such as the Pagan Wall, a massive 11-km-long stone enclosure surrounded by legends.

- The Champ du Feu :
The highest point in the Bas-Rhin at 1,099 meters, it is a popular destination for nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
In winter, it offers alpine and cross-country ski trails, as well as paths for snowshoeing and sledding. In summer, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding allow you to explore its varied landscapes.
Part of the massif is classified as a "Natura 2000" area, the European program aimed at preserving remarkable natural habitats.

Alsace stands out for its rich biodiversity, spanning forests, plains, and wetlands. This diversity of natural habitats supports a wide range of species, some of which are rare or endangered.
Protecting these species means preserving a valuable heritage essential to maintaining the balance of regional biodiversity.

Some examples of protected species in Alsace:
 

- The White Stork:
An iconic symbol of Alsace, the white stork embodies both the region’s identity and the richness of its local wildlife.
After a steep decline during the 20th century — due to the loss of wetlands and the use of pesticides — it became the focus of numerous protection and reintroduction programs.
Today, its presence on rooftops or specially built nesting platforms in Alsatian villages is the result of ongoing conservation efforts.
As a protected species in France, any disturbance, destruction of the bird, its nest, eggs, or habitat is strictly prohibited.
 

- The European Bee-eater:
This bird nests in burrows it digs into sunny embankments, often near water. It favors riverbanks and open areas with a few trees. The species is threatened by the degradation of its breeding sites, which are often located in unstable quarries or are deliberately destroyed. The use of insecticides also reduces its food supply, which mainly consists of insects.
 

You can find the full list of endangered bird species in Alsace on the LPO website.

Some examples of threatened plant species in Alsace:

In the Grand Est region, 742 vascular plants are considered threatened, including 75 listed as endangered species in France.

Here are two examples from Alsace:
 

- Marsh Cranesbill :
This is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows mainly in wet areas: marshy meadows, riverbanks, and ditches. It is recognizable by its five-petaled purple flowers and deeply lobed leaves. This species, typical of wetland habitats, is sensitive to the drying of wetlands and to agricultural intensification, making it a threatened plant in several regions.
 

- Summer Pheasant’s-eye :
This is an annual or biennial plant, 20 to 50 cm tall, with bright red flowers often marked with black. It grows in grain fields and calcareous fallows, mainly from May to July. Once common, it is becoming rare due to modern agricultural practices (herbicides, soil amendments, seed cleaning), which threaten its natural habitat.

- The Club Vosgien :

It pays particular attention to the quality and sustainability of its trail network, to safeguarding the heritage value of sites, and to preserving natural areas and biodiversity, in order to allow regular or occasional hikers to discover and appreciate our environment.

- Nature et Vie, an environmental protection association in Alsace :

Founded in 1978, the association Nature et Vie has been working for many years to protect nature and improve the quality of our living environment, mainly in the Barr area and its surroundings (Pays de Barr and Bernstein).

Its main objectives are:
- To preserve our last remaining natural environments with their flora and fauna;
- To fight against pollution of our environment: soil, water, air, waste, noise...
- To seek harmony between humans and nature, particularly through the promotion of organic farming, renewable energies, and ecological housing;
- To inform and raise awareness among a wide audience about the protection of nature and the environment.