Cycle tour Northern Vosges: Two tours that combine culinary delights and idyllic scenery
Patrick Kunkel
· 13.01.2024
Mmmmh. The good Alsatian Pinot gris! The Pinot Gris goes perfectly with the pâté and the hearty Alsatian roast veal that we are served in the Velleda mountain restaurant, a few metres below the Donon summit. If, like my fellow cyclist Martin and I, you like to combine culinary delights with sporty cycling, then the Vallée de la Bruche in the Alsatian Vosges is just the place for you. However, we have to be very careful that we don't put on any more weight after two days of cycling. It's reassuring that we already have a few kilometres in our legs: The climb to the summit of the Donon is a tough one.
After all, the mountain route leads to a lofty 1009 metres above sea level. Admittedly: That's not much, but the Donon is still the highest mountain in the Northern Vosges. What's more, it's not just any mountain: the replica of a Celtic temple on the summit attracts crowds of visitors. It is said that the Gaulish natives worshipped the mountain god Vosegus on the Donon - from which the name of the entire Vosges mountain range was derived. A quiet mountain road leads up through lush coniferous forests. From the top of the pass, we turned off onto a forest path towards the summit and had to push a few metres.
Cycle tour Northern Vosges: A mix of culinary delights and idyllic scenery
The top of the pass is a good 300 metres lower. Practical: with our bellies full to bursting - the Gugelhupf ice-cream with Gewürztraminer marc schnapps also fits in at the end - we can just let it roll downhill into the Vallée de la Bruche. There, the wild mountain river Bruche meanders between the slopes of the Vosges. The river valley is the longest in the French low mountain range. It marks the border between the Northern Vosges and the Central Vosges. A truly idyllic river cycle path follows the course of the Bruche - but not on the usual flat riverside paths. Instead, the route planners have chosen the old connecting paths between the villages, which makes pedalling there incredibly varied.
However, it also goes up and down again and again. The word "upstream" takes on a whole new meaning in view of the many crisp ramps. In fact, the Vallée de la Bruche is only flat for relatively short stretches. This is also confirmed by Simone Leininger from the tourist office in the pretty old town of Schirmeck, the main town in the Bruche Valley, who is very active in promoting the route to cyclists of all kinds.
It has to be said that she does a pretty convincing job: Simone has mapped out a number of cycle routes around Schirmeck and the other villages in the Bruche Valley herself and provides them with descriptions in German, tracks to follow and plenty of maps. The scenery is first class. But: "Most of the routes are steep. We are in the mountains, and the most beautiful things are not at the bottom, but at the top. That's not a problem for us, the majority of our visitors are travelling by e-bike anyway."
The highest point of the Middle Vosges
But not us. That's a good thing. So there's only one thing left for us to do: pedal. A mountain stage is also on the agenda for the next day of the cycle tour: opposite the Donon, on the other side of the valley, we want to climb up to the Champ du Feu, the highest point in the Middle Vosges at 1099 metres. The trip is definitely worthwhile, and not just from a sporting point of view: Above the long valley lie quiet villages, scrubby high pastures, lonely road passes - and rows and rows of idyllic mountain inns, the Fermes-Auberges.
Alsatian culinary specialities are served there, but in the hearty mountain farmer version. For example, at Isabelle and Walter Huber's Ferme-Auberge du Bambois, which is located right on the edge of the road later in the day. On the menu: smoked ham, roast veal with spaetzle or tarte flambée. And, of course, the strong mountain cheeses from Isabelle's brother's farm. All pretty rustic, but delicious and from their own production. "The special thing about the Alsatian mountain farms is that 70 per cent of the products sold there have to be produced on site," explains Simone: "Everything is simple, with no frills." But that's probably why it's particularly good.
Cycle tour Northern Vosges: Routes and information
General info
The Vosges Mountains are a low mountain range in the east of France with an altitude of up to 1424 metres. They lie in the border triangle between France, Switzerland and Germany. The Vallée de la Bruche is a river valley near Strasbourg, which is well off the beaten track. The main town is Schirmeck. At 1009 metres, the Donon massif is the highest point in the Northern Vosges, while the Champ du Feu (1099 metres) on the other side of the valley is already part of the Middle Vosges.
Tour 1: Around Schirmeck
- 53 kilometres
- 1130 vertical metres
- 16% maximum gradient
On to the Champ du Feu, the highest point in the Middle Vosges at 1099 metres! The scenic route leads to the heights of the Bruche Valley and after 43 kilometres past the Ferme-Auberge du Bambois. You should make a stop at the memorial site of the former Struthof concentration camp, which is not far from the summit.
Tour 2: Up the Donon!
- 43 kilometres
- 1000 metres altitude
- 19% maximum gradient
The Donon is visible from afar. This is probably why the Gauls declared it a place of worship. Is there any truth to it? Perhaps you'll find out on the route through the beautiful forests of the Donon region, which is full of metres in altitude. Most of the route is on tarmac, quiet side roads, the gravel section is small, the descent to Schirmeck a little busier, but stress-free downhill.
The most important information about a cycle tour to the Northern Vosges
Journey
Car: from Germany via the A5 motorway via Kehl and Strasbourg.
Best time to travel
April to mid-October. In summer, it is pleasantly warm even at altitudes above 1000 metres. However, there can be thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Bike service
Ttecmoto in Schirmeck offers bike servicing and spare parts, but these are very overpriced - the boss is allowed to do so.
Accommodation
La Rubanerie: A cosy and quiet hotel by the river, which seems a little out of date with its shingle façade. The rooms are in a classic style, everything is a little worn, and the one or other break in style in the interior design makes the Rubanerie all the more appealing. Lovingly prepared, delicious and plentiful breakfast, very friendly hosts. 14, rue de Jardins 67570 La Claquette
Worth seeing
The horror lies in the middle of the idyllic forest: the Struthof-Natzweiler concentration camp, built in 1941, is the only facility of its kind on French soil. 52,000 prisoners had to perform forced labour in the nearby quarry. 22,000 people died. The European Centre of Deported Resistance Fighters is a place of remembrance of very special significance.
Jean-Frédéric Oberlin, Protestant pastor, pedagogue and social reformer, had the goal of building a new society in the middle of a poor Vosges valley in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Oberlin Museum in Waldersbach tells you all about it.
Food
Alsace, and therefore the Vosges, has always been considered a gourmet region - both in terms of food and the excellent regional wines. Fine, but rather down-to-earth cuisine can be found in the restaurants and mountain inns of the Vosges. Prices are at a medium level.
TOUR tip: The restaurant La Schlitte (the Alsatian word for "wooden sledge") serves hearty, savoury and excellently prepared regional cuisine. 26, route de Fréconrupt 67130 La Broque
Tours and maps
Cycle routes for all levels of difficulty, as well as hiking tours and information about places to stop for refreshments, services and maps: www.vogesenwandern.de
Literature
Travel guide "Alsace", by Antje and Gunter Schwab. Detailed, carefully researched travel guide with depth. Michael Müller Verlag, 444 pages, ISBN 978-3-95654-401-9, 21.90 euros.
GPS data
You can download the GPX track for the tours in the Vosges download here for free.
