Vosges
The first mountains the Tour ever climbed, wrapped in Alsace wine country.
- Best Season
- May–October
- Difficulty
- Moderate to Challenging
- Bike Type
- Road
- Nearest Airport
- Basel-Mulhouse (BSL/MLH), Strasbourg (SXB)
- Ideal Trip
- 3–5 days
Decide with confidence
Is Vosges right for your trip?
A strong fit if
You want road riding around Vosges, with 4 documented routes and 6 linked climbs to compare.
Think twice if
You want mostly flat recovery riding, have little climbing experience, or prefer a trip where weather cannot disrupt mountain days.
Plan for
3–5 days, ideally during May–October. Keep one ride day flexible for weather or recovery.
Shape your ride days
A practical starting point
- Day 1Ballon d’Alsace Classic Ride →
45 to 85 km · 1,000 to 2,000 m · Very Challenging
Use this very challenging ride to learn the roads and check the group's legs.
- Day 2Grand Ballon Vosges Ride →
55 to 95 km · 1,400 to 2,500 m · Very Challenging
Make this the main ride day, with enough time for stops and changing conditions.
- Day 3Super Planche Vosges Test Ride →
45 to 85 km · 1,000 to 2,000 m · Very Challenging
Keep the final choice flexible and shorten the ride if travel or recovery requires it.
Planning next
Arrange the practical parts of Vosges
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Tucked into the "armpit" of France, just below Luxembourg, the Vosges are often the first proper mountains many riders from the Low Countries and northern Europe ever climb — close enough for a straightforward drive, but genuinely testing once you're on the slopes.
The Ballon d'Alsace holds the honour of being the very first mountain pass ever included in the Tour de France, back in 1905. More recently, La Planche des Belles Filles has become one of the race's most dramatic modern stage finishes.
Base yourself on the Alsace side and you're riding between vineyards and half-timbered villages between climbs; the Franche-Comté side to the west offers a quieter, more forested character.
Signature Routes
Col du Grand Ballon
The highest pass in the Vosges, with views stretching to the Black Forest and even Mont Blanc on a clear day.
Ballon d'Alsace
The historic climb, first included in the Tour de France in 1905 — the very first mountain pass the race ever tackled.
La (Super) Planche des Belles Filles
The Vosges' most talked-about modern climb, short but savage, decided five Tour stage finishes since 2012.
Col du Petit Ballon
A genuinely tough climb despite the 'petit' name, a good complement to the Grand Ballon.
Where to Stay
Guebwiller and the surrounding Alsace wine villages put you on the doorstep of the Grand Ballon and Petit Ballon. Gérardmer, on the Franche-Comté side, offers a lake-town base.
Coffee & Culture
This is Alsace wine country as much as mountain cycling country — the Route des Vins d'Alsace winds 170 km between the mountains and the Rhine. Local food leans German-influenced — flammkuchen, spätzle and hearty regional cooking.
Best Time to Go
May through October gives the most reliable riding weather; late August into September coincides with the grape harvest in the Alsace wine villages.
Practical Tips
- Basel-Mulhouse and Strasbourg airports both serve the region well, with drive times of under an hour to most bases.
- Views from many high points are more limited than in the Alps or Pyrenees due to dense forest cover.
- Some off-road sections require wider tyres; a standard road setup will struggle on the steepest gravel pitches.
- The region sits close to the Swiss and German borders, making multi-country day trips genuinely easy to arrange.
Climbs in Vosges
Routes in Vosges
Vosges trip inspiration
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