The best road cycling routes in Vosges

Le Markstein (1184 m) is meer dan alleen een kruispunt op de Route des Crêtes. Het is echter een echte bergpas en het hoogste punt van de oversteek tussen het Lauch- en Thurdal. Het ligt in het hart van het Vogezenmassief, midden een populair wintersportgebied dat nauw verbonden is met de Grand Ballon

There are no restaurants or cafes at the summit of the Col de Bramont itself. However, the pass serves as a strategic junction. From the summit, you can directly connect to the famous Route des Crêtes (the D431), which links the main mountain peaks of the Vosges. This allows you to easily cycle or hike to larger attractions nearby, such as the Col de la Schlucht, the Hohneck, or the Grand Ballon. The climb is enjoyable due to its 12 hairpin bends on the southern flank (Kruth).

The climb starts relatively calmly; the first 4.5 kilometers hardly show any significant incline, while the road runs slightly undulating along the Lac de Kruth-Wildenstein reservoir. Only after that does the real climbing work begin over a distance of about 3.5 to 4 kilometers. From that moment on, the road winds its way up via 12 characteristic hairpin bends. The gradient during this section is very constant and fluctuates almost continuously around 5 to 6%, making the climb ideal for finding a steady rhythm. The road is well-asphalted and leads entirely through a dense pine forest. This allows you to cycle delightfully in the shade, although due to the dense vegetation at the top and during the climb, there are few sweeping views of the valley. Once at the top (955m), you can descend directly to the north side towards La Bresse or join the well-known Route des Crêtes to extend the ride to, for example, the Col de la Schlucht or the Grand Ballon.

The Cascade du Bockloch is an atmospheric waterfall in Alsace (Haut-Rhin department), located on the wooded northeastern bank (right bank) of the Kruth-Wildenstein Lake. The waterfall is fed by the Hinterbockloch mountain stream, which originates on the slopes of the nearby Grand Ventron massif. Water plunges here via an abrupt, steep rock face about 12 meters down into a small, photogenic basin, just before it flows into the reservoir.

The Col d' Oderen is an 8.2 kilometer climb. This is a category 3 climb. It is located in Cornimont, Lorraine, France. The average gradient of this climb is 3.9% with a maximum of 6%. The Col d' Oderen rises from 573 meters at the start to 885 meters at the top, with a total of 312 meters of elevation gain.

De Col des Croix is a 679-meter-high mountain pass in the French Vogezen massif, located on the border of the Vosges and Haute-Saône departments. The pass forms an accessible connecting road (the D486) between the northern Le Thillot and the southern Servance. At the top, you will find the well-known Le Chalet Snack du Col des Croix, and the road splits towards the D16 (Route des Forts), the route that continues to the higher Ballon de Servance.

The end of the climb is somewhat disappointing. There is nothing marked. No photo opportunity. You have a small parking lot, a closed military road, and a picnic spot well hidden under the trees. At the two yellow signs (mainly for hikers) there is the only indication that you are at the Ballon de Servance and at 1158 m. The climb is "cozy". No cars, completely shaded, a few kilometer markers.

La Planche des Belles Filles is a 5.8 kilometer climb. It is a category 1 climb. It is located in Plancher Les Mines, Franche-Comté, France. The average gradient of this climb is 8.6% with a maximum of 13.6%. La Planche des Belles Filles climbs from 527 meters at the start to 1,033 meters at the summit, for a total elevation gain of 506 meters.