Photo : Rémih / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ballon d'Alsace
The Ballon d'Alsace dominates the southern part of the Vosges massif, where the Haut-Rhin, the Vosges and the Territoire de Belfort meet; it is the highest summit of the latter. Its characteristic rounded shape, typical of the Vosges 'ballons', rises above vast high pastures from where, on clear days, the view reaches the Alps and the Black Forest.
The summit holds a special place in cycling history: in 1905 the road up to it became the very first mountain climb ever tackled by the Tour de France, paving the way for the great Alpine and Pyrenean stages that followed. A statue of the Virgin on the summit watches over the cyclists and hikers who come to admire the view.
It is reached by car on a mountain road from Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle or Lepuix, and several hiking trails also lead up on foot. Summer is the best time, as the summit can stay snow-covered for much of the spring.
