The Remembrance Route from the Col de la Chevestraye towards Plancher-les-Mines

Park in the small lay-by on the side of the D97 at the Col de la Chevestraye between Plancher-les-Mines and Fresse.

(S/E) Walk past the memorial erected in honour of^{the 2nd} RCA (Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique) during the battle at the end of September 1944. Then turn right, following the sign for “Bois la Dame, Tranchées, Col du Coporot”. This marks the^GR®59, signposted with a red and white rectangle, which heads west and climbs into the forest.

(1) After 400 m, an information panel marks the site of the village of Bois la Dame, destroyed in September 1944 during the fighting at La Chevestraye. You’ll need to look carefully, as all that remains are piles of stones overgrown with trees. Continue along the wide marked path, ignoring the side paths on either side.

(2) Look out for the information sign indicating the remains of trenches. To see them, you need to go 20 m to the right of the path. You’ll need to look carefully to spot a few traces, about 50 to 80 cm deep. Follow the GPS track to reach the point just off the path. Then continue uphill along the wide path to reach a junction of two forest tracks.

(3) Head straight ahead, following the^GR® markings^.

(4) Look out for the information sign pointing to the fountain. There are Blue Triangle markings. The fountain is quite striking and easy to spot. Continue along the wide path.

(5) Look out for the information sign indicating “engraved trees”. A Blue Triangle marker is affixed to a beech tree where a Cross of Lorraine is clearly visible. At the foot of the sign, there is a collection of objects salvaged from the surrounding area: a spade, a pig’s tail (an iron stake used to support barbed wire), and a clover (a stamped metal sheet used to package three shells).

Continue along the path until you reach a fork with signposting for mountain bikes. Route 53 to the right and route 9 to the left.

(6) At this point, leave the^GR® to follow the left-hand route, which descends slightly.

(7) At this junction, take a short 30-metre detour westwards for a superb view of Les Ballastières and Champagney, the village and the Champagney Basin, the Lomont and Haut Doubs mountains, and, in fine weather, the Swiss Jura.

Retrace your steps and turn right onto a path that descends steeply for about 400 m. Walking poles will be very useful on this section.

(8) Look out for the information sign indicating the spot where a German aircraft crashed in 1944. There are no remains. Immediately afterwards, turn left onto the forest track which follows the contour line, heading east-northeast. In places, there are clearings in the forest offering fine views of Plancher Bas, Le Salbert and Evette. Continue to the next junction.

(9) Here, you will find an information panel about the Plainet Maquis. A 200-metre detour to the right leads to a memorial stone marking the spot where the Maquis was based. The detour is signposted with a Blue Triangle. Retrace your steps.

(9) Continue straight ahead along the forest track.

(10) At this point, there is a beautiful view of the Planche des Belles Filles and the Ballon d'Alsace. Continue along the forest path to reach the crossroads you passed at the start of the route.

(3) Head straight ahead. After about 300 m, take the hairpin bend to the right and continue along the wide forest track as it descends.

(11) At the exit of a left-hand bend, take the path branching off to the right and descending steeply. Cross the stream and follow the path on its right-hand side. At the bottom, rejoin the wide forest track that is circular and follow it to the right. Arrive at the hamlet of La Chevestraye and join the D97 road.

Follow it to the right with care for 200 m, then turn right onto the path marked with a horseshoe that cuts across the hairpin bend. After a 200 m climb, you will reach the starting point (S/E).

Start at the Col de la Chevestraye on the D97 between Plancher-les-Mines and Fresse. There are a few parking spaces at the pass.
The route is marked by the red and white rectangles of^{the GR®59}up to point (6).

During this route, several aspects of the history of the Liberation will be highlighted:
- The Plainet Maquis.
- The site where a German aircraft crashed on¹ September 1944. A man was rescued by the maquis and subsequently freed.
- The battles of the Liberation fought by the 1st Armoured Division alongside the^2nd RCA (Regiment of African Light Infantry) and subsequently by the 1st DFL (Free French Division) between 25 September and 19 November 1944.

Places to visit in the area:

- La Chevestraye: the Tour de France has passed through this pass several times before the fabulous climb up the Planche des Belles Filles.

- Numerous hiking trails in Fresse, Belfahy and La Planche des Belles Filles. This is where the Plateau des Mille Étangs begins.

- The Ballon de Servance: the highest point in the Haute-Saône department at 1,216 m.

- The Ballons Comtois National Nature Reserve.

- The Ballon d’Alsace, at 1,247 m, lies on the border between the departments of Vosges, Haut-Rhin and the Territoire de Belfort.

- The Chapel at Ronchamp: built by Le Corbusier in 1957, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

- The Mining Museum in Ronchamp.

- The House of Negritude and Human Rights in Champagney.