The Grand Ballon from Goldbach

An easy hike that can be enjoyed in all seasons, with a little extra charm in winter.

Details

n°46969

Creation:
02 Jan 2014

Last update:
22 Jan 2026

Last review:
22 Jan 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 14.57 km
Average duration: 6h 20
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 753 m
Descent: - 749 m
Highest point: 1,412 m
Lowest point: 659 m

Country: France
Areas: Vosges mountains, Vallée de la Thur / Thann
City: Goldbach-Altenbach (68760)
Start/End: N 47.873401° / E 7.103027°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3619OT, 3619OTR, 3620ET, 3719OT, 3719OTR
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Description of the walk

Leave your car below the church (marked car park).

(S/E) Take the road to Altenbach.

(1) Shortly after entering the village, turn right onto a path marked with a yellow cross, heading towards Le Ballon. Continue following this symbol. The path leads hikers to the Haag farm.

(2) From there, follow the red rectangle and then the red ring. Make a detour to see the Redslob monument, the Diables Bleus monument and the Radar (already visible below).

(3) From the Diables Bleus monument, turn right and follow the path marked with a red ring until you reach the Hôtel-Restaurant du Grand Ballon.

(4) Follow the Route des Crêtes for 200 metres towards Col Amic/Goldbach. Then turn left onto the^GR®®5trail marked with a red rectangle.
Further down, leave the Ferme-Auberge du Grand Ballon on your left and cross the road.

(5) Continue following the same symbol and cross the road again (D431). You will arrive at a place called Firstacker.

(6) From there, leave the^GR®®5and take the path marked with a blue triangle on your right to cross the road (D431) again. The path takes you back to Goldbach. Follow the road on the left-hand side to reach the church and return to the (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 659 m - Parking is available near the church.
1 : km 1.92 - alt. 746 m - Altenbach. Fork in the road
2 : km 6.92 - alt. 1,232 m - Ferme auberge du Haag
3 : km 8.17 - alt. 1,412 m - Grand Ballon
4 : km 8.88 - alt. 1,348 m - Hôtel-Restaurant du Grand Ballon - Grand Ballon
5 : km 10.71 - alt. 1,113 m - Ferme-Auberge du Grand Ballon
6 : km 12 - alt. 954 m - Place known as Firstacker
S/E : km 14.57 - alt. 663 m - Parking is available near the church.

Notes

Accessible via Willer sur Thur.
In winter, you can eat at the Ferme Auberge de la Haag or the Ferme Auberge du Ballon, or at the Hôtel du Grand Ballon.
For a winter picnic, you can eat next to the Ferme du Haag or at the Hôtel du Grand Ballon (on the other side of the road).

Worth a visit

Take a short detour to see the Redslob and Diables Bleus monuments and enjoy the view of the mountains.
You can also take a detour to La Boule, which houses the radar station.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 30 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5

Route interest
4.7 / 5

Denis26

22 Jan 2026 at 11:44 3600

Thank you, manele68, for pointing that out. I have just amended the entry accordingly.

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User 28380162

19 Jan 2026 at 10:00 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful winter hike

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manele68

19 Jan 2026 at 09:59 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, fairly easy route with a steady climb but no steep sections. However, I took the red cross path that climbs immediately to the right at the start. It is a little steeper but only for a short distance, and the tarmac road between the start and point (1) is not particularly interesting.

Be careful in winter or in rainy weather: some sections, particularly between Haag (2) and the Grand Ballon antenna (3), can be particularly slippery, with a risk of falls (and lots of people at the weekend!), so it's a good idea to bring crampons.

When descending from the antenna (3), the path straight to point (4) no longer exists (to protect the flora and fauna). You must turn right onto the red circle path for 100 metres and then immediately left to rejoin the path to point (4).

For the descent between points (4) and (5) on the ski slopes towards the Grand Ballon farmhouse inn, in winter the snow cover can be thick, so be sure to check this point before setting off, otherwise you'll need snowshoes!

Otherwise, it's a great walk. A word of advice: take advantage of a day when there is heavy fog in the valley to enjoy the magnificent spectacle of a sea of clouds under the sun stretching as far as the eye can see as soon as you gain altitude.

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vilmain

20 Oct 2025 at 08:57 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Be careful when looking for the blue triangle towards the end of the route. Follow the direction of the arrow, as the small path is difficult to see.

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Som'vigérien de rien

29 Aug 2025 at 13:35 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike completed in less than 7 hours with a 7-year-old child. Break, visit and meal included.
Very crowded at the end of the route (car park a few kilometres from the balloon). Avoid visiting in August if you don't like crowds.

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Positiver68

08 Dec 2024 at 21:14 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful tour
I recommend
Estelle

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Alex16

26 Aug 2024 at 12:39 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant and not very busy during the first part of the circuit. From the Grand Ballon onwards, it was a disappointment for me. I hadn't been back there for at least twenty years, if not more. But what has become of the mountains of my youth! Motorbikes everywhere you look. I'm not even talking about the noise! The renovations have nothing to do with the mountains! I felt like I'd been transported to another planet. Gone was the serene, peaceful mountain atmosphere. And the noise and commotion...

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magory

10 Jul 2024 at 11:42 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike with magnificent views from the summit

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alassailly

16 Oct 2023 at 14:17 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views along the way, not just when you reach the summit of the Ballon. Very peaceful surroundings. No one around except at the summit, of course

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23 Nov 2021 at 21:51 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with lovely views. I got off to a bad start, so we ended up doing the hike in reverse and extending it a little thanks to the detailed map.

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Lucky70

20 Sep 2021 at 18:45 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything was perfect until the last signpost (blue triangle 45 minutes from the finish), which may have been my mistake, costing me an extra 2½ hours of walking.
Otherwise, it was a great route. You don't really notice the 750-metre elevation gain, which is very gradual

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David025

11 Jan 2021 at 19:38 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed with beautiful snow cover and lovely winter sunshine, making for fabulous scenery.
The climb is steady and without difficulty.
From the Col du Grand Ballon to the forest, you need to stay focused on the route because with all the ski tracks, sledges and snow covering some of the signs, it's easy to stray a little from the path...
A beautiful hike!

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da67

17 Sep 2020 at 16:57 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A steady climb to the summit with beautiful views of the Vosges mountains. Not very busy during the week except at the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace

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Sonata68

02 Sep 2020 at 19:59 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike today, taking 4 hours and 30 minutes including breaks.
Not many people on the trail (it's quieter during the week) except at the summit, of course.
Beautiful views of the Alsace plain and the surrounding peaks and valleys.
I highly recommend this hike!

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usafil

17 Aug 2020 at 15:17 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that the signposting from Goldbach to Altenbach is not a yellow cross but a red cross. After Altenbach, the colour indication is correct.
The distance indicated is underestimated by about 16.5 km.
Otherwise, the route is pleasant and there are not many walkers, except at Grand-Ballon and the surrounding area.

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Other walks in the area

Gustiberg - Lac du Ballon - Grand Ballon circular route, starting from Firstacker

Departure from Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Haut-Rhin)

This hike connects Gustiberg, Lac du Ballon, Col du Haag and Grand Ballon, starting from Firstacker and alternating between typical mountain landscapes: forests, stubble fields, pastures, scree, etc.

Circular between Col du Haag, Storkenkopf and Grand Ballon from Firstacker

Departure from Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Haut-Rhin)

A beautiful hike, wild in all seasons, through stubble fields and beautiful forests, passing the summit of the Grand Ballon (360° view) from the Firstacker car park, via the stubble fields of Gerstacker, the Haag Pass, around the Storkenkopf in the forest, then up to the summit of the Grand Ballon (Diables Bleus monument and radar dome) before descending via the modified GR®5 route between the Col du Grand Ballon (La Vue des Alpes restaurant) and the Ferme-auberge du Grand Ballon.

Tour of the Grand Ballon via Gerstacker, Sattelfels, Haag, Roedelen and Judenhut

Departure from Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Haut-Rhin)

Tour of the Grand Ballon with forest sections ideal in summer, and stunning views of the Thann valley at the start and the Guebwiller valley, the Alsace plain and the Black Forest towards the end. Food available at the Haag farmhouse inn (booking recommended).

The Grand-Ballon circuit via Le Haag and Le Firstacker

Departure from Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Haut-Rhin)

Passion Vosges magazine 2026, dedicated to gourmet hikes, offers a superb circular route around the highest peak in the Vosges. This route passes by the Ferme-auberge du Grand-Ballon and offers magnificent panoramic views.

The Kohlschlag farmhouse inn and Molkenrain as seen from the Firstacker Pass

Departure from Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Haut-Rhin)

This circular mountain route starting from the Col du Firstacker links three farm-inns (the Kohlschlag, the Freundstein and the Molkenrain) whilst offering you the chance to discover the Hartmannswillerkopf Memorial, the famous and deadly Franco-German mountain battlefield of the First World War. Alternating between forests, pastures and ruins, the route subtly blends heritage with farm life and the atmosphere of the forest, all enhanced by magnificent views.

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Author

Bernard90
10 Walks

Visorando Member

City: Villefranche-sur-Saône (69400)

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