On the peaks of the Ballon de Servance

To get to the Col du Ballon de Servance, take the RD16 from Plancher les Mines on the south side or from the Col des Croix on the north side. Park your vehicle in the car park just before the military road, which is closed to traffic.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, take the GR®59 trail which climbs the embankment, marked with red and white rectangles behind the information board. The path, initially covered with stones, climbs gently through the forest, skirting the fence of the summer pasture. Go through the gate in the fence, remembering to close it behind you. The path now climbs through the summit stubble, occupied by a herd of cows at the end of summer (see the chapter: Things to see). Continue alongthe path to the second fence.

(1) Cross it, but not before giving the guardian of the place a kiss. Continue to the next crossroads, which has a marker.

(2) Continue straight on the GR®7 and GR®533 trails to enjoythe view over the Moselle valley (Fresse/Moselle, Saint-Maurice, Bussang).

(3) Retrace your steps back to the marker.

(2) Descend to the left towards Chalet Sailley/Ballon d'Alsace, GR®5F-7-59 and 533, marked with red and white rectangles and green rectangles.

(4) Stop for a moment at the nearby memorial, formed from the remains of the engine of one of the two USAF F100 Super Sabre aircraft that crashed 200 metres below in the cliffs of the Luthier massif. Turn slightly to the right to reach the charming "Sailley" chalet.

(5)Enjoy this little paradise, its facilities and the view of the Vosges mountains. Return by the same route, in the opposite direction, to the summit marker.

(2) Turn left onto the path you followed on the way up, heading towards Col du Ballon de Servance via the GR®59, to return to the car park (S/E).

Comfortable shelter equipped with benches, tables and a stove with a non-potable water fountain

A short walk, ideal for families looking to fill an afternoon.

While crossing the summit of La Chaume: in front of you is the military radar tower and its antennas installed in the old fort. On the right, view of the Ballon d'Alsace, the Jumenterie, the Rouge Gazon and, in the background, the traditional Grand Ballon or Ballon de Guebwiller, recognisable by its white ball at the summit (civil aviation radar) and, with a bit of luck, a beautiful view, on a clear day, of the Swiss Alps ( Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau).

Numerous viewpoints over the Ballons Vosgiens, the Moselle valley and possibly the Swiss Alps on a clear day.

(4) USAF memorial:on the morning of Tuesday 25 June 1963, two North American F-100 'Super Sabre'supersonic fighters took off from Hahn Air Base in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Heading for Mâcon (71/Saône-et-Loire), they were supposed to report their passage over Montbéliard (25/Doubs) at 10 a.m.
Unfortunately, due to thick fog, the two aircraft took a route well north of the city and simultaneously crashed into the rocks at 800 km/h. The crash site is located on the border of three municipalities: Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle (88/Vosges), Fresse-sur-Moselle (88).

Plancher-les-Mines (70/Haute-Saône).
This memorial is dedicated to First Lieutenants William J. Evans, 24, from Kansas, and William R. Whittington, 23, from California. Erected on the initiative of Gabriel ('Gaby') Bochet. Thismonument, behind which the remains of an engine are preserved, mistakenly mentions the date of Wednesday 26 June 1963, which is in fact the date on which the wreckage of the aircraft was found. Information taken from the website pilote-de-montagne.com

Fort de Servance, known as Fort Scherer:Fort Scherer is a Séré de Rivières-typefort built between 1877 and 1879 at the summit of Ballon de Servance to monitor and defend the nearbyFranco-German border followingthe annexation of Alsace in 1871 under the Treaty of Frankfurt. Its artillery allowed it to cover the Ballon d'Alsace road and the Moselle valley . The forts of Ballon de Servance, Giromagny and Château-Lambert could defend each other and were connected by electric telegraph.
The fort was supplemented by an annex battery to monitor access via Stalon, Rossely and the Ballon d'Alsace road 10.
It originally had a garrison of 238 men. After modernisation and refurbishment, its wartime garrison reached a strength of 583 men in 1914, including sixteen officers. The construction of the fort made it necessary to build a road from the Col des Croixto the summit.
Built in 1880 and now gone, a hotel located at the summit provided entertainment for the fort's garrison.
The first military radar station (No. 33-901) began operating within the fort in 1951. It was later supplemented by a telecommunications centre, thus ensuring the protection of French airspace. Recognisable by its large tower rising from the summit, it is part of Luxeuil Air Base 116. Information sourced mainly from Wikipedia.