Tour of the Upper Savoureuse Valley and the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace

Leave your car at the end of the old Giromagny barracks, near the junction of Rue Saint-Pierre and Rue des Casernes.

(S/E) With your back to Rue des Casernes, turn right along Rue Saint-Pierre, pass the cemetery and continue left onto Rue du Mont Jean. At the Fork in the road, by the postboxes, take the right-hand branch. At the end of the tarmac road, continue uphill along a path and join a forest track.

(1) Turn left and follow the Blue Ring markings. Climb the winding path through the forest, pass south of Mont Jean and reach the pass of the same name (IGN elevation 723)

(2) First turn left then right to head north again on the connecting path towards the GR®5 (marked with a Red Rectangle), heading for the Col du Chantoiseau: do not go down to the left onto the path marked with a Blue Ring. Join the GR® above the Mont Jean farm.

(3) Continue to the right. Stay on the main path marked with a Red Rectangle, pass close to Mont Rouchon and arrive at the Col du Chantoiseau: hiking shelter.

(4) Continue on the^GR®5, heading up to the left of the shelter towards Gros Hêtre and Wissgrut. After Gros Hêtre, turn right and descend, following the Red Rectangle markings. At the bottom, you’ll reach a crossroads near the Wissgrut farmhouse inn.

(5) Turn left, leaving the farmhouse inn on your right. A few hundred metres further on, temporarily leave the GR® by turning right to reach the small summit of the Wissgrut and its statue of the Virgin Mary: magnificent views.

(6) Continue down the other side: note the remains of the First World War trenches. Return to the wide track heading north-north-west. Continue following the GR® markings, cross the Gentiane ski resort to reach the roundabout.

(7) Look for the path on the right of the main building housing the gendarmerie, which heads northwards parallel to the green run: marked with a red Rectangle and a blue Disc. A little further up, remember to follow these markings to the left just after the bridge over the road. Continue above the road and head for the Chaumière crossroads, situated at a small pass.

(8) Take the long climb through the clearing in the forest opposite: marked with a Red Rectangle and a Yellow Disc. The path runs alongside the road as you approach the Auberge du Ballon d’Alsace, which is directly in front of you.

(9) Pass to the right of this building, following the Red Rectangle and Yellow Disc markings. Join the main path to the summit of the Ballon d’Alsace and take the steps on the right: you can also choose to stay on the main path, which is wide and comfortable and winds its way up.

(10) Once you reach the Vierge du Ballon, head for the orientation table a little further up, surrounded by its star-shaped boulders: you have the choice between an improvised but very wide and visible path (marked on the map), or the circular path on the right to reach the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace, the highest point of the route at 1,247 m.

(11) Leave the Yellow Disc marked trail temporarily by taking the Red Rectangle marked trail on the right. Turn left at the first fork, then left again about a hundred metres further on to skirt the summit via the balcony path, which is particularly spectacular and has a very alpine feel. Rejoin the GR® (variant of the GR®5, GR®7 and GR®59).

(12) Continue to the right towards the statue of Joan of Arc, pass it and descend towards the road and the buildings at the Col du Ballon.
Walkers who have chosen to do this long hike over two days can book a room at the accommodation on the pass.
Cross the A-road with care and reach the Bomb Disposal Unit monument.

(13) Follow the Yellow Disc-marked trail, heading south-west, until you reach a junction (IGN elevation 1079).

(14) Turn left, continuing to follow the Yellow Disc markings, and arrive at the Grande Goutte refuge: unmanned, spring.
It is also possible to spend the night here in very basic conditions if you have chosen to do the hike over two days.

(15) Take the path on the left (Yellow Disc markings) to the small Col du Plain de l’Épine.

(16) Leave the marked path and head up to your right along the ridge line. Continue along this ridge line, passing via the Tête des Fougères (elevation 1121m), to the Col de la Rougerie (elevation 1085m): there are no markings on this section and sometimes no real path, but simply continue along the ridge, generally heading south-west, sometimes on the ridge, sometimes a little lower down.

(17) Ignore the Green Triangle-marked path that you cross, and continue opposite towards the south-west on an unmarked path. You can also rejoin the ridge line through the woods via the Tête de Demesy (1132 m).
Both routes lead to the Route Forestière du Vieil Étang.

(18) Turn left onto the Green Triangle-marked trail, continue to Tête Carrée (1075 m) then descend to Étang des Belles Filles.

(19) Continue along the shore then straight on along the Red Disc marked trail. It climbs towards the Planche des Belles Filles ski resort. Reach a multi-way junction.

(20) Turn left for a few dozen metres, then veer left to follow the path along the edge of the forest. You’ll reach a junction near a road crossroads.

(21) Follow the path on the left marked with a Red Disc to reach La Roche Fendue, then continue to La Chaume du Querty (spring). Cross it to the bottom and return to the forest. The path then slopes to the left and leads onto a forest track which you must cross to rejoin it on the other side and descend to the Col du Querty.

(22) Continue along the forest track, following the Yellow Ring markings. You will reach a crossroads near an aerial.

(23) Take the forest track to the left (a large bend cut by a shortcut), head down to Rue du Phanitor and continue to the junction with Rue du Quartier Neuf.

(24) Turn left, then keep right and then left to follow Rue des Mines to the stop sign. Cross Rue du Tilleul and head straight ahead to reach Rue de la^1re DFL (D465), another stop sign. Cross at the pedestrian crossing set back to the left to join Rue Saint-Pierre, cross the bridge over the Savoureuse and continue straight ahead until the right-hand bend.

(25) Stay on Rue Saint-Pierre to the right and return to the car park near the former Giromagny barracks (S/E).

Club Vosgien signposting

Keen walkers can complete the walk in a day by setting off early, but the route can also be done over two days. Remember to book your accommodation.
There are several places to eat and stay along the route; ask at the Tourist Office for details.
There are few sources of drinking water, so bring water purification tablets or a filter.
Part of the route is unmarked or even off-trail along the western ridge. A map is essential and you must be able to navigate. If not, it is possible to find alternatives via marked trails, but the journey will be longer.

(11) If you are worried about missing the junction on the Red Rectangle trail, continue from the orientation table north-north-east following the Yellow Disc markings, along the less spectacular summit walking path.

Mining Museum in Giromagny.