Ballons des Vosges, Colmar France
December 8, 2023 - by Muriel Dassen
The Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park is one of the largest Natural Parks in France with 3.000 km² / 1.160 miles². It is home to 14 peaks, the highest of which, the Grand Ballon d'Alsace, reaches a height of 1.424 metres / 4.671 ft and we will be going there in ride 1 of this tour. Colmar is a beautiful city located in the heart of Alsace, surrounded by the vineyards of Alsace, but also perfect to explore the mountains of the Vosges from. And this are our tips on 7 things to do in Colmar, France, during your Ballons des Vosges motorcycle tour.
Of course you can download the GPX / ITN files and full e-books of the 2 rides we have in this tour via our roadtrip planner but you can already find the info in this blogpost.
Don’t miss thé gem of Colmar! Admire the typical Alsatian half-timbered houses along the riverbanks in this district of the city that is still brimming with the charms of the past: La Petite Venise. The little Venice is the name given to the course of the river Lauch in Colmar. And yes, the small canals lined with colourful houses can remind you of the centre of Venice. The colourful houses are built in the typical Alsatian architectural style and you can stroll around and enjoy the canals, the colourful flowers and the old half-timbered houses.
But you can also take a boat trip. Almost year round with departures in the morning and afternoon every 15 minutes but with some specific days with reduced hours or that they are closed. So have a look at this website. And if you’d like you can also make a booking in advance there.
In the old town of Colmar at the Rue des Écoles you can find this Marché Couvert: the famous covered market where you can fill up with local delicacies. The building is designed in 1865 and made of bricks with a metal frame and has had several functions until it returned to its original purpose of a market hall. Closed on Mondays and Sunday afternoons. And even if you are not looking at buying local products such as fruits and vegetables, butchery, cheese dairy, bakery and pastry and other delights, it is definitely worth to visit. For more information you can visit this website.
The centrepiece of the old town centre is the Collégiale Saint-Martin church. The church was built between 1235 and 1365 and is built in a beautiful Gothic style
and beautifully decorated. It is an important example of Gothic architecture in Alsace. Because of a fire in the south tower in 1572 the framework and all the roofs
were destroyed. The tower was replaced three years later by the original lantern bulb which gives the Church its characteristic silhouette. So not to be missed!`
Also not to be missed is this Maison Pfister, one of the most unique houses in Colmar. Built in 1537 in a German Renaissance style with several wooden panels, balustrades and several paintings of mythical and biblical figures.
Colmar is definitely an inviting city with picturesque half-timbered houses, romantic canals, flower decorated windows, a maze of cobbled alleys and delicious gastronomy and said to be one of Alsace's most elegant cities. And that with a perfect location to discover the mountains of the Vosges and the wine
region of the Alsace! But we have 2 more QUAZY highlights we want to share with you.
Because Colmar has its own Statue de la Liberté. Of all the replicas of the Statue of Liberty out there, this is the only one standing on a traffic roundabout. It stands here as an homage to the birthplace of the sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty. Auguste Bartholdi. While he was visiting the USA he became interested in Republican ideas and therefore LIBERTY which would finally lead to the design of the Statue of Liberty in New York, built between 1875 - 1886. Bartholdi died in Paris in 1904, but Colmar remained proud of its famous native son and turned the sculptor's house into a museum dedicated to his work and built this quartz-scale version of his most famous work in 2004, commemorating the centenary of his death.
And do you recognise this small statue? This is the Manneken-Pis of Colmar, a replica of the famous Manneken-Pis of Brussels. It was offered by the city of Brussels to Colmar on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the liberation of the city of Colmar in 1922 and in memory of the common suffering of the two countries, Belgium and France.
Recommended hotels:
Rating on Booking.com: Very good 8.0
With private parking garage – reservation needed and fee applicable
Tea/coffeemaker on rooms
With bar
5 to 10 minute walk in to city centre of Colmar
With free private on site - not covered - parking
With bar and restaurant
15 to 20 minute walk in to city centre of Colmar
With private parking garage - reservation needed and fee applicable
With bar and restaurant
Tea/coffeemaker on rooms
10 to 15 minute walk in to city centre of Colmar
With private parking garage - reservation needed and fee applicable
5 to 10 minute walk in to city centre of Colmar
With parking at accommodation
Different accommodation for rent
With bar and restaurant
30 to 35 minute walk in to city centre of Colmar or short bus ride
With free on site - not covered - parking
With bar and restaurant
4 km / 2.5 miles outside city centre of Colmar with some restaurants within 5 minute walk
Rating on Booking.com Good 7.3
With free on site parking - not covered
With bar and restaurant
4 km / 2.5 miles outside of city centre Arras with some restaurants within a 5 minute
walk
Ride 1
This ride 1 is 220 km / 137 miles and we’re going South/South West of Colmar into the Parc natural régional des Ballons des Vosges. That is the natural park in the southern Vosges region established in 1989. The park gets its name from the highest mountain peak in the Vosges Mountains, called the Grand Ballon, where we
will be going in this ride. The park covers an area of 3.000 square kilometres, 1.160 square miles, making it one of the largest natural parks in France. The park has 14 peaks in total, so let’s see how many we will be climbing today!
Although we are not sure if this is the first real coll in this ride, but in this ride, but we will be doing the Coll de La Schlucht. And with this climb we will be actually going into the real Vosges area from the Haut-Rhin area where Colmar is situated. There are some restaurants at this top, but our first stop of this ride is at the next peak.
So our first real stop is at 1.363 metres / 4.471 feet above sea level at Le Hohneck, but this is not the highest mountain in the Vosges. We will get to the highest mountain the Grand Ballon later in this ride. This Hohneck is however the highest point to get to on the bikes on asphalt. And it offers stunning views and there is a restaurant for coffee, although you have to take the small road the last part up.
If you'd want you can stop for lunch in Saint Maurice sur Moselle, where we are crossing the river Moselle, still a small river here but it flows all the way to the
German Moselle area famous for its wines and where the river is way bigger. Or you can have your lunchhere at the Auberge du Ballon d’Alsace with a view on this
beautiful mountain area. We added both in your GPX / ITN file. Although we still have to get to the highest mountain of the park, from here we are leaving the
Vosges region again to go into Haut-Rhin.
With its peak at 1.424 metres / almost 4.672 ft this Grand-Ballon is the highest mountain in the Vosges mountains, but you would have to climb the last and steep part on foot. We like riding more than walking and as we already did the highest point that we can get to on the bikes we’ll just stick with the Col du Grand Ballon at 1.325 metres / 4.347 feet. It is said that with good weather you could see as far as the Mont Blanc in the Alpes...unfortunately we were there on a overcast day. You could also stop for a drink if you’d want, but we have one last stop planned for one last drink a bit further on in the route.
In summertime, Le Markstein is a holiday resort offering loads of fun things to do for plenty of excitement such as paragliding! In winter it is a modest ski and
mountain sports area. Situated at an altitude of between 1.040 and 1.266 metres / 3.412 and 4.153 feet with its highest point at the summit of the Jungfraukopf. You
will find plenty of possibilities to have a drink on this last stop before we have to head back to Colmar.
The ride back to Colmar is some 35 km / 22 miles and of course the GPX / ITN file will bring you there.
The Vosges mountains are perfect for a nice day of riding, so definitely consider coming here during one of your next Roadtrips! We recommend Colmar as central
point of this tour as it is a lovely city.
Ride 2
Ride 2 in the Ballson des Vosges tour is 210 km / 130 miles and we will start in the true Vosges area, but with this ride 2 we will be exploring the
part North of Colmar more which is the Northern part of the Alsace region. And as the Alsace is famous for its wines we should be
doing some riding through the Alsace vineyards somewhere after the lunch stop in this ride.
OK, the village of Sainte-Marie-aux Mines is not the most interesting stops in a QUAZY RIDES tour, but we thought it was time for coffee! And there is a Café Bar with a parking in front! The name “aux mines” comes from the silver mines in this area. And also regarding the name: The old German name of Sainte Marie aux Mines is Markirch, which was also used during the German annexations or occupations.
Nestled on the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, Obernai is one of the iconic stages on the Route des Vins d'Alsace, the Alsace Wine Route. Obernai is just 30 kilometres/19 miles from Strasbourg and is said to have a beautiful architectural and is delightful to stroll through. It might be a bit difficult to park, but we have added a parking opposite the church to the GPX / ITN file. And Obernai has plenty of restaurants with terraces so we are sure you will find a nice spot to have lunch as well!
Our last stop of this ride is at Chateau Köningsbourg on the edge of the Vosges Mountains. There is a parking for motorbike at the top, just opposite the Pavaillon du Haut-Köningsburg that we added in the GPX / ITN file.
The Castle is located on a 750-metre / 2.460 feet-high mountain surrounded by green forests, high peaks and vast grassy fields. So it is beautiful here. The castle dates back to the 12th century, but in the 17th century the castle was almost completely destroyed. Fortunately, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided to rebuild the castle in the years 1902 to 1908. It is beautiful outside and supposedly inside as well. The interior is complete with medieval paintings, antique furniture and special statues and in the basement there is a museum with a collection of swords, armour and crossbows. So if you are interested, you can visit if you want. For more information you can visit this website.
Or you can settle for the view with a nice drink at the Pavillion!
We are passing the villages of Hunawihr and Riquewihr located on the Route des Vins d'Alsace at the end of this ride. These wine towns look fairytale-like in the
middle of the green hills and vineyards. Riquewihr is said to be the most famous town in the wine region as it should be incredibly beautiful with narrow streets
with colourful half-timbered houses, hidden gardens and a cosy and friendly atmosphere. So if you have time and want to have a look, this is your chance. The
ride back to Colmar is only some 10 more kilometres /6.5 more miles so not much more than 15 minutes or so.
With this ride 2 we wanted to explore another part of the surroundings of Colmar and we think that, especially together with ride 1 truly in the Vosges Mountains, it
is really makes the Ballons des Vosges tour complete!
Go on your own QUAZY RIDE
You can download the GPX / ITN files of the rides and the full e-books via our roadtrip planner and then we hope you will enjoy the rides you will be doing in this Quazy Rides Ballons des Vosges tour and your stay in Colmar.
If you are posting on social media, don't forget to tag Quazy Rides or use the #QuazyRides, because we LOVE to see you having fun with our rides.
