The Route des Crêtes is an 89 km long road in the Vosges Mountains in eastern France, passing through the Parc Naturel Régional des Ballons des Vosges. The road runs between Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and Cernay.
Most of the route is located at an altitude of 950 m above sea level, the highest point of which is at Col du Grand Ballon.
The road is usually open from April to November, but most of the route is closed by snow in winter.
The route (D148) runs south on the Col de Louchbach (978 m) to the Col de Calvaire (1134 m), where we reach the county of Vosges. The road (D61) passes by Gazon du Faing (1303 m), which offers panoramic views of the
Black Forest and the Rhine Valley in Germany. After passing the Kastelberg (1350 m), Rainkopf (1305 m) and Rotherbachkopf (1316 m) peaks in quick succession, the road returns to Haut-Rhin before crossing the Cols du Herrenberg (1186 m) and Hahnenbrunnen (1180 m). The road (today D431) then reaches the highest point of the Col du Grand Ballon (1,343 m) before passing the Col Amicon (828 m) on the Cernay slope. Along the way, you pass the ruins of Freundstein Castle, which is 984 m high (Alsace’s highest castle), and the Hartmannswillerkopf military cemetery in Vieil Armand.
The route has become popular with walkers, cyclists, motorcyclists and caravans. Due to high traffic, in 2008 the park authority published a comprehensive report on traffic problems. Environmental groups called for a partial closure of the road to prevent overcrowding, especially on summer weekends, which often resulted in a road accident. No real solution was found, but with effect from 1 May 2012, a speed limit of 70 km / h was introduced on the Haut-Rhin county road sections between the Col des Bagenelles and the Uffholtz. Currently, a similar speed limit has not been prescribed by the Vosges department covering the middle section of the route. It was also suggested that the road should be completely closed to vehicles other than public transport at least one day a week.
