Anyone got any good experiences with camp sites in the Vosges area. Hoping to spend a week or so there in August.
Also any 'must see' tourist sites.
Monty
Also any 'must see' tourist sites.
Monty
Camp Sites in the Vosges
- Thread starter Monty Stubble
- Start date
Go to see: http://www.linge1915.com/index1-an.html
Have a look at Michelin map 104
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343830
Have a look at Michelin map 104
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343830
bladerunner
Registered user
The campsite by the lake in Garadmer is not bad and a pleasant walk into town.
Make sure you ride the Route des cretes
Make sure you ride the Route des cretes
Stayed in Gerardmer for a week last year (chalet) - Good town, but perhaps just on the edge of the great roads. A location perhaps slightly north-east puts you in the middle of the twisties.
Enough eateries in Gerardmer, and pattiseries, Boulangeries, and even a "Kebaberie"
I'd stay there -again
Al
Enough eateries in Gerardmer, and pattiseries, Boulangeries, and even a "Kebaberie"
I'd stay there -again
Al
There is a 'Wine route' around many of the quite attractive villages.
It might appeal?
http://www.alsace-wine-route.com/en/201000049-From-the-Northern-Vosges-to-the-Wine-Road.html
It's a resaonably popular skiing area for the locals in the winter. They open the pistes to mountain bikers. If you are fit (or simply brave / stupid) hire one or two for the day. Failing that, the many of the chair lifts etc will be open, as will the cafes etc. on the top.
I created a whole bunch of routes, lifted, cut, stolen from a whole variety of sources. You'll find them here on UKGSer.
The village of Turckheim (where we have stayed several times) has a resaonably good 'amateur' museum, detailing the battles of WW2 that raged around the 'Colmar pocket' through Christmas 1944 into early spring 1945. It's worth a drop in if you are passing.
http://musee.turckheim-alsace.com/english.html
One idea... It's a comfortable day's ride from (and back to) Colmar to the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen.
http://www.rheinfall.ch/home?lang=en-us
We went there last year, taking a reasonably direct route, coming back across country / bottom of the Black Forest, just hacking out a twisty route from a decent map. It took ten muinutes to work it out, standing in the carpark at the falls in a rain storm.
The Black Forest is not far away obvioulsy, but everyone goes there.... don't they? The Vosges cover a smaller area but offer some great riding / views etc.
Ooops, nearly forgot... Mulhouse houses the French National Car Collection....
http://citedelautomobile.com/en/home
and their train museum, too.
Oooops, nearly forgot 2: If you visit the excellent museum at Le Ligne, they will show the film in ENGLISH if you ask them to. It's worth seeing the film as it explains what you are looking at in context of the whole German / French battle to stalemate in WW1 through the whole region.
It might appeal?
http://www.alsace-wine-route.com/en/201000049-From-the-Northern-Vosges-to-the-Wine-Road.html
It's a resaonably popular skiing area for the locals in the winter. They open the pistes to mountain bikers. If you are fit (or simply brave / stupid) hire one or two for the day. Failing that, the many of the chair lifts etc will be open, as will the cafes etc. on the top.
I created a whole bunch of routes, lifted, cut, stolen from a whole variety of sources. You'll find them here on UKGSer.
The village of Turckheim (where we have stayed several times) has a resaonably good 'amateur' museum, detailing the battles of WW2 that raged around the 'Colmar pocket' through Christmas 1944 into early spring 1945. It's worth a drop in if you are passing.
http://musee.turckheim-alsace.com/english.html
One idea... It's a comfortable day's ride from (and back to) Colmar to the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen.
http://www.rheinfall.ch/home?lang=en-us
We went there last year, taking a reasonably direct route, coming back across country / bottom of the Black Forest, just hacking out a twisty route from a decent map. It took ten muinutes to work it out, standing in the carpark at the falls in a rain storm.
The Black Forest is not far away obvioulsy, but everyone goes there.... don't they? The Vosges cover a smaller area but offer some great riding / views etc.
Ooops, nearly forgot... Mulhouse houses the French National Car Collection....
http://citedelautomobile.com/en/home
and their train museum, too.
Oooops, nearly forgot 2: If you visit the excellent museum at Le Ligne, they will show the film in ENGLISH if you ask them to. It's worth seeing the film as it explains what you are looking at in context of the whole German / French battle to stalemate in WW1 through the whole region.
Oh! Forgot to mention...........
There are a lot of the mountain roads in the forrests where the tree roots have cracked the road surface, and the overbanding can be so severe - that it is unmissable
Quite scary when you o into a bend and discover that your line, and every other line - involves swaithes of overbanding.........
Al
There are a lot of the mountain roads in the forrests where the tree roots have cracked the road surface, and the overbanding can be so severe - that it is unmissable
Quite scary when you o into a bend and discover that your line, and every other line - involves swaithes of overbanding.........
Al
Driving across them on Sunday, will let you know how I find it, only going to be able to take in one of the main Passes (Ballon)
Some good route info is here:
www.alpineroads.com
Just beware these are not updated often, so any references to road surfaces can be off as these roads change condition so fast, and as they are not maintained by the UK Highways Agency they are regularly (and properly) re-surfaced / repaired so seem to go through phases of brilliant, good, below average, crap, brilliant again every few years.
Some good route info is here:
www.alpineroads.com
Just beware these are not updated often, so any references to road surfaces can be off as these roads change condition so fast, and as they are not maintained by the UK Highways Agency they are regularly (and properly) re-surfaced / repaired so seem to go through phases of brilliant, good, below average, crap, brilliant again every few years.
Not sure it fits into the "any 'must see' tourist sites" category but the Natzwieler-Struthof Camp provides a sombre reminder of man's capacity for inhumanity... details at http://www.struthof.fr/en/home/
As others have mentioned, Colmar with it's canal and river giving rise to the "Little Venice" tag is very attractive and has one of the driest climates in France; the car museum at Mulhouse is huge and, for "petrol-heads", well worth a visit.
Some years ago I stayed at a Castels chain campsite at Bonnal, just north of Rougemont - very pleasant, clean and tidy, river and lake fishing. Fully featured with bar, pool etc., but IMO, a bit pricey... it depends what you're looking for - a rural Camping Municipal it isn't! Details at http://www.camping-castels.co.uk/camping-le-val-de-bonnal-id253-id_camping19.html
My quick drive-by of the Vosges was quite good, only ran over the Ballon before heading east towrds the Alps, but the road was pretty decent, as was the back road we took to escape the area.
Seems a bit busier than some of the other places I have toured, maybe just too easy to get to from many towns, the traffic was not bad as per most UK beauty spots on a Sunday morning, but defintely more congested than the out of the way Alpine passes.
Would definately like a few days there, and reckon could do most of the best roads / passes in a couple of days.
Not up to Alpine or Pyrenees standards IMO, but cheaper / easier to reach and looks ideal for anyone with 4-7 days for a round trip.
Seems a bit busier than some of the other places I have toured, maybe just too easy to get to from many towns, the traffic was not bad as per most UK beauty spots on a Sunday morning, but defintely more congested than the out of the way Alpine passes.
Would definately like a few days there, and reckon could do most of the best roads / passes in a couple of days.
Not up to Alpine or Pyrenees standards IMO, but cheaper / easier to reach and looks ideal for anyone with 4-7 days for a round trip.
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If you don't want to stay in the Vosges, there is a decent Camping Municipale in Luneville. Also plenty of restaurants there.
And the blast to and from the mountains at the beginning and end of the day really is a blast. Gets everything (including the rider) nicely warmed up in the morning, and after a day on twisty hilly roads, the faster roads back are brilliant fun!!!
It's only about 30 mins from the Vosges.
Last time I was there - couple of years ago, I think - there was still the occasional corner on the Route des Cretes that was cobbled! An interesting experience...
And the blast to and from the mountains at the beginning and end of the day really is a blast. Gets everything (including the rider) nicely warmed up in the morning, and after a day on twisty hilly roads, the faster roads back are brilliant fun!!!
It's only about 30 mins from the Vosges.
Last time I was there - couple of years ago, I think - there was still the occasional corner on the Route des Cretes that was cobbled! An interesting experience...
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