2026-06-05 Vosges Mountains - Michelin Tour

 Friday June 5, 2026

It's supposed to be a beautiful day today so we're off on another Michelin Green Guide tour of the Vosges Mountains. Some things we've done before, but many roads and towns are new. We start in the direction of Trois Épis (Three Wheat Ears). I know. It's a funny name. It's genesis comes from a 1491 vision of Mary where she appeared with 3 wheat ears in one hand and a small ice cube in the other. She told the blacksmith who was praying at the site that the 3 wheat ears symbolized the abundant harvests of true believers. The ice cube symbolizes the hail, frost, flood, and famine that will visit the unbelievers. (more here)

It took us a lot longer than 2 hours 14 minutes to complete this loop!

From Trois Épis, the road wound up the mountains to the Le Linge battlefield from WWI. We didn't have time to explore the battlefield last time we were here, so this time, Dave, Chuck, & Pat visited the museum and Chuck & Dave explored the battlefield. (More information about the horrific battle) 

the German cemetery

The last line of this informational chart reads: "The dead in this cemetery are an exhortation to peace"

I was glad to see  school groups at this memorial. The photos and information is graphic and hard to see, but important to see. Other than Pearl Harbor, we have no battle scars in our country since the Civil War. Grandparents who lived through WWII are gone and no one is left who can teach our young about the horrors of war. 

Pat looking at one of the trenches at Le Linge. A student group is exploring the battlefield.

Besides the cemetery of white crosses marking the graves of  the French soldiers, the museum provided scenes to help the viewer understand what living in the trenches was like.

The French cemetery. The inscription on the cross in the back says: "Pax" (Peace)

Inside the museum a model of a German trench.

A French cannon

French soldiers

German soldiers

After seeing the museum, Chuck & Dave explored the battlefield - mostly trenches and earthen works to try to protect the soldiers (both French & German) who were sometimes only 10 feet away from each other. 

Looking into the trenches

Chuck near one of the trenches

Dave exploring one of the trenches. Notice the small window behind his shoulder for shooting your gun.

The trench where Dave was standing.

We continued up the mountain road where the scenery was spectacular. But the road was narrow (as in no lines and no shoulders) with lots of hairpin turns, so there weren't too many pull-offs to safely take a photo. 

We drove as far as Le Lac Noir (the Black Lake) This small glacial lake formed in a cirque (a circular hollow carved by a glacier) and then on to Le Lac Blanc (the White Lake) whose glacial cirque is 3 times larger than the Black Lake. 

Le Lac Noir

Le Lac Blanc

We continued on to Hohneck via La Route des Crêtes (Road of the Peaks). As before, we drove to the auberge on top, parked in a handicapped spot, and explored the views. You'll notice it was windy (and chilly) with no place to escape the wind. There were an impressive number of hikers ascending from various trails. Even more impressive was that many looked as old as us. And they all had fashionable hiking gear. Oh, and we still can't see the Alps from here. 

The wind was strong and cold - Pat and Chuck

This photo  doesn't do justice to the hikers arriving from the valley. Multiple groups arrived in close succession, from varying hiking trails. 

It was lunch time, but the outdoor porch was not serving (we assume because of the cold and wind). So we ate inside the very busy brasserie (a pub that serves food). Warmed by quiche lorraine (Pat & I) and bacon omelet (Dave & Chuck), we got back in the car to continue by the Route des Cretes to Munster. 

We discovered cows pasturing in the high slopes. 

Down from Hohneck, we discovered an interesting use of a ski run to earn money in the summer. Called Tricky Track, it's a luge that rides on a rail on the ground. One person per car is somehow pulled up the hill to the top on a straight rail and then makes his/her way back down on a slalom course. Looks like fun - if only we weren't so decrepit and old. 

Imagine riding down the mountain in a small sled

A beautiful ride down the mountain dropped us in Munster, in the same city center parking lot. We visited the same places and the same storks. But this time Chuck bought Munster cheese from a fromagerie (cheese store) in Munster. 

The Pharmacy has painted characters on its walls

A token stork. This is only one of the photos I took today, even though I had photographed these same storks last week. Sigh. I just can't resist.

 

The  Catholic church

We traveled new roads back to Logelheim - the D417 and the D83. We ate our lunch sandwiches for dinner along with aperos. Then we all crashed and went to bed early. But we had a gorgeous day in the Vosges.