The Castle of Haut Koeningsbourg and Ribeauville town out of Col de Bussang
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Guy Heyns - Adv. RouteXpert
Last edit: 19-04-2023
Route Summary If you are just passing through and you only have one day to see some of the Vosges, then this route is definitely recommended.
Due to the alternation of excellent with quite sneaky, technical and sometimes steep jobs, you will also get the different motorcycle flavors of the Vosges for the wheels on this route with a height profile to say!.
You will also see three highlights from the tourist booklet and you can take plenty of time for this.
The combination of all this makes the rating worth a good 5 stars!
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
9h 22m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
261.53 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The route starts at the hotel Col de Bussang and leads you over a wooded pass to the larger initial road that immediately introduces you to the nicest mountain in the Vosges: the Bramont. If you make the choice here to drive in both directions... we can't blame you...
A little later you reach the world-famous Route des Crêtes, the 'tops' road of the Vosges, used by the army for quick maneuvering. Today the road is mainly a tourist destination. But fun to drive and definitely a bucket list item.
At the Col de Bonhomme, feel free to take a break and watch the many colleagues who think that the Route des Crëtes starts here... They are mistaken, but don't let that spoil the fun. If you drive out of the entire collection of the Vosges, you will certainly encounter the complete route somewhere....
After leaving the Route des Crêtes, you will follow a few nice bends and you will slowly reach the castle of Haut Koeningsbourg, one of the destinations of this journey.
The Haut-Koenigsbourg or Castle Haut-Koenigsbourg is located near Orschwiller is a castle, situated on a rocky ridge of the eastern Vosges at an altitude of 755 m. The castle looks out over the Rhine valley.
In the Middle Ages, the Hohkönigsburg was the center of the lordship of Königsburg, which also included the village of Orschweiler. Until 1648, the fiefdom was part of Further Austria.
The castle was first mentioned in the 12th century. Its strategic importance was recognized by the Duke of Swabia, Frederick of Hohenstaufen. The castle was built around 1147 as Schloss Staufen or Castrum Estufin by the Dukes of Lorraine. Due to its strategic position, the owners of the castle controlled the villages and trade routes in this part of the Rhine valley.
From 1192 the name Königsburg was used and throughout history the castle changed ownership and even nationality many times. It sometimes passed into French, then German or Austrian hands and during the Thirty Years' War the castle was even besieged, conquered and burned by Sweden.
After the Franco-Prussian War, Alsace-Lorraine became part of the German Empire in 1871 and the city of Schlettstadt (Sélestat) donated the castle to the German Emperor, Wilhelm II, on May 4, 1899. The emperor saw the castle as a symbol of Alsace's Germanic past and wanted to make it a symbol of the resurrected German Empire. The intention was to establish a museum for the Middle Ages in the castle. The emperor had the castle reconstructed by the Berlin architect Bodo Ebhardt (1902-1908). With the Peace of Versailles, the castle returned to the French state.
In 2021, the castle is one of the best preserved fortresses and is the only French "Monument National" located in Alsace. The impressive bastion, the keep and the Logis Seigneurial and the view into the Rhine valley and the view of the nearby ruins of other castles (such as Ortenbourg, Ramstein) have made the castle a popular tourist attraction.
After a visit to the castle, the route continues to nearby Ribeauville.
Ribeauville is a small village in the Haut-Rhin department. Ribeauville is one of the few villages in the Alsace region that have managed to retain their authentic character over the centuries.
Like many other villages in this region, Ribeauvillé is located in the middle of the vineyards. The wine from this region is known to be very good. Many tourists therefore come to Ribeauville especially to do a wine tasting here. There are so-called wine stubbes in several places in the village. In particular, the pinot noir made in Ribeauvillé is very well regarded. Eight different Grand Crus are produced in the Ribeauville region.
One of the main sources of income of the town are tourists, so everything is organized in Ribeauvilllé to lure tourists to the town. This does not happen without some success, however. One of the nicest Christmas markets is organized here every year. The most famous party that takes place here every year is the La Fete des Ménétriers. Roughly translated, the feast of the minstrels. According to an old legend, the Lord of Ribeaupierre had given a musician a new musical instrument after his had broken. To thank the lord for this, this party has been organized for more than six hundred years. The La Fete des Ménétriers is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in September.
The main attractions of Ribeauvillé being La Tour de Bochers, the maison des ménétriers, Le château st Ulrich, Le château Girsberd and Le château du Haut-Ribeaupierre.
After Ribeauville it is time to really let the arms work. the road back to the hotel is a wonderful asphalt biter
which leads you to the highest point in the Vosges, the Grand Ballon, also a major tourist attraction. You have not been to the Vosges as a house, garden and kitchen tourist if you have not passed here. You can drink a coffee and of course, with a good view, enjoy the beautiful views that reach into the Alps. You can - in optimal conditions of course - even see Mont Blanc!
The last bends may bring you tired but satisfied back to the hotel where you can enjoy a well-deserved rest!
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Grand Est
About this region
Grand Est (French: [ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst] (listen); Alsatian: Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/Luxembourgish: Grouss Osten;
Rhine Franconian: Groß Oschte; German: Großer Osten [ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈʔɔstn̩]; English: "Greater East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (pronounced [alzas ʃɑ̃paɲ aʁdɛn lɔʁɛn]; ACAL or, less commonly, ALCA), as a result of territorial reform which had been passed by the French Parliament in 2014.The region sits astride three water basins (Seine, Meuse and Rhine), spanning an area of 57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi), the fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges (Vosges and Ardennes). It shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. As of 2017, it had a population of 5,549,586 inhabitants. The prefecture and largest city, by far, is Strasbourg.
The East of France has a rich and diverse culture, being situated at a crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds. This history is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there (Alsatian, Champenois, and Lorraine Franconian). Most of today's Grand Est region was considered "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it constituted the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia. The city of Reims (in Champagne), where Frankish king Clovis I had been baptized in 496 AD, would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The Champagne fairs played a significant role in the economy of medieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and subject to competing claims by France and German over the centuries.
The region has distinctive traditions such as the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine. Alsace-Moselle are furthermore subject to local law for historical reasons. With a long industrial history and strong agriculture and tourism (arts, gastronomy, sightseeing), the East of France is one of the top economic producing regions in the country.
Read more on Wikipedia
Rhine Franconian: Groß Oschte; German: Großer Osten [ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈʔɔstn̩]; English: "Greater East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (pronounced [alzas ʃɑ̃paɲ aʁdɛn lɔʁɛn]; ACAL or, less commonly, ALCA), as a result of territorial reform which had been passed by the French Parliament in 2014.The region sits astride three water basins (Seine, Meuse and Rhine), spanning an area of 57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi), the fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges (Vosges and Ardennes). It shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. As of 2017, it had a population of 5,549,586 inhabitants. The prefecture and largest city, by far, is Strasbourg.
The East of France has a rich and diverse culture, being situated at a crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds. This history is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there (Alsatian, Champenois, and Lorraine Franconian). Most of today's Grand Est region was considered "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it constituted the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia. The city of Reims (in Champagne), where Frankish king Clovis I had been baptized in 496 AD, would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The Champagne fairs played a significant role in the economy of medieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and subject to competing claims by France and German over the centuries.
The region has distinctive traditions such as the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine. Alsace-Moselle are furthermore subject to local law for historical reasons. With a long industrial history and strong agriculture and tourism (arts, gastronomy, sightseeing), the East of France is one of the top economic producing regions in the country.
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