Grand Ballon Summit & Florival Valley Hike
At 1,424 m, the Grand Ballon is the highest peak in the Vosges and, on a clear day, offers a panorama that sweeps from the Black Forest to the Alps. The trail that climbs to it from Guebwiller through the Florival valley is one of the most rewarding half-day walks in the entire region.
The climb through the Florival
The Florival — the 'Valley of Flowers' — earns its name in May and June when wildflowers carpet the meadows flanking the GR5 trail as it winds upward through beech and silver fir forest.
Waymarked paths from Guebwiller connect to the Sentier des Roches network; a popular loop takes around five hours return and passes through the hamlet of Lautenbach, where you can refuel at a local Winstub.
At the summit
The rounded, grassy summit is crowned by a radar ball and a monument to the Diables Bleus alpine troops of WWI — history and horizon in the same glance.
On exceptionally clear winter days, the snow-capped Alps appear on the southern horizon like a rumour you're not sure you believe. The Chalet-Hôtel du Grand Ballon serves tarte flambée and local Munster cheese to reward the climb.
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