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THE VOSGES IN WINTER a snow-bound trek along the route des cretes |
 Warning: the weather can change rapidly in the Vosges! St Die en Vosges calls itself the 'World Centre of Geography'. The main justification for this rather grand claim seems to be a 16th century publication originating from the town which first referred to the New World as 'America'. World Centre of Geography or not, St Die is set against the stunning backdrop of the Vosges Mountains, where the trenches run across the dramatic snow-covered peaks of Alsace via the Route des Cretes. From St Die, you can cross into Alsace by two means – the scenic ascent over the Col du Bonhomme or the more direct route ‘par tunnel’ . The Bonhomme pass is the traditional gateway between Alsace and Lorraine and rises to a height of 949 metres. At the mountain-top crossroads there are one or two restaurants and souvenir shops and a small memorial to General Bataille, killed here on 8th September 1914. The crossroads marks the beginning of the Route des Cretes, originally a  communications and supply route constructed across the mountains by French engineers in 1915. It is now part of a fairly extensive road network criss-crossing the Vosges, well-surfaced and surely a far cry from the treacherous morass of the war years. For good reason, 'Route Barre' signs are a common sight on the Route des Cretes during the winter months It is a wonderful Alpine landscape: precipitous slopes covered in pines and firs, little mountain-side cottages; the metal stanchions of cable-car lifts sticking strangely out from the side of the road; the tinkling of distant cow-bells drifting softly over the hills.
In winter, the scene is transformed into a fabulous snow-covered wonderland. Snow-tyres are of course essential; there are plenty of roadsigns to that effect and they are ignored at your peril. By early spring the majority of roads are at least partially clear but it is quite normal to see snow still piled up high by the roadsides as late as Easter. Having a “Route Barre’ sign staring at you with no  alternative route to where you want to go is just one of the joys (and frustrations) of driving in the Vosges!
Le Tete des Faux
The Tete des Faux marks the highest point of the Western Front. It can be reached by various routes, most easily from the popular ski resort of Lac Blanc. On reaching the ski station just before the lake, there is a car park and beside it, a small memorial ‘aux Braves Alpines Mort’. From here, the path to the Tete des Faux and the Duchesne French Military Cemetery is clearly signposted. In winter the path becomes a busy ski route and attempts to negotiate on foot are likely to encourage bemused looks from the ski-ing fraternity. More sensibly, snow shoes or skis can be hired from the hut next to the car park.
The path comes eventually to an unmarked fork; time for a lucky guess. Veer left and soon the French Military Cemetery comes into view. At an altitude of 1121m this is the highest cemetery on the Western Front. There are monuments to the 14th  Bat. Chaussers and also to Com Henri Duchesne (after whom the cemetery is named) killed here on 2nd Dec 1914. A brooding memorial cross and a large ossuary containing 86 soldiers of 152nd Regiment stand beside hundreds of French graves dating from 1914/15. The cemetery was the site of the forward operations base for French troops on the Tete des Faux.
Looking towards the summit of the Tete des Faux
From the cemetery, things get a bit more daunting (and dangerous) with a short but very steep upward climb through the pines towards the summit of the Tete des Faux. Fortunately there is a path of sorts, originally made by French engineers for mules to carry supplies to the front-line. You can still see metal stanchions protruding from the earth, bits of rail track, treacherous barbed wire, shell holes and other assorted debris. Please be aware in winter there is the possibility of very deep snow drifts here.
As you approach the top, a large memoria l cross comes into view, built upon the remains of a French fortification. A memorial is passed to Captain Demmler and men of the 62nd Bat. Chausseurs Alpine killed here on 6th July 1916. Graves virtually obscured by deep snow at the Duchesne French Military Cemetery It really is worth coming this far just for the scenery: in the foreground the view is towards the Col du Bonhomme. Further afield, there is a panoramic sweep of the Alsatian Plain and to the east, the view is across the Rhine Valley towards the Black Forest. To the south-east, meanwhile, lie the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps.
Scenic it may be but much blood was spilled on the Tete des Faux in the winter of 1914/15. Early skirmishes gained the French a precarious foothold; furious attack and counter-attack followed with specialist mountain troops contesting the snow-covered heights in temperatures well below freezing. After a final abortive attempt to take the summit on 21st February 1915, the Germans cut their losses and concentrated on strengthening their positions on the lower slopes. As attrition set in, the battle shifted to the neighbouring  heights of La Ligne and Veil Armand. Returning to the car park there is the opportunity to de-frost if necessary before a steep descent of the D48 in the direction of Orbey; off to the right of the road is Lac Blanc itself, partially encircled by dramatic vertical cliffs covered in pine. The frozen beauty of Lac Blanc It is a stunning sight in winter, when the lake is ice-bound and the trees leaden with snow. But the intrepid battlefield explorer doesn’t come primarily to admire the view; so it’s onwards towards the second of the Vosges’ main battle sites – Le Ligne.
Le Lingekopf
Still descending, though less steeply than before, the road turns towards Le Ligne French Military Cemetery beautifully secluded amid the trees just before the Col du Wettstein (882m). There are over 2,000 burials, a small chapel, numerous memorial plaques and a huge Cross of Remembrance to those who fell in the fighting around Le Ligne and t he Col du Wettstein. Le Wettstein was an important strategic base for the French from where operations on the Lingekopf were launched. Due to exposure from enemy guns, a tunnel was constructed, running from the Col du Wettstein to Combe Farm about half way to the summit of Le Linge. La Ligne French Military Cemetery Just past the cemetery, the road hooks round to the left and begins to ascend very gradually towards the summit of Le Ligne; in winter, the road is snowbound and it is about an hour’s trek to reach the battlefield - it is passable but again snow shoes are advisable. Near the site of Combe Farm, a tall obelisk to French troops who fought in the sector is passed. From the monument, there are spectacular views of the beautiful, vineyard-covered Kayserberg Valley looking towards Orbey and Le Trois Epis far below.
The site of Combe Farm, beneath the summit of Le Ligne The Ligne Massif rises to a height of almost 1000 metres; a rocky, tree-covered spur jutting out above the River Fecht and Munster Valley. In the first few months of war, Le Ligne was ignored, being considered of little strategic importance. Fighting intensified here in February 1915 after deadlock ensued elsewhere. The summit, a rocky ice-covered precipice, was fortified by both sides with wire entanglements and concrete blockhouses: front line trenches were literally yards apart. Fighting continued throughout the summer of 1915; a series of localised attacks and counter attacks involving flame-thrower, poison gas and murderous hand-to-hand combat by troops exhausted beyond endurance. Following one failed attack, French troops retrieved a board from the German wire: ‘The Ligne wi ll be the Chausseurs’ Grave’. This was to prove all too prophetic. By the end of August, French casualties alone amounted to 9,485 men and 176 officers. Soon, though, Le Ligne would revert to being little more than an insignificant point of reference on the map.
Le Ligne Battlefield A walk across the battlefield reveals the impossibility of the task those who attacked the summit faced. Machine gun turrets, bunkers and trenches all preserved by the high altitude environment can still be witnessed. A German plaque identifies the site of ‘Fort Lingekopf’. Slightly below the crest are the French front-line trenches – No Man’s Land was virtually non-existant here. The museum beside the battlefield was opened by the Association du Memorial du Linge in 1981 and contains a large collection of battlefield artefacts, weaponary and uniforms. The French tricolour flaps proudly above a plaque dedicated ‘aux 10 000 morts francais du Linge’. Access to the battlefield is only allowed via the mueseum.*
Past the museum, the road comes to a T- junction, with the Hohrod German Cemetery directly behind. In winter, the sight of hundreds of black crosses standing out against the white hillside makes quite an impression. Hohrod German Military Cemetery A right turn takes you plunging down the mountain (not literally!) towards Munster, the main objective of the French assaults on the Lignekopf. If the name sounds familiar it is no surprise that Munster was founded by Irish monks in the 7th century and later became known for its world-famous cheese. The Route des Cretes is rejoined near le Markstein and twists its way uphill towards the highest point in the Vosges range, the Ballon de Guebwiller – the Grand Ballon. At an altitude of 1424 metres, the rounded peak looms majestically above its neighbours; fortunately the road runs conveniently near the summit. There is a steepish but not too difficult climb which takes about half an hour under normal conditions, a bit longer when the path is covered in snow. The summit is crowned with a monument to the ‘Diable Bleus’, French Alpine troops who fought in this extraordinary battlezone. Monument to the 'Diable Bleus' on the summit of Grand Ballon There is an almost unlimited sweep of the Southern Vosges with Germany and Switzerland now tantalisingly close. To the south-west is the Ballon d’Alsace; to the south-east lies the Vieil Armand, distinguished by its sharply angular crest in contrast to the rounded peaks more typical of the region. Vieil Armand (Hartsmanwillerkopf) About midway between the Grand Ballon and the Vieil Armand is the Col Amic, where a small memorial stands in memory of Paul Amic, a French officer killed here in 1915. In winter, the road to the Vieil Armand is closed to vehicles beyond this point and it is a long 7 kilometre snow trek to reach the summit. Like Le Lignekopf, the Vieil Armand was ignored in the early Alsace confrontations and it was not until December 1914 that its huge tactical importance – with its commanding views across the Alsatian Plain towards Colmar and Mulhouse - was recognised. Christmas spirit was in short supply here too, and on 26th December German Alpine troops launched an attack on the summit; like a forerunner of Verdun, both sides poured more and more re-enforcements into the battlezone determined to secure the position, no matter the cost. From the spring of 1915, fighting became more sporadic while just yards below the crest, the Germans built an extraordinary network of trenches and fortifications, underground tunnels, cable railway, telephone exchange and power station. Vieil Armand (Hartsmanwillerkopf) Crypt & Museum - closed for winter! Hostilities intensified again the following winter. By 9th January 1916, the French found themselves once again in occupation of their old trenches on the summit with the German front line only about 20 yards away. Finally, both sides realised the futility of the situation and, unwilling to squander further lives, began a long stand-off. For the rest of the war, the Vieil Armand was relatively peaceful with only the occasional burst of artillery disturbing the unlikely détente. The total number of French killed on the Vieil Armand amounted to some 30,000 with German casualties at least as high.
The Vieil Armand (Hartmannswillerkopf) Memorial and Crypt is dedicated to the fallen of both sides. The site attracts almost 100,000 visitors each year, but is closed in winter when the road becomes impassable. Inaugurated in
1932, the crypt’s impressive entranceway is fronted by two large archangels, created by France’s most celebrated sculptor of the 20th century, Antoine Bourdelle. Inside there are three altars – Catholic, Protestant and Jewish –  and a bronze plaque covering the bones of tens of thousands of soldiers found on the battlefield. The walls are covered in memorial plaques dedicated to over a hundred units who served on the Vieil Armand.
Silberloch French Military Cemetery
Immediately behind the crypt and museum is the Silberloch Military Cemetery which contains 1264 French graves spread out across the sloping lawns. The cemetery looks directly towards the mountain peak, its pointed, tree-covered slopes crowned by the huge Cross of Remembrance. At the foot of the cemetery, a gateway leads to the main battlefield area with several rocky pathways extending through the trees towards the summit. It is not too arduous a climb, only a few hundred yards but in winter the snow can be several feet deep.
Numerous shell-holes and bomb-craters cover the ridge along with several concrete bunkers and a wonderfully-preserved look out shelter built from
wooden logs and corrugated iron, perched right on the edge of a rocky precipice. The summit is topped by the 20 metre high Cross of Remembrance, a tribute to the estimated  60,000 soldiers from both sides who perished in the Vosges fighting. Look-out post on the Vieil Armand Situated just yards apart are the front-line trenches. The French lines are fairly shallow, less substantial compared to the formidable-looking German defences, a chain of concrete and iron bunkers ringed with twisted wire entanglements; these are more or less intact and give an excellent impression of the fortitude of the German Army who clearly, were determined to stay here no matter the cost. There are several memorials to French and German Alpine troops; pride of place goes to the dramatic monument to the 152nd Infantry Regiment, which overhangs the steep cliff face on the eastern side of the mountain representing the furthest point reached in the French attack of 21st December 1915.
From the Vieil Armand, the Route des Cretes makes its final, steep descent of the southern foothills towards Cernay, a small industrial town with a German Cemetery containing no fewer than 7,485 World War 1 burials as well as a large number from the Second World War. Once more on the Alsatian Plain, there is the opportunity to look back and survey the wonderful mountain range for one last time. Crossing the Route de Cretes at any time of year is spectacular but in winter it really is something special. |
A Note of Caution
If you are thinking of visiting the Route de Cretes battlefield sites in winter, please remember that it is potentially dangerous. You do not need to be an expert climber but as with any mountainous terrain, sensible precautions should be taken:
Snow tyres are essential; some roads are impassable and can remain closed even as late as Easter - never ignore a 'Route Barre' sign. Check which roads are open before beginning your journey.
Be prepared for long walks in fairly deep snow to reach the Tete des Faux, La Ligne and Vieil Armand. Snow shoes or skis are highly recommended and can be hired locally. Check the weather forecast before setting off The battlefield sites themselves are very isolated in winter; deep snow drifts can pose a danger; potential hazards such as barbed wire and protruding metal can be obscured by snow
Remember you are at high altitude; leave plenty of daylight hours to reach the sites and return to your car. Temperatures can suddenly drop, posing the risk of hypothermia. It is not advisable to visit the sites alone. |
The Tete des Faux battlefield is open all year round but may be difficult to access in winter *La Ligne 1915 Museum is open from April - November; please note there is no access to the battlefield when the museum is closed The Vieil Armand (Hartsmanwillerkopf) Crypt & Museum is open from April - November; the battlefield is open all year round but may be difficult to access in winter |
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