Ballon d'Alsace

Climbing the Ballon d'Alsace from Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle gives you a steady but tough climb, averaging 7%. The first hairpins are fully exposed, but after about a kilometer the trees start to offer some shelter. Around the 3 km mark, you hit a beautiful stretch of hairpins that guide you up to a large building used for French school trips. From there, the road runs more or less straight to the summit. At the top, you’ll find several options for refreshments, and just behind the tourism office there’s a toilet and a spot to refill your bottles.