Nature trails galore – tricky MTB loops in the Vosges Mountains

Wild, pristine, and surprisingly tricky – the trails in the French Vosges are a dream for mountain bikers who love technical and extremely challenging singletrack adventures.

In this Collection, I'll show you my five favourite loops, which all require very good fitness and advanced riding skills. If you like to twist your bike through hairpin bends and manoeuvre smoothly over rocks and roots, you’ll enjoy these Tours. Oh, and if you can shift your rear wheel, you definitely have an advantage. As the trail network is dense, you can also lengthen or shorten the routes I've suggested at will and thus adapt them to your individual needs.

Look forward to panoramic high-altitude trails, lush meadow paths, and rugged trails that are often peppered with moss-covered stones or sloping roots. You pass incredible rock formations, vantage points and numerous castle ruins that invite you to linger.

On all loops, you'll climb many metres in altitude, and most of the time, there are also short push passages that'll take some energy. So, pack enough water and snacks to replenish your energy. The food in the Alsace region is excellent, and on most of the Tours, you'll pass rustic huts and great places to stop – so the next crème brûlée is never far away.

Even if the mountains in the Vosges aren't as rugged and impressive as those in the Alps, the mountain biking area in French Alsace has plenty to offer. Thanks to endless forests and so many outstanding singletracks, a visit is always worthwhile, I promise!

On The Map

Activities

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Castles loop – tricky natural trails in the Vosges Mountains
02:46
23.5km
8.5km/h
880m
880m
How to understand each route’s difficulty level
Hiking
Bike
Mountain Bike
Road Bike
Running
Easy
Up to 2 hours and up to 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Great for any fitness level.Suitable for all skill levels.
Corresponds approx. to STS S0 - S1.
Intermediate
Up to 5 hours and 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary.
Corresponds approx. to STS S2.
Expert
More than 5 hours or 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires very good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Corresponds approx. to STS S3 - S6.
Technical difficulty rating based on the Single Track Scale (STS).
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Two stone sofas, several castles and castle ruins as well as the finest single trails await you on this 23-kilometer tour. With a single trail share of almost 50 percent, trail lovers will get their money's worth on this round.

It starts at a hiking car park near the village of Husseren-les-Châteaux
Translated by Google •
by
Diana
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Lakes loop – tricky natural trails in the Vosges Mountains
04:13
37.9km
9.0km/h
1,340m
1,350m
How to understand each route’s difficulty level
Hiking
Bike
Mountain Bike
Road Bike
Running
Easy
Up to 2 hours and up to 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Great for any fitness level.Suitable for all skill levels.
Corresponds approx. to STS S0 - S1.
Intermediate
Up to 5 hours and 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary.
Corresponds approx. to STS S2.
Expert
More than 5 hours or 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires very good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Corresponds approx. to STS S3 - S6.
Technical difficulty rating based on the Single Track Scale (STS).
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Lots of wild trails and two beautiful lakes are the main protagonists on this 38-kilometer route, on which you conquer almost 1,400 meters of altitude with your own muscle power.

You start in Hohrod and climb the first 300 meters on a paved road until you turn off onto a gravel path after about four and
Translated by Google •
by
Diana
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Summit Tour – tricky natural trails in the Vosges Mountains
04:43
39.1km
8.3km/h
1,690m
1,690m
How to understand each route’s difficulty level
Hiking
Bike
Mountain Bike
Road Bike
Running
Easy
Up to 2 hours and up to 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Great for any fitness level.Suitable for all skill levels.
Corresponds approx. to STS S0 - S1.
Intermediate
Up to 5 hours and 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary.
Corresponds approx. to STS S2.
Expert
More than 5 hours or 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires very good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Corresponds approx. to STS S3 - S6.
Technical difficulty rating based on the Single Track Scale (STS).
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Crunchy uphills and tough single trail descents will challenge you on this round. You will be rewarded with magnificent views and a unique landscape.

You start at the train station in Muhlbach-sur-Munster. On a paved road you crank up to the Gaschney saddle at 1,011 meters. Here you can take a short breather
Translated by Google •
by
Diana
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Pointed turns loop – tricky natural trails in the Vosges Mountains
04:46
38.2km
8.0km/h
1,550m
1,540m
How to understand each route’s difficulty level
Hiking
Bike
Mountain Bike
Road Bike
Running
Easy
Up to 2 hours and up to 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Great for any fitness level.Suitable for all skill levels.
Corresponds approx. to STS S0 - S1.
Intermediate
Up to 5 hours and 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary.
Corresponds approx. to STS S2.
Expert
More than 5 hours or 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires very good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Corresponds approx. to STS S3 - S6.
Technical difficulty rating based on the Single Track Scale (STS).
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Do you love very tricky and tight switchbacks? Perfect! Then you will have a lot of fun on this round. It starts in the village of Lièpvre. In the first six kilometers you cover a whopping 500 meters in altitude, mainly on wide forest roads. The first highlight is the challenging trail descent from the
Translated by Google •
by
Diana
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Rock loop – tricky natural trails in the Vosges Mountains
04:13
36.1km
8.5km/h
1,390m
1,400m
How to understand each route’s difficulty level
Hiking
Bike
Mountain Bike
Road Bike
Running
Easy
Up to 2 hours and up to 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Great for any fitness level.Suitable for all skill levels.
Corresponds approx. to STS S0 - S1.
Intermediate
Up to 5 hours and 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary.
Corresponds approx. to STS S2.
Expert
More than 5 hours or 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. Requires very good fitness.Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
Corresponds approx. to STS S3 - S6.
Technical difficulty rating based on the Single Track Scale (STS).
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
This 36-kilometer round leads through a real fairytale forest and over extremely crisp single trails, which is why it is - at least for me - the icing on the cake of this collection.

It starts in the pretty town of Ribeauville. In the first nine kilometers you cover 650 meters in altitude, some of it
Translated by Google •
by
Diana
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A Log of Every Adventure
Save every adventure and share your experiences with your friends
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