Le Col du Grand Ballon depuis Soultz

Access by car:
- from Colmar: take the D83 towards Thann. Turn right at the first roundabout. After 1 km, take the first B-road on the left. At the roundabout, turn right. Park in the small car park at the next junction.
- from Mulhouse: take the D430 towards Guebwiller. Take exit 3 and turn left towards Soultz. Go under the D83 and turn left at the end of the street, then take the first right. Continue to the roundabout. Take the first exit. Park in the small car park at the next junction.

(S) Turn left onto the main road. At the roundabout, take the first exit. Pass a secondary school on your right, then carry straight on at the bend to reach a T-junction.

(1) Continue a little further along the same road until you come to a stork sanctuary on your right.

Blue Cross signposting

Return to the previous junction and turn right. Keep right at the first track junction. At the four-way junction, turn right into the vineyards. Carry straight on at the next junction onto Chemin Huettenburgweg. This then becomes a track and enters a wood. On emerging, keep to the right to follow it before entering the woods again. This section may be muddy. A few metres further on, pass a path on the left, then another on the right and another disused track on the right to reach a tarmac road.

No signposting

Follow it to the left. Pass by a cross and turn left for a few metres to see the Gros Chêne.

(2) Admire the tree, then return to the previous junction and continue straight ahead.

Blue Cross and Red Ring markings

Head left at the next junction. Ignore the first path coming from the right. At the next fork, take the path that runs closest to the forest track. You will then cross the fitness trail.

(3) Keep going straight, ignoring the first three paths on the right. At the Y-junction with the track, keep left onto an uphill path that is completely shaded. Continue straight on until you rejoin the track. Follow it to the right and you’ll reach a T-junction.

Blue Cross markings

(4) Continue straight on. Take the first path on the right and cross a track to follow a fairly steep slope before joining another track.

(5) Turn right then left at the bend. Ignore all the faint paths branching off to the right. Pass several clearings offering views of the Viel Armand and the Molkenrain. The best one is on a rocky outcrop at a right-hand bend. A little further on, there is a bench set up to enjoy the view. After this, ignore the track descending to the left and reach another junction.

(6) Leave the track and head right onto the path. Carry straight on at every junction until you reach the pass and the Holzwasen shelter.

(7) Take the path that starts to the left of the shelter heading towards the Sudel. Ignore a faint track branching off to the left in a hairpin bend. Turn left again at the next junction. Then continue straight ahead until you reach the open area of the Sudel. Enjoy a magnificent panoramic view here of the ridges stretching from the Grand Ballon to the Petit Ballon

(8) Then rejoin the path and ignore the one descending to the right towards the shelter. Make a short descent, staying on the same track. Pass to the right of the Chapelle du Sudel to reach the Col de Firstacker.

White and red markings for^{the GR®®5}, Red Rectangle and Blue Cross

(9) Continue straight on at the pass, taking the path towards Lac du Ballon for a short distance until you reach the first junction.

Red and white markings for^{the GR®®5}and Red Rectangle

(10) Take the hairpin bend to the left to climb towards the Route des Crêtes. Cross the road once. Turn right when you reach the track. Don’t hesitate to look back to enjoy the views. Return to the road.

(11) Cross it and take the track opposite that climbs to the left of the Ferme-Auberge du Grand Ballon. Pass the Chalet René Girny and continue straight ahead on the track, on level ground, until you reach the T-junction.

(12) Turn left towards the Col du Grand Ballon. Pass under a ski lift and continue straight ahead to the junction.

(13) Continue to the right and pass under the ski lift again. At the end of the path, you’ll emerge at the Col du Grand Ballon (E).

(S) You can stock up on food for the day in Soultz
(E) Remember to book your overnight stay at the Chalet-hotel du Grand Ballon
Important note: Please check the GPS route as some of the purple sections are incorrect on the IGN maps. Specifically:
- the path leading to (5) runs further west and makes only a single hairpin bend,
- just before (13), the IGN map indicates that the^GR®® continues straight on: this is not the case on the ground as there is no path, and the new^GR®® passes via the summit of the Grand Ballon.
(7) Shelter at Holzwasen
(9) Tables available at Firstacker
It is possible to eat, but remember to book in both cases:
- (11) at the Ferme-Auberge du Grand Ballon
- (E) or at the restaurant La vue des Alpes at lunchtime.

Places to visit:
(S) Visit the town of Soultz.
(1) The stork park.
(2) Gros Chêne.
(8) Panoramic view from Sudel.
(9) Sudel Chapel.
Enjoy the various panoramic views.