The Thur valley all year round: our corner of the High Vosges

From Thann up to Kruth, the Thur valley climbs the High Vosges of Alsace towards the great ridges. This is our corner: our chalet sits on the heights of Saint-Amarin, roughly mid-valley, and we live the valley in every season. Here it is, season by season, as it is lived rather than visited.

Winter: the Markstein half an hour away

Half an hour up the road, the Markstein and the Grand Ballon together form the ski area of the High Vosges of Alsace: 13 slopes for all levels, a snowpark, night skiing two evenings a week, a nordic domain of 56 km of groomed trails between 1150 and 1343 metres, and six marked snowshoe circuits from 1.5 to 8 km, with rental gear on site. The Grand Ballon, at 1424 metres, is the roof of the Vosges massif; on a clear day the view reaches the Alps. The season runs, snow permitting, from early December to early March. Worth knowing: the Route des Crêtes closes to cars from mid-November to early April and becomes walking and snowshoe country; the resort itself stays reachable by the valley roads. And for the evenings without skiing, the Parc de Wesserling lights up its gardens for a storytelling walk over the holidays.

Spring: daffodils, springs and the first ridge walks

April brings the wild daffodils out on the high meadows, and the trails dry out. The Mehrbächel loop, 8.5 km starting right outside our chalet, strings together springs and small waterfalls below the ridgeline; the long-distance routes wake up too, starting with the GR 532, which crosses the massif a few minutes from the house. Down in the valley, the Parc de Wesserling reopens its five gardens, each listed as a "Jardin remarquable", in spring.

Summer: the lake, the gardens, the farm inns

At the very top of the valley, Lake Kruth-Wildenstein, one of the largest dam lakes in Alsace at 81 hectares, is where summer gathers: free unsupervised swimming, canoes and pedalos, treetop courses and ziplines on the shore. In mid-August, Wildenstein celebrates the bilberry, tarts and fireworks included. It is also the high season of the fermes-auberges up on the pastures, and of the marcaire meal: valley tourte, roïgabrageldi (potatoes slowly cooked down with bacon), farm munster and bilberry tart. The Ferme-Auberge du Huss, at 1170 metres above Kruth, looks over the lake; the Treh, at the Markstein, has made the meal its speciality. Check opening days before driving up. At Wesserling, finally, the Festival des Jardins Métissés dresses the gardens all season long; the 2026 edition, themed on the Odyssey, runs until 1 November.

Autumn: the Rangen, the transhumance and the colours

At the mouth of the valley, the vineyard takes over. The Rangen, above Thann, is the steepest grand cru in Alsace: a volcanic slope that the winegrowers work roped in places, and that Decanter ranked in late 2022 among the greatest vineyards in the world. In early October the herds come down from the high pastures; the transhumance festival of the neighbouring Munster valley parades some 200 animals, including herds that summered above the Saint-Amarin valley. The rest of the programme is the forest itself: beeches and firs, valley-floor mists and autumn light on the ridges.

Getting to the valley

The train still serves the valley: the Mulhouse-Thann-Kruth regional line stops at Saint-Amarin, extended on the city side by the Mulhouse tram-train to Thann; check the current works on the TER site before travelling. By road, from our door: Mulhouse and its TGV in 40 minutes, the Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport in 50 minutes, Strasbourg in 1h40, Paris in 3h30.

Where to stay: our chalet in the Vosges

To live the valley rather than drive through it, our chalet in the Vosges sleeps up to 15 on the heights of Saint-Amarin: 7 bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a heated indoor pool at 28°C facing the ridgeline, and a full spa, sauna, hammam and hot tubs. Want to swim whatever the season? Browse our homes with an indoor pool.