Vosges & Lac Blanc — Route des Crêtes

A proper extended weekend: one Supercharger hop to reach the Alsace mountains, then three-plus days on a genuinely famous 77km ridge road, glacial lakes, farm-inn munster, and the GR5 underfoot.

~465 km
One-way
1 stop
Nancy (mandatory)
3–4 nights
Trip length
€130–190
Total budget

Why the Vosges

This is a different Lac Blanc from the famous one above Chamonix — this one sits at 1050m in the Alsatian Vosges near Orbey, a glacial cirque lake ringed by cliffs and spruce forest, right on the Route des Crêtes. That road is the real draw: 77km of pure ridgeline driving (or riding) from Col du Bonhomme to the Grand Ballon, crossing the Col de la Schlucht, the Hohneck and the Markstein, with the Alsace plain dropping away on one side and the Lorraine valleys on the other. Farm-inns (fermes-auberges) along the way serve munster made a few kilometres from where the cows grazed. It's far enough from Meudon to need real charging planning, which is exactly why it's an extended-weekend trip rather than a standard one.

Route & Charging

Real driving distance Meudon-la-Forêt → Lac Blanc (Orbey) is about 463km, roughly 4h55 of pure driving time via the A4 then A33/A31 towards Nancy and on through the Vosges foothills (Rome2Rio road-distance figure). On a 97%-SOH Model Y Premium with a realistic ~330–370 km real-world range, that's one mandatory charging stop, not two — the remaining ~163km after Nancy is comfortably within range even before the mountain climb.

Sources: Tesla Supercharger location pages (Nancy, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges); Rome2Rio Paris–Lac Blanc (Vosges) route data.

Lac Blanc — Swimming Verdict

No, swimming is not allowed. Orbey's official municipal decree formally bans baignade in both Lac Blanc and neighbouring Lac Noir — the shoreline is unmanaged and unsupervised, there's rockfall risk from the surrounding cliffs, and EDF electrical installations restrict public access to parts of the shore. Water quality isn't monitored for swimming since it's prohibited. This is a genuinely different situation from some other Vosges lakes — Lac de Gérardmer, for instance, does have supervised swimming areas — but not this one.

Source: Commune d'Orbey official decree on lake activity regulation (orbey.fr).

What you can do at Lac Blanc: walk the lake loop trail (Tour du Lac Blanc), or head to Lac Blanc Parc d'Aventures, a treetop adventure course right by the lake — 2025 rates: Parcours Oursons (ages 3–6) €13, Pack Exploration junior (6–15) €16 / adult (16+) €21, Pack Challenge junior €21 / adult €26. Open May–September.

Sources: lacblancparcdaventures.com official tariffs page.

Day-by-Day

Day 1 — Friday/Saturday

Meudon-la-Forêt → Nancy → Saint-Dié-des-Vosges → Orbey / Lac Blanc

~463 km, ~5h driving + 1 charging stop · leave early

One Supercharger stop at Nancy breaks the drive into manageable legs — figure a real travel day of 5.5–6.5 hours with charging and a lunch break; add an optional second stop at Saint-Dié-des-Vosges if you want more buffer before the climb. Arrive at Orbey/Lac Blanc by mid-to-late afternoon, set up camp, and take an easy evening walk around the lake loop.

Free overnight: the D48.2/D48.3 roadside parking near Lac Blanc and Lac Noir (listed on park4night) — quiet at night, hikers' start points, but fills up in daytime so arrive early morning or after 7pm if you want a spot with a lake view. A rubbish point is available at the D48.3 car park entrance.
Paid fallback: Aire de Camping-Car des Terrasses du Lac Blanc in Orbey — 9 pitches (8 with electricity), reported ~€7.50 pitch + €5 electricity + ~€1.32 taxe de séjour for two people (≈€13.82/night), or free if you eat at the on-site restaurant.

Sources: park4night D48.2/D48.3 Orbey listings; lesterrassesdulacblanc.com aire de camping-car page.

Day 2

Route des Crêtes — Col du Bonhomme to the Hohneck

Scenic drive/ride, ~40km one-way to Hohneck and back

Drive (or ride, if you're up for real climbing) the Route des Crêtes south from Col du Bonhomme through the Col de la Schlucht toward the Hohneck (1363m) — park and take the short walk to its rounded summit for a 360° view over the Vosgian valleys and the Alsace plain, with the Black Forest and sometimes the Alps visible on clear days. Stop for lunch at a ferme-auberge along the way for the classic marcaire menu (soup, roigabrageldi potatoes, smoked meat, farmhouse cheese, bilberry tart) — tarte aux myrtilles alone runs about €3.80–7 depending on the farm, munster fermier itself around €15.80/500g if you want to bring some home.

  • The GR5 long-distance trail runs right along this ridge — even a short out-and-back section gives you the classic Vosges heathland (chaumes) scenery.
  • Mountain biking: the ridge and surrounding forest roads are popular VTT terrain; bring your bike loaded per the guide below.

Sources: je-visite-alsace.fr and ballons-hautes-vosges.com Route des Crêtes descriptions; fermeauberge-hahnenbrunnen.fr tariffs.

Day 3

Grand Ballon & the far end of the ridge, or Lac Blanc Parc d'Aventures

~40km further south to the Grand Ballon (1424m), or treetop park by the lake

Push on to the Grand Ballon, the highest point of the Vosges at 1424m, recognisable from far off by its white radar dome. Alternatively, spend a lower-key day at Lac Blanc itself — the lake loop walk plus the treetop adventure park (see prices above) — and save your legs for a longer hike.

Day 4

Orbey → Saint-Dié-des-Vosges → Nancy → Meudon-la-Forêt

~463 km, same Nancy Supercharger stop in reverse

Same charging plan reversed — one mandatory stop at Nancy, plus the optional Saint-Dié-des-Vosges buffer if you want it. Leave enough time for the stop(s) plus a lunch break — treat it as a full travel day.

Bike Notes

Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no range penalty on the drive down, which matters over 460km. Once there, the Route des Crêtes and surrounding forest roads offer real elevation and genuine Vosges VTT terrain; this is a trip where the climbing legs get a workout, so pace it against the hiking and driving days.

💰 Budget

CategoryCost
Tolls (A4/A33/A31 corridor, partial toll sections)≈ €25–35
Charging (Nancy round trip, mandatory; optional Saint-Dié buffer extra)≈ €20–35
Lodging (free D48.2/D48.3 roadside, or ~€14/night aire payante fallback)€0–56 (3–4 nights)
Lac Blanc Parc d'Aventures (adult Pack Exploration)≈ €21
Ferme-auberge marcaire meal (treat)≈ €20–25
Munster fermier + tarte myrtilles to bring home≈ €18–20
Food (self-cooked, rest of trip)≈ €30–40
Total€130–190