Among the official pages reopened on 26 October 2026, none publishes the 2026 closure date of the Route des Crêtes or a winter status for the Col de la Schlucht. This guide sets out what is written for last winter, what the prefecture requires in terms of equipment from 1 November to 31 March, where to look at the pass in images and what the La Schlucht resort announces for the ski season.
Road and opening of the pass: what is published
The press release of the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace (CEA), published on Friday 7 November 2025, announced the joint closure of the Route des Crêtes and its access roads on Monday 17 November at 4 pm, together with the Département des Vosges. It states: “Il s’agira désormais d’une fermeture à date fixe chaque année” (a closure on a fixed date every year from now on). The page, reopened on 26 October 2026, contains no 2026 release.
For the area around the pass, the release distinguished two sections that directly affect the pass:
| Section | Status announced in November 2025 |
|---|---|
| RD148 and RD61 between the Col du Calvaire and the Col de la Schlucht | Closed |
| RD430 from the Col de la Schlucht to the Breitzhousen inn | Open |
The reopening of the Route des Crêtes was announced for early April, depending on traffic conditions and weather at the end of winter (in the release: « au début du mois d’avril en fonction des conditions de circulation et de la météo en sortie d’hiver »). No page we opened says whether these sections will be the same in 2026-2027: in our view, the season’s release has to be awaited. The details of the closure are in our guide to the winter closure of the Route des Crêtes, and the road as a whole is covered in our Route des Crêtes guide, the pillar page of this series.
To reach La Schlucht, the resort’s website lists departmental roads 8, 417, 423 or 486. The page does not distinguish summer from winter and does not say whether these roads stay open when it snows.
Required equipment and road conditions
According to the Vosges prefecture (page updated on 30 October 2025), from 1 November to 31 March, in certain mountain communes of the Vosges, vehicles must be fitted with winter tyres or carry snow chains or snow socks. Vehicles with four wheels or more are concerned, and specific signs mark the zones. The CEA gives the same dates for roads in mountain communes. The map of the communes concerned is an image we could not read: check the signs on site. Our guide to compulsory winter tyres in La Bresse details the rule.
Two portals give road conditions. Inforoute Alsace shows a traffic map with five levels (normal, delicate, difficult, impossible, not provided) and a winter road condition section with a “Cols” entry. Inforoute88, run by the Département des Vosges, offers webcams and a winter road condition map according to vosges.fr.
The La Bresse guide, winter 2026-2027 edition
Opening dates, official pass prices, school holidays and good addresses, in a free PDF updated on 24 October 2026.
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Col de la Schlucht webcam
Three pages we opened let you see the area:
- the Gérardmer tourist office publishes a page “Col de la Schlucht - Webcam” (“À 1 139 m d’altitude”), which, according to it, shows the weather and mountain conditions, in summer as in winter;
- Inforoute Alsace shows a view named ColSchlucht on its “Cols 3” webcam page;
- the La Schlucht resort has a “Webcams de La Schlucht” page for snow conditions and weather on site.
The La Bresse tourist office webcam page does not list the pass: it lists, among others, the Haut Chitelet (1,260 m) and the summit of the Hohneck (1,363 m). An image shows the visible state at that moment, not an opening status: our guide to the webcams of the Vosges passes explains how to read one.
Skiing, luge and activities at La Schlucht
The resort’s website announces that the ski area opens from 19 December 2026 (a Saturday) to 9 March 2027 (a Tuesday). It describes two blue runs of 700 metres, a detachable four-seat chairlift, a boardercross and runs open to the Yooner. Ski lessons are booked with the ESF of La Bresse on 03 29 25 41 56. To compare with the larger neighbouring ski area, see our complete guide to skiing in La Bresse Hohneck.
The luge sur rails (750 metres of descent, a total loop of 1,245 m) is shown as open every day until 1 November, with no year written on the page, so in our view probably already past on the date of this article; its prices are headed “2026”. Another page of the resort says the chairlift and ski rental are open every day during the holidays from 9:00 to 17:00, without specifying the season: check before you leave. The resort’s home page also mentions snowshoes and walks, with no detail.
Parking: what the sources do not say
None of the pages we opened describes parking at the pass in winter: no number of spaces, no rule, no price. For summer hiking, the Col de la Schlucht guide describes access and trails for the fine-weather season.
The La Bresse guide, winter 2026-2027 edition
Opening dates, official pass prices, school holidays and good addresses, in a free PDF updated on 24 October 2026.
Your details are used only to process this request. Privacy policy (in French).
Free PDF, no newsletter sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Col de la Schlucht open in winter?
No official page reopened on 26 October 2026 gives a 2026 date for the Route des Crêtes or a winter status for the pass. For last winter, the Collectivité européenne d'Alsace listed the RD430 from the Col de la Schlucht to the Breitzhousen inn among the open sections, and the RD148 and RD61 between the Col du Calvaire and the Col de la Schlucht among the closed ones.
Where can I see the Col de la Schlucht webcam?
The Gérardmer tourist office has a page called "Col de la Schlucht - Webcam", and Inforoute Alsace shows a view named ColSchlucht on its "Cols 3" webcam page. The La Bresse tourist office webcam page, reopened on 26 October 2026, does not list a webcam at the pass.
Can you ski at La Schlucht this winter?
The resort's website announces that the ski area opens from 19 December 2026 to 9 March 2027, with two blue runs of 700 metres and a detachable four-seat chairlift.