Hiking the Hautes-Vosges over several days means knowing where to sleep at altitude. Alongside rental chalets and hotels, the Club Vosgien has run a network of mountain refuges and inns for more than a century, often missing from standard accommodation comparisons. This guide covers five verified addresses: access, capacity, rates where published, and booking details.
What are the Club Vosgien refuges and chalets
The Club Vosgien, an association founded in 1872 and based in Strasbourg, maintains more than 20,000 km of marked trails across the massif through its local sections. Some of these sections own and run chalets, refuges, and shelters for hikers. Day-to-day management (reception, catering, booking) is usually handed to an operator or a pair of wardens, but the building itself remains the section’s property: this is the case for the Neuweiher refuge, owned by the Club Vosgien de Masevaux.
This setup sets Club Vosgien refuges apart from ferme-auberges and mountain hotels: capacity geared toward dormitories, access sometimes on foot only, and opening hours built around the hiking seasons rather than a standard tourist calendar.
Five addresses worth knowing
Auberge La Chaume de Schmargult
On the Route des Crêtes at La Bresse (1 chemin de Schmargult, 88400), this inn opens seven days a week from 24 April to 1 November 2026, for both meals and accommodation. It offers 7 double rooms, 2 connecting double rooms, and a 10-person dormitory. 2026 rates range from 98 to 138 euros per room in room-only formula, and 69 to 79 euros per person in half-board depending on the length of stay; the dormitory costs 36 euros room-only or 55 euros in half-board. Check-in starts at 5:30 pm. Booking by phone at 03 29 63 11 49.
Auberge de l’Etang du Devin
Located at 950 m altitude in Lapoutroie/Le Bonhomme (105, Étang du Devin, 68650), deep in the forest on the edge of its own pond, this inn combines several formats: private rooms for up to 3 people, two-room apartments, rooms with shared facilities for 2 to 6 people, and two dormitories of 16 and 10 beds. It welcomes couples, families, and sports clubs on a half-board basis. To plan a car journey, the establishment recommends entering “Auberge de l’Étang du Devin” directly into the GPS rather than an alternative route. Contact: 03 89 47 20 29. Anglers will find here a complement to the lakes and rivers of the Vosges.
Auberge Refuge du Neuweiher
This refuge belongs to the Club Vosgien de Masevaux and overlooks the glacial lake of Neuweiher. It states a capacity of 49 people in its dining area and 37 beds spread across rooms of 2, 3, 4, or 6 places, plus two group spaces of 10 beds each. Access is on foot only, around 1.5 hours via the GR531 from Oberbruck or Rimbach-Ermensbach: a good example of the foot links also found on the GR5 through the Vosges. Opening follows the hiking calendar: weekends from Easter to late November, then every day from 20 June to 7 September. The refuge is run by Yves Fluhr, reachable at 03 89 82 02 09.
Auberge du Steinlebach
At Le Markstein, on the Route des Crêtes, this inn can host up to 64 people across rooms (washbasin and wardrobe, bring your own toiletries) and dormitories of 3 to 10 beds (sleeping bag needed). A minimum of two people is required to book accommodation, and accommodation bookings must go through email, while meals are booked by phone at 03 89 82 61 87. The establishment closes every Sunday evening (except for groups) and observes an annual closure from 2 to 21 November 2026. Its location makes it a logical stop for anyone linking several points along the Route des Crêtes des Vosges without heading back down to the valley each evening.
Chaume de Balveurche
On the road to Col de la Schlucht at Xonrupt-Longemer (D417, 88400), La Chaume de Balveurche works differently from the four addresses above: it is a hotel-restaurant with online booking, open every day except Monday and Tuesday, with an annual closure in November. It is not a substitute for a staffed Club Vosgien refuge, but it rounds out the options for hikers looking for more standard comfort at the end of a day, right next to the trails around the Hohneck.
Booking and planning your stop
Each establishment has its own rules: email required at the Steinlebach, phone at La Chaume de Schmargult and at the Neuweiher, an online booking platform at La Chaume de Balveurche. Before settling on a multi-day itinerary, it is best to contact each address directly rather than rely on availability shown on a general comparison site.
A few useful pointers to prepare a stop:
- check the actual opening period: several refuges close for all or part of autumn and winter;
- for a refuge reachable only on foot, such as the Neuweiher, work out the walking time from your chosen starting point and build in a time margin;
- in a dormitory, bring a sleeping bag or a liner depending on the establishment, and check this point when booking;
- if the stop is part of a longer trek, cross-check these refuges’ hours against the Club Vosgien’s red rectangle waymarking rather than a standard road map.
These refuges and inns also suit a more relaxed weekend, between a walk to a lake and a break near a body of water such as those listed in our guide to the Vosges swimming lakes. For any booking, each operator’s direct contact details remain the most reliable source: availability changes through the season and is not systematically reflected elsewhere.
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Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book before reaching a Club Vosgien refuge?
Yes. Capacity is limited (dormitories and rooms), and some places such as the Auberge du Steinlebach require accommodation bookings by email. Contact the warden or operator directly before setting off, especially on weekends and during the summer season.
Can these refuges be reached by car?
It depends on the site. La Chaume de Schmargult, the Auberge du Steinlebach, and La Chaume de Balveurche are all served by the Route des Crêtes. The Neuweiher refuge, however, can only be reached on foot: allow about 1.5 hours via the GR531 from Oberbruck or Rimbach-Ermensbach.
What is the difference between a Club Vosgien refuge and a ferme-auberge or a mountain hotel?
A Club Vosgien refuge belongs to a local section of the association and is aimed first at hikers, with dormitories and shared rooms. Places such as La Chaume de Balveurche, by contrast, operate as a classic hotel-restaurant, with private rooms and online booking.