The Route des Crêtes is closed in winter, and its 2026 closure date had not yet been published on the official pages reread on 19 October 2026. This article brings together what is written: last winter’s closure, the sections that stayed open, the two road portals to check before setting out and the equipment obligation that runs from 1 November to 31 March.
What the CEA and the Département announced last winter
In a press release published on Friday 7 November 2025, the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace (CEA) and the Département des Vosges announced the joint closure of the Route des Crêtes and its access roads on Monday 17 November at 4 pm, from Uffholtz (RD431) to the col des Bagenelles (RD148). Access to the Hartmannswillerkopf via the RD431 and RD5III remained possible until Thursday 20 November. The text states: “From now on, this will be a closure on a fixed date each year.” The two authorities justify the measure by everyone’s safety and by the possibility of skiing or hiking on the road.
In our reading, this wording suggests a date close to that of 2025; it is not confirmed for 2026 as long as the CEA or the Département has not published it. The sources do not agree on the period either: the La Bresse tourist office listing writes that the road is closed every year “from mid-November for the whole winter period”, while the Massif des Vosges listing refers to a closure by prefectoral order “generally from mid-December to the end of March”, depending on the weather.
Closed and open sections in 2025-2026
| Closed in November 2025 | Remained open |
|---|---|
| RD148 between the col des Bagenelles and the col du Bonhomme, via the col du Pré de Raves | RD48 from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to the col des Bagenelles |
| RD148 and RD61 between the col du Calvaire and the col de la Schlucht | RD148 between the col du Bonhomme and the col du Calvaire |
| RD430 between the Chitelet car park and the Markstein | RD430 from the col de la Schlucht to the Breitzhousen inn |
| RD431 between the Markstein and the Grand Ballon | RD430, Markstein resort |
| RD27 from the col du Platzerwasel to the Breitfirst | RD431 between the Grand Ballon and the Freundstein farm |
| RD5bisIII and RD34A (route des Américains) | |
| RD431 between the Freundstein farm and Uffholtz, and RD5III between Wattwiller and the RD431 (Friday 21 November) |
The CEA announced a reopening at the beginning of April, depending on traffic conditions and the weather at the end of winter. For details of the passes, the farm inns (fermes-auberges) and the viewpoints in season, see our guide to the Route des Crêtes.
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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Where to check road conditions before setting out
Inforoute88 is the portal of the Département des Vosges. According to the page presenting it on vosges.fr, it brings together traffic information, roadworks and disruptions, with an interactive map of roadworks three days before they start, daily updates, webcams, a winter road conditions map and roadworks sheets mentioning diversions. The portal itself (inforoute88.fr) is an interactive map that we could not read as text: we therefore did not note the state of the Route des Crêtes there.
Inforoute Alsace, on the CEA side, shows a traffic map with five levels (normal, delicate, difficult, impossible, no information), winter road condition sections (main network, secondary network, passes, access to resorts) and links to the webcams of the Vosges passes. Our guide to the pass webcams lists those of the massif.
The brochure “Circuler en hiver sur les routes alsaciennes” (driving in winter on Alsace roads, 2025/2026 edition) advises checking the condition, pressure and wear of tyres (3 mm minimum), reminds drivers not to overestimate the effectiveness of winter tyres on black ice and asks them not to set out on a very difficult, or even impassable, road.
Compulsory equipment from 1 November to 31 March
The Vosges prefecture points out that, from 1 November to 31 March, in certain mountain communes of the Vosges, vehicles with four or more wheels must have winter tyres, chains or snow socks. Specific signs mark the areas concerned. The CEA press release gives the same dates for roads in mountain communes. Our article on compulsory winter equipment in La Bresse details the rule.
The Département’s snow clearance set-up
The Inforoute88 page on vosges.fr describes a winter set-up of 44 patrol staff and 189 agents spread across 15 centres, supplemented by private companies on 30 additional circuits, making 80 circuits in total. A road coordination unit of the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS) is activated during the winter, with 12 weather stations in the Vosges. The page is not dated: these figures should be read as those of the latest published version.
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
When does the Route des Crêtes close this winter?
No 2026 date was published on the pages reread on 19 October 2026. For last winter, the Collectivité européenne d'Alsace and the Département des Vosges announced the closure of the road on Monday 17 November 2025 at 4 pm, and the CEA wrote that from then on it would be a closure on a fixed date each year. The La Bresse tourist office listing speaks of mid-November.
When does the Route des Crêtes reopen?
The CEA press release published on 7 November 2025 announced a reopening at the beginning of April, depending on traffic conditions and the weather at the end of winter. No date for 2027 has been published.
Are all the ridge roads closed in winter?
No. For winter 2025-2026, the CEA listed sections that remained open, including the RD48 from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to the col des Bagenelles, the RD148 between the col du Bonhomme and the col du Calvaire and the RD430 at the Markstein resort.