If you were still looking for an alpine lift pass at Lac Blanc this winter, the picture has changed: the joint committee running the site has voted to stop operating the ski lifts. The site around Orbey and Le Bonhomme is not shutting down, but what you go there for is different now. Here is what closes, what stays open, and what it is worth from La Bresse.
What changes from the 2026-2027 season
On 1 July 2026, the joint committee running the Lac Blanc site voted to stop operating the ski lifts from the 2026-2027 season. The decision covers the alpine area as a whole: 15 runs, roughly 14 kilometres of skiing and seven lifts, between 900 and 1200 metres of altitude at Col du Calvaire.
One nuance is worth stating: on 8 July, France 3 reported that the closure might not be irreversible. No official decision to the contrary has been published since. In practice, the 2026-2027 season is being prepared without alpine skiing at Lac Blanc, and a return remains possible with no timetable or commitment at this stage. If you are booking accommodation around this ski area, plan on it not running.
Cross-country is the only skiing left on site
The vote covers the ski lifts, not the nordic side. The cross-country area, with the 13 trails listed by the resort, is not affected. It is now the only form of skiing left on the site, alongside snowshoe outings.
That shift changes what Lac Blanc is for on a winter trip: it is no longer a downhill alternative to La Bresse Hohneck, it is a nordic site in its own right. For a family alternating cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, the logic still holds. For a skier after vertical drop and groomed downhill runs, there is no longer a reason to make the drive.
Summer and shoulder season: bike park, rail luge, barefoot trail
This is the part of the site that has lost nothing, and that becomes the main offer by default. The summer activities are not affected by the end of alpine skiing.
The Lac Blanc bike park remains one of the mountain-bike references of the range on the Alsace side, with its downhill trails open in season. The rail luge runs in all four seasons, which makes it the activity least dependent on the weather here. And the barefoot trail is still an easy half-day outing with children.
Nearby, the glacial lakes of Orbey are walkable outside the ski season, when the Route des Crêtes is open. That is often the real reason to drive up to Col du Calvaire once alpine skiing is out of the equation.
From La Bresse: 45 minutes, and now what?
The resort states about 45 minutes by road from La Bresse, against 30 minutes from Gérardmer, 30 minutes from Kaysersberg and 45 minutes from Colmar. The route runs through Anould and Plainfaing, then over the Col du Bonhomme before reaching Orbey.
Those 45 minutes were already hard to justify for an alpine area half the size of La Bresse. They stack up better against what remains: a day at the bike park, a nordic outing in a setting different from the Moselotte valley, or a lakes loop plus a rail luge run with children. It is a day-trip destination, not a base for a stay.
Where to ski downhill instead
For a downhill ski trip in the range, the fallback is the Vosges-side areas. La Bresse Hohneck is still the highest and largest in the massif, and our comparison of Vosges ski lift passes sets out the prices of the other areas still in operation.
On days when snow is thin down in the valley, a quiet walk to Lac de Blanchemer remains a winter outing you can reach without crossing the pass.
Before you go
Two things worth checking on the day: the opening status of the activities on the site’s official page, since the lift question may still evolve, and the state of the Col du Bonhomme if snow is forecast. The alpine ski price lists published up to summer 2026 are no longer a useful reference for planning next winter.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Lac Blanc really stopping alpine skiing?
On 1 July 2026, the joint committee running the Lac Blanc site voted to stop operating the ski lifts from the 2026-2027 season onward, covering 15 alpine runs and seven lifts. France 3 reported on 8 July that the closure might not be irreversible, and no official decision to the contrary has been published since.
What is left to do at Lac Blanc without alpine skiing?
The cross-country area, with the 13 trails listed by the resort, is not affected by the vote, and neither are the summer activities: the mountain bike park, the rail luge that runs year round, and the barefoot trail. The site stays active all year, minus downhill skiing.
How long does it take to reach Lac Blanc from La Bresse?
The resort states about 45 minutes by road from La Bresse, via Anould, Plainfaing and the Col du Bonhomme before reaching Orbey. Gérardmer, on the Vosges side, is about 30 minutes away.