Joffre Route

The Route Joffre is a tourist road which attracts all the nature lovers.

It offers beautiful views between the valleys of the Thur and the Doller. Take the national road 66 direction Epinal. In Bitschwiller-lès-Thann, turn left, it is the beginning of the Route Joffre.

The Joffre Route links up the Thur and Doller valleys. In Bitschwiller-les-Thann, take road D14. From the look-out point, enjoy the view of the town of Bitschwiller-les-Thann and of the Grand Ballon, the highest summit of the Vosges Mountains (1.424 meter-high). The Joffre Route leads to the 748 meter high Hundsrück pass, and then down to Bourbach-le-Haut.

The First World War broke out on August 1st, 1914. On August 7th, French troops entered Thann. As frontline town and capital of French Alsace, Thann experienced the fear of bombings. In 1915, the construction of a new road was deemed necessary as the French needed to get access to the Thur valley and to bring supplies to the frontline, especially to Vieil Armand.

During the Second World War, the Joffre Route again assumed a military role by allowing access to Thann. On the top of the Hundsrück pass, the Monument to the "1er Bataillon de Choc" honours the memory of the men who fought here in November 1944 and set Bourbach-le-Haut free.