Car-free weekend in the Bruche Valley

My summary

What is Bruche to Doux?

The concept

Bruche to Doux is a package designed by theBruche Valley Tourist Office to enable visitors to enjoy the valley without a car, by coming by train and using electrically-assisted bicycles.

I found the concept brilliant from the outset. As a regular visitor to the Bruche valley, I knew that the location was particularly well-suited to it, and this was confirmed during my stay: being able to leave your car behind while enjoying such a beautiful natural setting is so pleasant!

Course of a stay

Here’s how a holiday works:

• Arriving by train: easy access thanks to the Strasbourg – Molsheim – Saint-Dié TER line.
• We pick up our electrically-assisted bikes at the Schirmeck tourist office (a 2-minute walk from the station) and the accommodation provider we’ve booked for the night collects our luggage.
• The day is yours to do as you please, since it’s very easy to get around by bike, thanks to the many cycle paths and electric assistance, which avoids the difficulties associated with the hilly nature of the area. You can simply choose to go for a long bike ride, or visit sites such as the Alsace-Moselle Memorial, Struthof, Confitures du Climont…
• In the evening, we sleep in the accommodation booked, with breakfast planned for the following day and dinner if required.
• On the day of departure, the host takes the luggage back to the station and the electric bike is returned.

Please note: the minimum length of stay depends on the accommodation chosen. It’s possible to book for a single night in a B&B, but stays start at 2 nights for gîtes.

Program for my Bruche to Doux weekend

Cycling in the Bruche Valley

As I said earlier, the Bruche Valley lends itself well to cycling. The Vélo-Bruche is a central cycle route that crosses the valley between Urmatt and Sâales. It’s very well designed, mostly on dedicated lanes, protected from cars, with a few short sections on roads, mainly to cross villages. Of course, you can also take the road to reach certain places… or get back on the train, as there are many stations along the way.

For my part, I opted for a beautiful itinerary that took us from Schirmeck to Bellefosse (where we stayed). We first took the Vélo-Bruche through La Broque, Rothau and Fouday (with a stop at Chez Julien), then joined the pretty La Climontaine eco-tourist trail in Saint-Blaise-la-Roche to theEtang de Steige.

Once there, the Climont jams were holding out their arms to us, so we made a short round trip to get there (watch out, they’ll be moving soon and will be on the other side!) before starting the climb up to the Col de la Charbonnière. Les confitures du Climont have a syrup fountain where you can taste one of their syrups and fill your flask: perfect for having a little (delicious) sugar in your canteen… But also, of course, to take home some delicious jams!

The ascent to the Col de la Charbonnière is very beautiful but quite hard (and long!), and you can feel it going by even with an electric bike 😉 We’re on the road on this part of the route, so you’ll have to watch out for the motorcycles and other sports cars that come along at weekends to have fun on the bends…

On arrival, we took a rhubarb pie break on the terrace of the Auberge de la Charbonnière, a place I really like, even if this pass is still too busy for my taste.

Finally, all that remained was to descend to Bellefosse, a village I find particularly pretty, with beautiful houses and magnificent views. I’ve included a map of the route below if you’d like to do the same.

Installation at the Ferme auberge du Ban de la Roche

For the night, we stayed at the Ferme auberge Au ban de la Roche, a place where you’re warmly welcomed by the family and which offers simple but pleasant rooms, with the added bonus of a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. A great place to unwind. I haven’t had the opportunity to dine or lunch there, but I’ve also heard that the food is very good!

Dinner at Restaurant Huna

The Huna restaurant is located in the village of Waldersbach, below Bellefosse. I went there for dinner on an electric bike (which was a good idea, as it’s only 2km, but with 200m of ascent on the way back!) If you’d like to do the same, remember to bring lights with you, as the headlights on E-Bikes don’t really illuminate much, and you’re riding on the road!

Huna is an original restaurant that is committed to the environment, and has been awarded a green star in the Michelin Guide. Here, you’ll find seasonal vegetables from the permaculture garden behind the establishment, as well as wild-picked plants and products from local producers.

Techniques such as fermentation, dehydration and salting are also used to preserve certain foods and offer them out of season. Vegetables are given pride of place, with menus featuring a small proportion of vegetable proteins.

Huna offers more than just a dinner: it’s a real experience, thanks to a unique 7-course menu and a small 14-seat dining room. Reservations are essential to limit food waste. Each dish is a discovery for the taste buds, and you’re introduced to flavors you’ve never tasted before… Impressive!

I also particularly liked thenon-alcoholic food-drink pairing on offer, with ultra-original house drinks. Dishes are served in very small quantities, but you don’t leave hungry. Allow around 3 hours for dinner, the idea really being to take your time.

Morning trail around Bellefosse

For day 2, we decided to temporarily leave the bikes behind and go for a run or a hike. The weather was much less clement than the day before, with lots of fog, and we wondered at times whether it was spring or autumn… but that wasn’t going to stop us from enjoying it! We started the day with an early-morning trail around Bellefosse: there are so many paths to choose from, all you have to do is put on your sneakers and… accept the difference in altitude, because of course it’s not flat around here!

Seigneurerie du Ban de la Roche hike

We opted for the La Seigneurerie du Ban de la Roche hike, an 8km hike with a 250m elevation gain, which took us from the ferme auberge du banc de la Roche… Then lunch at the ferme auberge du Promont, another good address offering a unique menu. One hike, two farm inns, what more could you ask for? 😛

The walk also allows us to admire the ruins of the Château de la Roche, which we saw in the fog but which were no less imposing.

Back to the station

On the way back, all we had to do was pick up the bikes and drop them off at a secure location in Schirmeck (the tourist office isn’t open on Sundays, but there’s a way to return the bikes, which is really handy) and get back on the train after this great car-free weekend!