What to do in winter in Alsace 10 activity ideas
What to do in Alsace in winter I assure you, even if it's not the best time to visit Alsace (with the obvious exception of the unmissable Alsatian Christmas markets), there are plenty of things to do! In winter, we tend to opt for nature activities to enjoy the snow in the Massif des Vosges (if there is any, of course...), but we can also choose indoor activities and even dress up warmly to discover the towns and villages of Alsace.
Snowshoeing on the Lac Blanc marked trails
On a beautiful winter day, what could be better than putting on your snowshoes and going for a walk in the snow? The problem is that we don’t always know where to go and we are sometimes afraid to get lost in the snowy landscape. That’s why some ski resorts offer marked snowshoe trails. This is the case of the Lac Blanc resort, in the Kaysersberg valley, just outside Colmar.
The Lac Blanc offers 4 marked snowshoe trails of varying levels of difficulty (from 3 to 14km, from 1h to 4h30 approximately). I only tested the shortest one but really liked it and will definitely go back and test the others! The track is not groomed (otherwise it would have no interest, we agree but some do it!) and we quickly move away from the heart of the station by slaloming between the fir trees. The landscape is simply beautiful and offers great views. As for difficulty, the blue circuit (the shortest) is ideal for a first discovery of snowshoeing: it is easy while being very beautiful! In addition, the marking is well done.
Access to the snowshoeing trails is free, you just need to rent snowshoes if you don’t have any. You will find rental companies in the resort, near the downhill and cross-country ski trails. Here is the list of snowshoe rental companies in the resort.
Visit Alsace’s winegrowers
Visiting a cellar and tasting (in moderation, of course) Alsace wine is an excellent idea for a winter activity. Here are our favorite places to visit a wine cellar in Alsace.
Skiing at Lac Blanc
The Lac Blanc ski resort is located in the Kaysersberg Valley, between 900m and 1 200m of altitude. It’s the closest ski resort to Colmar, the biggest in Alsace’s Vosges Massif, and the third biggest in the whole massif (the first two being La Bresse and Gérardmer). With its 14km of slopes, the Lac Blanc is of course a small resort (we are in the Vosges, not in the Alps) but it is very pleasant for a day or a weekend of skiing.
As far as alpine skiing is concerned, the Lac Blanc resort has 5 green runs, 1 blue run, 6 red runs (one of which is a slalom run), 1 black run as well as a boardercross run and a snowpark (with an airbag). It is therefore a family resort where skiers of all levels can enjoy themselves. Lac Blanc also has an important Nordic area with 77 km of cross-country ski trails. I didn’t test the cross-country skiing but I had fun on the alpine domain! It is also possible to ski at night at Lac Blanc on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights until 10pm.
Discover Alsace’s ancient silver mines
The advantage of a mine? We’re sheltered from the elements, and the temperature inside is the same whatever the season… A great idea for a winter activity in Alsace! 😉 You can visit old silver mines on a number of different tours: check out my review of different mine tours in Alsace here .
A dog sledding experience
Have you ever dreamed of gliding through the snow in a sled pulled by dogs? Personally, it was a dream of mine. And I can tell you that it is as great in reality as I dreamed!
From baptism to adventure day
Various providers offer this activity in the Massif des Vosges: different places, but also different activities are on the program: you can book a baptism, a half-day or even a whole day with sled dogs! Here are the ones I’ve spotted:
- Rêve de Nord at Schnepfenried (which I’ll tell you about below, it’s the only one I’ve tried so far!) in the Munster Valley
- Chemins du Nord in Orbey, next to the Lac Blanc resort in the Kaysersberg Valley
- Youk Valley at Schnepfenried in the Munster Valley
- Manouk Evasion at Urbeis in the Villé Valley
- Vosges sled dogs at Ballon d’Alsace
My dog sledding experience
I tried out a baptism with Rêve de Nord, which no longer offers baptisms but only half-day outings.
The dog sledding experience begins with a presentation and explanation of the pack, composed of Husky, Greenlander, Malamute and Alaskan dogs. They’re gorgeous and some are quite cuddly. The dogs are then harnessed. While they were all calm, the simple fact of seeing Fabien, the musher, catching the lines (ropes which will be used to make them pull the sled) involves in the dogs a great excitement. It barks in all directions, we feel that they are eager to leave!
I get into the sled and we leave for about 20 minutes of ride with 7 dogs. The dogs, the snowy landscapes, the calm, the sliding on the snow… What a joy! It is impressive to see the complicity between the musher and his dogs, who listen to him attentively. The time passes very quickly and we are already back at the starting point. Even though it was short, I had a really magical time!
Enjoy a gourmet tour
The winter season lends itself well to gourmet visits… Not only because they take place indoors, but also because this is the season when our taste buds are most in need of comfort, don’t you think? Here are our ideas for gourmet visits in Alsace.
Relax in a spa
Winter in Alsace is the time when I feel like lounging in a spa. You can go all year round, of course, but I find that it’s in winter that you get the most out of it, when you’re nice and warm even though it’s cold outside! We’re lucky enough to have plenty of choice in Alsace, so here’s our article on the most beautiful spas in Alsace to guide you.
A snowshoeing holiday in the Vosges
You can make a snowshoeing in the Vosges if you’re used to the mountains. In that case, however, I’d advise you to stick to marked trails like the Lac Blanc ones I mentioned earlier. Another option is to be accompanied on the trails.
Snowshoeing with a guide
Qualified mountain guides will take you on a snowshoeing trip in the snow for a half-day, a day or even a stay of several days. You will be able to discover itineraries passing by wild corners in complete safety and benefit from interesting explanations on the region, its fauna and flora.
This is what I did by participating to a 3 days snowshoeing trip organized by Benoît Collet from Ligne de crêtes and Guillaume Brocker from Vers les cimes, two competent and nice mountain guides that I recommend you!
In any case, you should bring warm clothes, take into account the weather conditions and adapt the distances and the difference in altitude to the snow conditions and the weather but also to your physical condition. Always have a basic equipment in your backpack: sunglasses, headlamp, sunscreen, survival blanket, water bottle with hot drink…
More info on snowshoeing
I wrote a detailed article about this snowshoeing trip on my other blog Carnet d’escapades: I invite you to read the article about the 3 days snowshoeing trip in the Vosges here.
Discover Alsace’s museums
We are fortunate in Alsace to have a large number of museums on a wide variety of themes. Fine arts, Alsatian culture, places of remembrance, gastronomy, Cité de l’Automobile, design, urban art, mining history… There really is something for everyone! Impossible to list them all here, so head over to this page for a list of museums we’ve tested and approved.
Visit Alsace’s towns and villages
Okay, let’s be honest, winter isn’t the best time to discover Alsace’s towns and villages. The weather is generally quite cold, even rainy, and villages are less beautiful when they’re not in bloom and the vines have lost their leaves… But it’s also much less crowded, accommodation rates are lower, the villages are still charming and some towns organize fun events like Strasbourg mon Amour.
As a bonus, I promise you, you just need to dress well and take regular breaks to keep out the cold. Alsace isn’t Siberia either, contrary to what some people sometimes think 😛 I’d also add that the Alsatian cuisine is comforting enough that you won’t feel the cold after a good meal anyway 😉
Here are our dedicated articles to help you organize your visits: