What to do in winter in Alsace? 10 ideas for activities

1. Snowshoeing on the Lac Blanc marked trails

On a beautiful winter’s day, what could be better than putting on your snowshoes and going for a walk in the snow? The trouble is, you don’t always know where to go, and you’re sometimes afraid of getting lost in the snowy landscape. That’s why some ski resorts offer marked snowshoe trails. Such is the case at the Lac Blanc resort in the Kaysersberg valley, just outside Colmar.

Lac Blanc offers 4 marked snowshoe trails of varying levels of difficulty (from 3 to 14km, i.e. from 1h to 4h30 approx.). I tested only the shortest one, but really enjoyed it, and will certainly return to test the others! The track is not groomed (otherwise there’d be no point, we agree, but some people do it!) and you quickly get away from the heart of the resort, slaloming between the fir trees. The scenery is simply magnificent, offering superb views. In terms of difficulty, the blue circuit (the shortest) is ideal for a first discovery of snowshoeing: it’s easy, yet beautiful! What’s more, it’s well marked.

Access to the snowshoe trails is free, so all you need to do is rent snowshoes if you don’t have any. You’ll find snowshoe rental companies in the resort, close to the downhill and cross-country ski trails. Here’s a list of the resort’s snowshoe rental outlets.

2. Visit Alsace’s winegrowers

Visiting a wine cellar and tasting (in moderation, of course) Alsace wine is an excellent idea for a winter activity.

3. 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.

On the downhill side, Lac Blanc has 5 green runs, 1 blue run, 6 red runs (including a slalom run), 1 black run, as well as a boardercross run and a snowpark (with airbag). It’s a family resort where skiers of all levels can enjoy themselves. Lac Blanc also boasts an extensive Nordic ski area with 77 km of cross-country trails. I didn’t try out cross-country skiing, but I did enjoy myself on the downhill slopes! It’s also possible to ski at night at Lac Blanc on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 10pm.

4. Discover Alsace’s ancient silver mines

The advantage of a mine? You’re protected from the elements, and the temperature inside is the same all year round… Which makes it a great idea for a winter activity in Alsace! 😉 You can visit old silver mines on several different tours.

5. A dog sledding experience

Have you ever dreamed of gliding across the snow in a dog-drawn sleigh? Personally, it was one of my dreams. And I can tell you that it’s just as great in reality as I’d dreamed! 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 the sled dogs! Here are the ones I’ve found:

• 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

6. Enjoy a gourmet tour

The winter season lends itself well to gourmet visits… Not only because they take place indoors, but also because it’s the season when our taste buds are most in need of comfort, don’t you think?

7. 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.

8. A snowshoeing holiday in the Vosges

You can go snowshoeing in the Vosges on your own 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.

Qualified mountain guides can take you snowshoeing for half a day, a day or even several days. You’ll be able to discover itineraries that take you through some of the wildest parts of the region in complete safety, while also benefiting from interesting explanations about the region and its flora and fauna.

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!

9. 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, automobile museum, design, urban art, mining history… There really is something for everyone!

10. Visit Alsace’s towns and villages

Okay, let’s be honest, winter isn ‘t the best time to explore Alsace’s towns and villages. It’s generally quite cold, even rainy, and the 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 prices are lower, the villages remain 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 stay warm. Alsace isn’t Siberia either, contrary to what some people sometimes have in mind 😛 I’d also add that 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:

• What to do in Strasbourg?
• Visit Colmar
• Visit Mulhouse
• The most beautiful villages on the Alsace Wine Route