Nestled between the foothills of the Vosges and the mountains of the Swiss Jura, the Sundgau expands like a blanket that hasn't been smoothed cleanly. Its gentle folds are perfect for easy training at the start of the season. Those who like it steeper can ride a few kilometres over undulating terrain to the north or south until the mountains of Alsace or the Jura get the pulse racing.
The best starting point for tours is in the heart of Sundgau: Altkirch with its pretty old town. Like almost the entire region, the town was a stronghold of the Reformation in the Middle Ages. The open-minded attitude of the population brought prosperity at the time, but this was repeatedly destroyed by numerous wars. Today, there are almost as many war memorials in Sundgau as there are churches. The seemingly sleepy villages, however, present themselves as freshly spruced up and many of the half-timbered houses have been renovated. Only near Mulhouse do the houses and streets look a little less well-kept. If you cycle towards the Vosges, an hour later you are faced with the mountains and a choice: the ride over the Col du Hundsrück or the historic Ballon d'Alsace, one of the first passes in the 100-year history of the Tour de France.
The routes in the free PDF for download:
1st land of the churches:
Altkirch - Hagenbach - Buethwiller - Traubach - Guevenatten - Bretten - Eteimbes - Lachapelle/Rougemont - Petitefontaine - Lauw - Masevaux - Col du Hundsrück - Bitschwiller- les-Thann - Thann - Leimbach - Roderen - Guewenheim - Pont d'Aspach - Heimsbrunn - Morschwiller-le-Bas - Didenheim - Hagenbach - Altkirch
2nd Jura Mountains:
Altkirch - Wittersdorf - Emligen - Obermorschwiller - Steinbrunn-le-Haut/-le-Bas - Rantzwiller - Koetzingue - Magstatt - Stetten - Kappelen - Helfrantzkirch - Folgensbourg - Hagenthal - Leymen - Liebenswiller - Oltingue - Wolschwiller - Kiffis - Hippoltskirch - Ferrette - Vieux-Ferrette - Feldbach - Heimersdorf - Hirsingue - Altkirch
Downloads:
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