The Hohneck is, at , the third highest summit of the Vosges Mountains (after Grand Ballon [] and Storkenkopf []) and the highest point of Lorraine.France Region High Points, web-page on www.peakbagger.com On its summit stands a mountain hut, clearly visible in the distance. Near the mountain's top is the ski resort of La Bresse Hohneck.
Geography The mountain is divided between the French municipalities of La Bresse (dep. of Vosges), Metzeral (department of Haut-Rhin) and Stosswihr (department of Haut-Rhin). A mountain, located east of the Hohneck, is named Petit Hohneck (in English, Little Hohneck).
On a clear day, from the Hohneck summit, it is possible to spot not just the entire Vosges range but also the Black Forest, the Jura, a good part of the Swiss Alps and, in the distance, the Mont Blanc.Route des Crêtes, web site frenchmoments.com
History
The Hohneck area dates back to the 19th century, the main connection route between Gérardmer and Munster, before the opening of the col de la Schlucht road. Therefore, ruins dating back to the Thirty Years' War and reused during Napoleon's military campaigns have been found not far from the summit.Pierre-Marie David, "Note sur les traces d'anciens réseaux de communication et les traces de retranchements dans le massif du Hohneck – Vosges", Bulletin de la Société Philomatique Vosgienne, 1991
A tramway line from Gérardmer to the Hohneck operated between July 25, 1897, and August 28, 1939. From the Alsace side of the mountain, a rack railway reached the Hohneck from Munster, passing through the col de la Schlucht between 1907 and 1914.
Access to the summit
The well-known Route des Crêtes (French for road of the peaks) transits not far from the top of the mountain, which can be reached by car following a small asphalted branch.
Bibliography Une Montagne vosgienne : le Hohneck, Guy-Jean Michel; Institut coopératif de l'École moderne, Imprimerie Merle et Cie, Grasse, 1963 Guide du botaniste au Hohneck et aux environs de Géradmer, C. Brunotte and C. Lemasson, Coubé, 1921 La Bresse-Le Hohneck, clins d'oeils sur l'histoire, Imprimerie Sailley, Le Thillot, 1995
External links Webcam on the mountain's top
See also Haut de Falimont Grand Ballon Kastelberg Vosges Mountains
References