Col du Calvaire

The Col du Calvaire is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains connecting Le Valtin in the Vosges to Orbey in the Haut-Rhin.

Etymology
It owes its name to a Calvary, formerly known as the "Calvary above Lac Blanc".

Location
Situated at an elevation of 1144 m, the pass connects the Béhine valley, starting from Le Bonhomme, and the high Alsace valley of the Weiss to Orbey. It lies on the Route des Crêtes between the Col du Bonhomme and the Col de la Schlucht.

Access
From Le Valtin, the pass begins with the ascent of the Col du Louschbach leading to the Route des Crêtes (D 148) up to the Col du Calvaire. Generally, from the west side, the pass is accessed directly via the Route des Crêtes rather than the ascent from the Valtin forest road. From Orbey, the pass is accessed by following the departmental road D 48 then D 48.2 which runs along the Lac Blanc just before the pass.

History
During the World War I, the German front line extended from the Calvary, followed the southern slope to reach the tête des Faux and Orbey.

Winter Sports
In winter, the pass is inaccessible from the Col de la Schlucht to make way for the ski slopes maintained by the Lac Blanc ski station.