The Site
The Haut Chitelet High Altitude Garden is located in the Vosges mountains, at 1,288m above sea level, on Route des Crêtes, between Col de la Schlucht and the Hohneck summit. Belonging to the rural district of Xonrupt-Longemer, it is located in the Ballon des Vosges Regional Nature Park, in the heart of the most spectacular environments, such as the high stubble meadows and the high beech forests.
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Route des crêtes
This strategic road was created during the First World War, on the initiative of the French Military High Command, in order to secure communications between the various valleys on the Vosges battlefront. Open from May to November depending on weather conditions, it stretches over almost 80 km along the Ballons des Vosges from Col du Bonhomme in the north to the Grand Ballon in the south. Ranging from 900 to 1,400 m above sea level, it has become a must-see tourist route and offers exceptional views of the surrounding area, while being the starting point for numerous hiking trails.
The Hohneck
The Hohneck summit culminates at 1,363m above sea level, standing a few steps away from the Haut Chitelet High Altitude Garden. Its eastern (in the Alsace region) slope is sub-alpine in character. It coincides with the Rhine rift line, caused by the rising of the Alps. Glacial cirques were carved out during the Quaternary era. The gentler western slope (in the Lorraine region) corresponds to the former Hercynian peneplain that was heightened by the rising of the Alps in the Tertiary era.
Weather conditions
The Vosges mountain range is the first natural barrier againstwinds and clouds coming from the Atlantic. The Haut Chitelet High Altitude Garden is thus characterised by a mountain climate, as evidenced by the following average annual climate reports:
- 200 days of precipitation
- 162 days of snow cover
- 2,200 mm of water
- Average temperature: 3.5°C.
Similar climatic conditions can be found at 1,800m above sea level in the northern Alps or 2,000 m high in the Pyrenees.