Col du Bonhomme


The Col du Bonhomme is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains of France. The pass connects Kaysersberg with Saint-Dié-des-Vosges and is also crossed by the Route des Crêtes. The pass takes its name from the nearby village of Le Bonhomme, 6 km to the east.

History

Between 1871 and 1918, the pass was a border crossing between Lorraine and Alsace, which had been ceded to Germany under the Treaty of Frankfurt. A stone marking the former border is situated 100 m south of the pass on D148.
During World War I, the pass was the scene of fighting between French and German soldiers. On 8 September 1914, the commander of the French 41st Infantry Division, 69-year-old General Bataille, and six of his men were killed in a German artillery attack. A memorial to the General and his men stands at the pass.

Details of climbs

From the east, the climb starts at Ammerschwihr, passing through Kaysersberg and Le Bonhomme en route. From this direction, the total ascent is long climbing at an average gradient of 3.2%, with a maximum of 7.4%.
From the west, the climb starts at Saulcy-sur-Meurthe passing through Fraize. This climb is long, at an average gradient of 2.8%, climbing. The maximum gradient is 6.5%.
The pass can also be reached from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines via the Route des Crêtes, passing Col des Bagenelles and Col du Pré de Raves en route, with the highest point reached at, before the Col du Bonhomme. The total distance is gaining in height at an average gradient of 3.2%. The central section, the last before the Col du Pré de Raves averages 6.5%.

Tour de France

The climb over the pass has been used in the Tour de France cycle race, the first time being on the penultimate stage of the 1949 tour, an individual mountain time trial won by Fausto Coppi.