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FERMES AUBERGES

marcaire meal on the crests of the Vosges Mountains

“When I was a child, we used to go to the mountains every Sunday for our ritual breath of fresh air! We nearly always stopped on the way at Markstein on the Route des Crêtes, or at the highest point, Grand-Ballon. From there we would walk for hours, across the high pastures, singing as we went…”

1KM À PIED, ÇA USE, ÇA USE...

Armed with our hiking map, we sang all the way to the top (well we had to motivate ourselves somehow!). And we were rewarded when we spotted among the grazing Vosges cows, the “farmhouse inn” I’d been looking forward to!

REWARDED FOR OUR EFFORTS!

So what shall we have to eat? Without hesitation, the “marcaire” speciality! With meat pie, “roïgabrageldis” (steamed potatoes) and smoked meat, house charcuterie, munster cheese and blueberry tart… there’s something for every taste and appetite. Mmmm, that smell from the kitchen and the warm friendly atmosphere that makes you feel at home!

SO WHAT’S A “MARCAIRE” MEAL?

The farmhouse inn tradition dates back to the 19th century, when many of the farmers would drive their herds from the valley up to the alpine pastures. This tradition, known as transhumance, is still in practice today. The herds were watched over by a “marcaire” (or “malker”, the Alsatian word for a person who milks cows) whose cabin was called a “marcairie”

A KEY FEATURE

Many years later, the “marcaires” were joined by their families who left the valley to spend the summer in the high pastures. Because their farming income was insufficient, every farm opened an inn. So the “former marcairies” became farmhouse inns, much to the delight of hikers!

“From Guebwiller, it’s just a half-hour drive to reach a farmhouse inn in the mountains. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can get there via the Club Vosgien footpaths. During the summer season, the ridge-road shuttle bus serves a number of farmhouse inns along the Route des Crêtes.”