Les Vosges: A Green Heaven in the Northeast of France

One of the most splendid French departments in the northeast of France borders Germany, the Les Vosges Department. This department derived its name from the famous low-latitude mountain range of Les Vosges, which comprises four smaller ranges of peaks of different altitudes. The crisp green forests intertwined with the Les Vosges communities bring you a sense of freshness and new beginnings.

Like all French departments, Les Vosges consists of several arrondissements, three in this case, and countless communities. We’re heading to Les Vosges to bring you all the beautiful things you can do there, including numerous activities with kids, which are a great way to take them away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Les Vosges: A History Snippet

The exact time when Les Vosges was inhabited is not precise. However, history denotes that the French patron saint Joan of Arc, born in the 15th century, was born in the French village of Domrémy, part of the historical region of Lorrain. During the late 18th century, when the French Revolution resulted in the creation of the department system in France, Les Vosges was one of the leading original departments created back then. The famous Place des Vosges in Paris was renamed after the department to honour its initiative of paying legal taxes.

Les Vosges lost and regained some of its territories over several centuries, starting with the Franco-Prussian War and ending with the Second World War. During the two World Wars, several battles took place in Les Vosges, resulting in massive casualties among the fighting sides. The existence of several military cemeteries in the department attests to this, as they include the remains of more than 5,000 soldiers.

Best Time to Visit Les Vosges

The difference in altitude of Les Vosges causes several changes in the weather between its communities over the year. In general, the weather in Les Vosges is coldest in January, with rain extending from November to sometimes early April. The months with the best weather, hence the most suitable time for visiting, start from May, throughout the summer, until the end of October, when tolerable gusts of chilly air begin to swirl around.

What to Do in Les Vosges

Since Les Vosges comprises over 500 communes or communities, we’ll hop between several of them to bring you the best of what you can do around the entire department. Rest assured—you’ll enjoy your time in the places we’ve picked for you.

The Épinal Commune

Épinal is the capital commune of Les Vosges. The once-fortified town still hugs ruins of medieval castles, parks, churches and historic cemeteries. You can learn more about Épinal’s history by heading to Musée de l’Image, where you can witness the town’s print history as it was developed and evolved in the hands of master printers, such as Pinot and Pellerin. Another museum worth visiting is the Musee Departemental D’Art Ancien et Contemporain, which is dedicated to showcasing French and European history from prehistoric times up to the 20th century. With a unique location on Moselle Island, this museum is also a great learning opportunity for kids.

Basilique Saint-Maurice d’Épinal, or Saint-Maurice’s Basilica, stands in the town’s centre. It is an exciting mixture of numerous architectural styles, with unique stained-glass designs and frescoes on the inside. The flocks of pigeons surrounding the basilica intensify its dramatic feel.

The town’s preserved fortification, Chateau d’Epinal, is rumoured to host Napoleon’s spirit every 9 September at exactly 17:00, which marks the last time the French leader gave a public speech at Épinal. The chateau’s surrounding gardens have a playground for kids, an animal park, walking paths and a food corner where you can enjoy a sunny picnic outside.

Arboretum de la Forêt d’Epinal, an exquisite and colourful arboretum in Épinal’s forest, is a must-visit in town. It includes a multitude of flora exclusive to Épinal and is an excellent opportunity for kids to explore and learn more about these floras and the forest.

The Arrentès-de-Corcieux Commune

Small rivers and rock formations cut through the charming nature cradling this commune. One of the most exciting and must-see places here is Le Champ de Roches, or, in English, Field of Rocks. The best way to describe this place between Neune Valley and Vologne Valley is a field of rocks. The place is a combination of rocks, mainly granite, followed by sandstone and gneiss.

Reachable through an exciting hiking trip, a trail goes around the 400-metre-long rock field, also 8 metres deep. The field is entirely void of trees, but many surround it. The hike to the field is very relaxing in the heart of beautiful and soothing nature. You will find the rocky field quite quickly and be astonished by every piece of nature you encounter. Some of the rocks are massive, and you can’t see their full size because they’re mingled with the rest of the stones.

Walking around the path in the field and getting up to the top, you will find yourself in the old Granite Quarry. This quarry was once used to extract granite known as syn kinematic prophyroid due to the rocks’ magmatic activity.

If you’re ever in Les Vosges, you must stop by Arrentès-de-Corcieux to enjoy the hike and spend some time in the majesty of nature. After the winter season, you will find snow huddled between rocks; the white clouds give a rather enchanting look to the area. The hike takes only one hour, and depending on the season, you will see the beauty of nature around you.

Thaon-les-Vosges Commune

This commune is a fusion of three communities besides Thaon-les-Vosges: Girmont and Oncourt. If you visit Épinal, a small stop here at Thaon is a nice change. The commune isn’t as large as Épinal or Arrentès-de-Corcieux but radiates another vibe. Thaon-les-Vosges’ town centre features La Rotonde, a beautiful glass dome-topped building. Before heading for water sports at Wam Park, you can also head to one of the churches in town, Eglise Saint Brice or Eglise Protestante.

The Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Commune

This unique commune in Les Vosges is huddled between three mountains of the Le Vosges mountains, which are abundant in reddish sandstone as part of its Triassic formations. Several urban legends surround the origin of Saint-Dié, with some claiming it was taken after Saint Deodat, a 7th-century holy man. In contrast, others go back further to the first quarter of the 6th century and Saint Deodatus of Blois.

Saint-Dié suffered repeated devastating fires and destruction from the 11th century onward. Wars nearly swept the entire town from the 15th to 17th centuries, and again, fire devoured its buildings in the mid-16th century. Following another devastating fire in the mid-18th century, the town was rebuilt using the French Uniform Architectural style.

Our recommendations for Saint-Dié include the red sandstone town cathedral, Saint-Dié Cathedral, which combines Romanesque and Gothic styles with impressive stained-glass frescos. The remarkable art exhibitions at Musée Pierre Noël, ranging from Archaeology to Fine Arts, are worth checking out. For an enjoyable time with the kids, you can check Musée Trainland, which houses exciting miniature constructions of toy trains, stations, and cranes. It’s a winner with the kids!

The Gérardmer Commune

Gérardmer’s history suggests it served as the summer refuge of people from all over the Vosges, who enjoyed the commune’s lake, waterfalls, and recreational activities. Some scholars believe Gerard, the Duke of Lorraine, gave Gérardmer its name after he built a small tower by the lake in the 11th century.

Your visit to Gérardmer will undoubtedly be the most adrenaline-filled. The commune’s landscape and forest-laden surroundings are ideal for adventure lovers to enjoy their time. The glacial Lac de Gérardmer allows you to ride a boat, rope-walking, bike, or simply walk around and enjoy the view of Les Vosges. It’s also perfect for visiting the lake during the summer to bask in the warm sun.

Another adventure-packed location is the Acro-Sphere, where you and the kids can enjoy a variety of adventure courses, with several difficulty levels for adults and two for kids. The adventure course might seem daunting at first, but believe us—once you get up there, you will want nothing more than to taste the accomplishment of crossing the finish line.

Our last adventure involves climbing to the commune’s observatory, the Observatoire de Merelle. When you reach the spot, you will be greeted by a splendid view of Gérardmer and Lac de Gérardmer. Prepare your hiking shoes, and expect your breath to be stolen at the top; that’s how incredible the view is.

The Remiremont Commune

In the 7th century, Saint Romaric founded Remiremont under the name Remiremont Abbey, home to the monks who followed him. Another commune Saint Romaric founded was the convent up the hill where the nuns used to live. Over time, the nuns abandoned the convent and chose to live down the valley in Remiremont. The nuns’ political power increased over time, and they rallied the people to fight off the incoming attacks on the town during the Thirty Years’ War.

Remiremont used to be surrounded by a defensive fort, Fort du Parmont, which was built to defend the commune following the Franco-Prussian War. A significant portion of Fort du Parmont remains today after several restoration projects. If you climb to the fort’s location, you will get an extensive and impressive view of Remiremont below, a thrilling experience for adults and kids.

You can’t swing by Remiremont in the Vosges without visiting the commune’s church, Église Abbatiale de Remiremont. The church today looks slightly different from the original abbey from the 7th century. However, architectural elements of the period were still visible until the nuns converted the abbey into their secular canoes. Paintings estimated to date back to medieval times decorate the church’s crypt, which shows how beautifully they’ve stood against the passage of time.

We also picked the Musée Charles de Bruyères for you to visit. Charles de Bruyères was a lawyer born in 1823 and died in 1905 in Remiremont. He was an avid art collector who loved to collect paintings highlighting the alliances of his noble ancestors with the commune’s nobility, including the Dukes of Lorraine. Bruyères bequeathed his entire art collection, most of which dates back to the 18th century, to the public, and the museum that houses the collection now was his original home.

Another worthy commune to visit in the Vosges department is Xonrupt-Longemer! Check out our video for the best highlights of this breathtaking commune.

If you plan to visit Les Vosges, you can drive through most of its communes in one day as they’re close. What we believe is guaranteed is that your excitement and love for nature will be both satisfied and renewed during your time in Les Vosges.