The Vosges have almost everything to offer for the hiker who likes to go through nature. The area has unprecedented large mixed forests, pink sandstone formations, high-lying peat areas and the 'balloons' with peaks up to 1,424 meters.
Departement Vosges
Walking in the Vosges.
Geographically you can divide the Vosges into four different areas. The North Vosges are a relatively unknown hiking destination. It is a varied, friendly rather than rugged hilly landscape, where enormous forests and meadows alternate. The Grand Wintersberg with a height of 580 meters is the highest peak. The Hohenfels are beautiful sandstone rocks.
In the Central Vosges you have enormous forests where you can discover the most beautiful sandstone formations. You will not encounter many villages here. In this central part of the Vosges between the towns of Saverne and St-Die-des-Vosges, nature is still really everywhere.
The High Vosges are a fully fledged low mountain range and the landscape and climate can be directly compared to an alpine environment. The mountains with the typical round tops are called 'ballons'. You have the Grand Ballon (with 1,424 meters the highest peak of the Vosges), the Ballon d'Alsace (1,247m) and the Ballon de Servance (1,158m). The most beautiful and most visited mountain in the Vosges is definitely the Hohneck (1,363m). They are the tops of the 'crêtes', a partly treeless ridge that runs from north to south across the Vosges. Of course you can make the most beautiful walks in the High Vosges, from easy to very difficult, but you will never be alone.
Almost nowhere in the Vosges are the forests as green as in the southernmost part. This has everything to do with the abundant rainfall that falls in this area. But that is mainly snow in the winter months. The summers here also have plenty of beautiful and dry days. Broadly speaking, this is the area in the Vosges that lies west of the Moselle. Various walking routes lead you to places where you have a beautiful view over the valley of this river.
The southern Vosges are perhaps the quietest part in terms of the number of tourists. Large deciduous and coniferous forests, fields, orchards and meadows and every now and then a very small village, characterize the landscape. With some nice surprises like the waterfalls of Faymont and the waterfall of Gehard. The southern Vosges are also part of the parc régional naturel des Ballons des Vosges. The nature park also includes the unique 'Land of a Thousand Lakes' located southwest of the Vosges.
Sleeping in the Vosges.
Booking.com