Lake Gérardmer is the biggest natural lake in the Vosges. This glacial lake is located 660 metres above sea level in the municipality of Gérardmer, close to the town centre. In the winter, when it freezes, the lake can be seen from the slopes of the ski resort, a superb spectacle!

In warmer weather, its 115 hectares are used for water sports: you can go canoeing, sailing, rowing, pedaloing, fishing, or swimming at its landscaped beaches… People also come to watch speed kayaking and rowing competitions. You can also hire an electric motorboat to enjoy the superb landscapes all around.

There is a landscaped path of 7 kilometres that will take you around the lake in 1.5 or 2 hours. As one section of the trail is a little steep, walkers are advised to bring sturdy footwear.

Nearby: a swimming pool, bowling alley and casino.

In the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park, the Hohneck reaches its peak at 1,362 metres. This natural site offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Vosges, its mountains, its hautes chaumes (alpine pastures) and its lakes. At the peak, a viewpoint indicator points to the surrounding places of interest.

The River Moselle runs through Épinal, in the department of Vosges. The city benefits from a strategic position at the heart of Europe, in close proximity to Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Épinal consists of two separate districts on either side of the Moselle: on the right bank is the historical quarter, and on the left bank is the new town.

In the thousand-year-old historical centre, you will find the charming Place des Vosges lined with Renaissance arcade houses, including the Bailiff's house built in 1604, the basilica, the covered market and the Chapter Museum. A Historic Monument, the Basilica of St. Maurice, built between the 11th and 13th centuries, has been a place of pilgrimage for a long time. Its architecture is a blend of several styles: Gothic, Champenois and Burgundian.

Perched on a hill, the remains of the medieval castle are also listed Historic Monuments. Offering a beautiful view of the city, the pleasant castle park spans 26 hectares and is ideal for a walk with the family. Highlights include a medieval garden, terraced orchards, an animal park and a children's play area!

The Chapter Museum (Musée du Chapitre), based in a medieval tower, tells the story of the city. In the Chapitre district, whose name is a reference to the canonesses who lived in Épinal until the Revolution, there are some beautiful canonial houses from the 16th to 18th centuries. Close by is the history and archaeology museum, based in one of the towers in the old ramparts.

Five minutes' walk from the city centre, Épinal harbour has electric boats for hire, to take you up the Moselle. Pleasure craft are welcome here. There is also a cycle path and the Bicycle House (Maison du Vélo).

Lastly, Épinal is also the city of the renowned "images", the famous little popular prints in bright colours, which you can admire at the Museum of the Image.

Did you know that the image-making tradition of Vosges' capital dates back to the 18th century? Back then, card and coloured paper-makers helped to make it famous all over Europe, by creating original popular images that were then reproduced in the 19th century by the printers Pinot and Pellerin. The town of Épinal thus wanted to pay tribute to this image-making heritage by opening the Cité de l'Image in 2003, bringing together an impressive and ever-expanding collection of around 110,000 works, one of the biggest in the world!

A true heritage treasure, the Cité de l'Image's collection is a reflection of society in bygone days, charting changes in tastes and customs. From Perrault's fairy tales to Napoleon, from the Americas to the '60s, the permanent exhibition room of 400 m² tells the story of the popular image, engravers and image-makers while explaining the function of the image: instructing, selling, promotional, religious and propaganda images, etc. The messages delivered are often clear but sometimes more subtle: to help visitors understand them, there are explanation texts, interactive terminals, video montages and even an audio-guide in 5 languages.

For conservation reasons, the images on display are regularly stored away, so the museum is never exactly the same twice, and you will discover new works every time you visit.

The museum is also designed with children in mind, with its educational games and special workshops, and the gift shop is a true Ali Baba's cave with its catalogues designed to look like history books, and reproductions of images to give as a gift or just treat yourself.

As the Cité de l'Image was built near to the old Pellerin print works, you can buy a combined ticket on both sites allowing you to complete your visit with a tour of the workshops, where you can learn all about printing techniques!

This is one of the treasures of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park. The Mille Étangs plateau in Franche-Comté, whose name means "A thousand ponds" in French, is the result of a dual phenomenon: the formation of basins after the glaciers vanished 12,000 years ago, and human intervention. Indeed, monks and farmers created these ponds in the 11th century by extracting peat, making them an important resource for the region.

Spread across 220 km², from Lure to Faucogney-et-la-Mer, via Mélisey, Servance, the Col des Croix pass and the Ballon de Servance, the Thousand Ponds (in fact there are 850, measuring at most around ten hectares each) on this plateau in the Saône Vosges nestle among superb landscapes of meadows, moors, lakes and streams, and green forests.

Trekking is the main attraction, on the paths and in the forests of oak, beech, birch and pine, on foot, on horseback or by bike, along with fishing and water sports, of course. Yet the built heritage should not be overlooked: the area is teeming with churches, mills and picturesque monuments.

The plant life is equally remarkable: sundews grow alongside common cottongrass and cranberries. Ferns, broom and heather carpet the prairies.

Outings for all ages are organised by the Saône Vosges House of Nature, so everyone can explore the treasures of this magnificent, unspoilt natural site.

Local events such as markets and traditional festivals are another way to get to know the area, and discover craft and food specialities.

A spa resort in Haute-Saône in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, Luxeuil-les-Bains is a gateway town that provides access to the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park. It is located some thirty kilometres from Vesoul.

Covered in deciduous forest, the town boasts some beautiful architectural heritage, in particular the many mansions from the 15th and 16th centuries: the Spanish house, the Bailiff's house, Cardinal Jouffroy's house and its Flamboyant balcony, the oldest suspended stone balcony in France, the house of Francis I traversed by arcades, the octagonal Échevins tower (an archaeological museum also dedicated to the painter Jules Adler), and the Pusel mansion.

Also worth mentioning are its religious edifices spanning various eras: the Romano-Gothic Basilica of St. Peter; the old 13th-century medieval abbey featuring a superb pipe organ from 1617 held up by a statue of Atlas and a pretty cloister; the Church of St. Martin and the monastery.

Luxeuil is also known for its lace (you can visit the Lace Conservatory in a superb setting, the former kitchens of the abbey) and for a local speciality: smoked ham.

Yet Luxeuil's main focus throughout history has been the Thermal Baths, which were already a visitor attraction in the Celtic era and then in Roman times. People enjoyed the hot water that sprang from the ground there in the open air. A beautiful building made of pink Vosges sandstone, the spa built in the 17th century is a listed Historic Monument. The oligo-element-rich waters of Luxeuil are prescribed to treat phlebological, gynaecological and rheumatological disorders. People also go there for fitness breaks, relaxation, backache treatment, pressotherapy, etc.

This famous road of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park dominates mountains, alpine pastures (hautes chaumes), lakes, round-topped mountains (ballons) and forests. What a magnificent view! It is possible to sample typical dishes in the numerous farmhouse inns lining the "Crest Road", such as the famous, hearty marcaire meal of rustic mountain food. This meal traditionally consists of several courses: a meat pie, then smoked pork with potatoes, then Munster cheese and lastly a fruit tart.

Reaching 1,424 metres at its highest point, the Grand Ballon is the highest peak of the Vosges mountains. A radar in the shape of a big white ball stands at the top, as well as a commemorative monument. A footpath offering numerous viewpoints takes walkers up to the summit. There is a beautiful view of surrounding area from the peak.

Created in 1989, the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park covers the three former regions of Alsace, Franche-Comté and Lorraine, and more precisely, the four departments that are Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Vosges and the Territory of Belfort. Its area of 3,000 km² makes it one of France's biggest Nature Parks. It contains 14 peaks, including the highest, the Grand Ballon d'Alsace, at 1,424 metres in altitude.

This magnificent protected territory offers some beautiful natural and cultural heritage. On the nature side of things, there is a series of mountain landscapes, ballons (rounded mountain peaks) and high-altitude pastures. There are two treasures: the big ridge that forms the Upper Vosges, with its woodland-covered slopes, and the Mille Étangs plateau in Franche-Comté. High stubble fields, peat bogs, lakes and rivers, and oak, beech and pine forests make up most of these natural landscapes. The fauna and flora are abundant, and typical of the massif: lynx, peregrine falcons, deer, chamois, grey wolves (back since 2011), cranberries, mountain pansies, fringed pinks, sundews... and medicinal plants like arnica.

The Vosges Mountains have been shaped by human activity: water, wood and stone have enabled industry and craft to develop, as evidenced by the many sawmills, granite quarries, textile factories and sandstone tiles that cover the roofs.

When it comes to culture, the Park has 350 "Historic Monument" sites, 2 "Land of Art and History" territories, a dozen remarkable villages and some themed routes: the Ridges Route, Alsace Wine Route, Cheese Route, Thousand Ponds Route, etc.

Lovers of memorial tourism will also be satisfied by the many World War-related sites.

Two thermal resorts await spa fans: Plombières-les-Bains in Vosges, and Luxeuil-les-Bains in Haute-Saône.

The beautiful landscapes of the Ballons des Vosges Nature Park can be explored on foot along the many marked paths, by bike, on horseback, but also on snowshoes or by cross-country skiing in winter… Some superb spots await nature-lovers wishing to enjoy the lush countryside: lakes for water sports, thirty or so natural sites with climbing facilities, via ferrata, fishing or hang-gliding sites, etc.

The Park House in Munster has a permanent exhibition and provides visitors with all the information they need to explore the Park.

This peaceful valley of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park is surrounded by hills and mountains. What a beautiful place! The River Fecht flows here.

The Saint-Thiébaut collegiate church in the town of Thann is a magnificent example of Gothic art. Considered as one of the most beautiful churches of Alsace, the collegiate church of the 14th and 16th century possesses a magnificent portal decorated with three tympanums and with sculptures.

Fort Dorsner, named after a General of the Empire, is part of the Upper Moselle's defensive curtain. It is also known as Fort de Giromagny. It is a defensive structure made of pink Vosges sandstone, erected in the last quarter of the 19th century, and falls within the municipalities of Giromagny and Auxelles-Bas. It connected the entrenched camps of Épinal and Belfort and protected the north-south axis, from the Ballon d'Alsace to Belfort, and the east-west axis, from Haut-Rhin to Haute-Saône.

You can explore it yourself from July to mid-September, and there are guided tours by appointment during the rest of the year. You can discover the fort's particular architecture, with its barracks for 650 men built on two floors around an octagonal yard, the two Mougin turrets, named after their inventor (who was also the pioneer of French armour plating), indirect fire casemates, caponiers and artillery batteries.

The terrible First World War battles in 1915 are commemorated here with several monuments, a crypt containing an ossuary and a military cemetery.

This Trois-Épis health resort of the Orbey valley, region of forests of fir trees, constitutes an excellent departure point for hiking.

The Saône has its source in Vioménil, Vosges, and ends in the Rhone in Lyon after travelling 480 kilometres and crossing Haute-Saône, Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire. In a channel that supplies water to the two basins of a washhouse further down, surrounded by greenery, the source can be found: a very small stream of water that gives birth to one of the longest rivers in France!

A genuine tourist attraction, it provides the basis for an 8-kilometre scenic walk along a marked footpath, amid flower-covered fallow land and meadows. The walk also leads to La Pille, an old glass-makers' hamlet. You can also have a picnic in the grass, in a verdant setting at the very spot where the source begins.

Nestling in green countryside, Murbach Abbey, founded in 727, has preserved a beautiful Romanesque abbey church built with pink sandstone from the Vosges.

The wine-growing town Guebwiller situated by the river possesses three beautiful churches: the 12th-century Saint-Léger church, the Dominicans' church built in the 14th century and the 18th-century Notre-Dame church.

This village on the Wine Trail listed among the most beautiful of France is built with streets arranged in concentric circles all around its castle. It's pleasant to wander around the narrow paved streets full of beautiful old half-timbered houses with geranium-bedecked wooden windows and balconies. The central square is also magnificent with its fountain, the Eguisheim castle and the colourful Saint-Léon-IX chapel. In the surroundings of Eguisheim, The the Eguisheim Keeps, the Hohlandsbourg castle and the Pflixbourg keeps.

In August, the village comes alive with its stork festival and wine growers festival.

This village is an essential place to visit while in the vineyards of Alsace for its superb architectural heritage: narrow paved streets, old timber-framed houses, Rhenish Renaissance town hall, ruin of a 13th-century castle overlooking the village and a 16th-century fortified bridge offering a beautiful view of the river.

The Christmas market in Kaysersberg is well-known for its authentic character.

Capital of the Alsace wines, Colmar has preserved its rich architectural heritage, as well as its picturesque character. The Unterlinden museum, dedicated to Rhenish art, is an essential place to visit in the town. Showing collections of medieval and Renaissance paintings and sculptures, this former Dominican convent also has the famous Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald on display.

The old districts, with their old half-timbered houses and facades decorated with old forged iron shop signs, are a real delight. One of the most popular places in Colmar is the Petite Venise district (Little Venice), that is very romantic. The beautiful half-timbered houses and colourful walls on the Poissonnerie quayside and the small flower-covered bridges spanning the Lauch river add to the charm of the place. A boat tour on the canal is also a lovely way to discover the pretty banks of the Petite Venise.

The Tanneurs (Tanners) district is very picturesque, with its tall houses and attics formerly used for drying skins. The Marchands (Traders) street is known for its beautiful residences and especially for the Pfister's house dating from 1537, decorated with an corner oriel window and a wooden gallery. It is in this street that is located Auguste Bartholdi's birth house, who is the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty in New York. This ancient residence is today home to a museum exhibiting the work of the artist.

The visit of the old town continues with the Saint-Martin collegiate church, an ancient cathedral of the 13th and 14th century; the Dominicans church of Rhenish Gothic style; the arcades house ("maison des Arcades") and the former customs ("Ancienne Douane"), Koïfhus, with its pretty, busy square featuring a fountain.

The wine fair in Colmar takes place in August and is a must. This festival features tastings, gastronomy, exhibitions and animations. The atmosphere is great! Colmar's International festival in July is a major classical music event. In winter, during the Christmas break, the old town of Colmar is very pretty with its illuminations, its decorations, and its friendly Christmas markets.

In Ungersheim, in a 25-hectare park, it is possible to discover 70 traditional and typical Alsatian buildings. What's unusual about it is that these houses have been removed from their villages of origin to be completely rebuilt here, in the Alsace heritage museum. What an impressive achievement! This outdoor museum really looks like an old village. This unique place also revives Alsatian know-how by presenting traditional trades like clog maker, blacksmith and carpenter. Craft objects are also on sale there.

Halfway between Nancy and Strasbourg lies Baccarat, a town in Meurthe-et-Moselle that has earned the "Applied Arts Town" ("Ville et Métiers d'Art") label. Its global reputation is built on crystal manufacturing.

It was Louis XV who first ordered the opening of a glassworks in Baccarat. This became a crystal glassworks and received its first royal commission in 1823. In the 19th century, the company entered the luxury market. Today, it is the leading crystal manufacturer in France and employs the best glass-makers, glass-blowers and glass-cutters, around twenty of whom have earned the accolade of Best Workers in France (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France). Their work is exported all around the world.

Crystal is everywhere in Baccarat, and its secrets are revealed in the museum devoted to it. There you can learn about manufacturing techniques and see remarkable pieces: jewellery, tableware, lamps, decoration, etc.

Many specialist shops sell products made at the factory, such as glasses, vases, jewellery and decorative objects, each one more elegant than the one before it.

The unusual 20th-century Church of St. Remy, built of wood and concrete inlaid with 20,000 pieces of crystal, is adorned with magnificent stained glass windows made by Baccarat artists.

One of France's most floral villages, Baccarat still has traces of its medieval past with the Tower of Voués. Standing 30 metres tall, it was built in 1305 on a rock on the orders of Henry I, Lord of Blâmont, in order to protect the serfs' homes.

Surrounded by vineyards, this fortified town is a jewel. The village of Riquewihr is full of with beautiful colourful half-timbered residences and facades decorated with old shop signs. Some houses are decorated with pretty oriel windows. Omnipresent flowers and creepers add to the charm of the village.

Located in Ronchamp, Haute Saône, on Bourlémont hill, the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut (meaning "Our Lady of the Heights") has been a listed Historic Monument since 1967 and is the work of the famous architect Le Corbusier. Erected in 1955 on the former site of a chapel, it overlooks the town of Ronchamp.

The world-famous Notre-Dame du Haut revolutionised 20th-century religious architecture. Contemporary in style, the chapel consists of a two-part concrete shell with curved lines, beneath a roof that does not touch the shell. This surprising architecture is complemented by a skilful dosage of light, which enters through the gap left between the ceiling and the concrete walls, and by the colour effects of the stained glass windows. The whole building is conducive to contemplation: in fact, the chapel is an important place of pilgrimage for the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September, the Ascension and the Assumption.

Access is via the last path coming out of the forest, adding to the solemnity and beauty of this building, which is perfectly integrated into the landscape.

A splendid example of religious art, the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut recently benefited from improvements by the architect Renzo Piano and the landscape architect Michel Corajoud, to make it easier to welcome visitors.

The symbol of Alsace, the white stork is part of local people's cultural heritage in this part of France. Stork nests are regularly found on the roofs of houses, church bell towers and other towers in the towns and villages of Alsace.

This majestic bird with a long, pointed beak and black and white plumage is a long-distance migrant which heads for milder southern climes at the end of autumn. Its return to Alsace for nesting in February or March heralds the arrival of spring. The stork particularly appreciates this region's prolific natural environment, with its wet meadows and pastures providing an abundant food supply, including amphibians and small aquatic animals.

This beautiful wading bird, thought to bring good luck to the house where it makes its nest, is a protected species. In Hunawihr, in Haut-Rhin, the stork and otter reintroduction centre, now known as NaturOparC, is a large animal park covering 5 hectares which works to preserve endangered local species, including the white stork. It's a must-see...

This small town of Ribeauvillé on the Wine Trail is very welcoming with its high street lined with numerous half-timbered houses.