Hautes Vosges

The Vosges in Grand Eastern France is certainly the ideal destination for all hiking enthusiasts: it has 20,000 kilometers of marked trails that can be explored! We have selected a few with landscapes that will amaze any visitor. Let us take you on a tour of our favorites.

Sporty hike in the Rock Trail

This is the ideal route for those who like to exercise in the heart of nature: it is not the easiest hike, but it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the Vosges! Visitors should ready their water bottles and sneakers. The Col de La Schlucht is a good starting point for hiking the rock trail, leading to the summit of Hohneck, one of the most attractive of the Hautes-Vosges.

Hautes Vosges

It is possible to hold onto a metal guardrail along the climb, but still, it is a fairly physical and technical course, and visitors would not be able to enter it in rainy weather or in winter. The walk will only be more beautiful in good weather. At the top of the hike, an altitude restaurant and a hotel make it a great option for passing the night before descending. This hile could take up to 5 hours.

Nature hike to Gazon du Faing

This is one of the most amazing hikes! To reach the Gazon du Faing through wild and abundant flora, visitors will start from Tanet station and follow the path to Lac Vert. From there, they will head to Forlet Lake, to observe the trout, enjoy the view, and if the season allows it, take a break and try to catch some fish.

Gazon Du Faing

Le Gazon du Faing en hiver dans les Vosges – © Photononstop – Anne Montfort

While on the walk, hikers would be able to take a break and get a bite along the way at a restaurant ideally stationed along the trail. After the trout lake, the ascent begins to Gazon du Faing, a granite summit offering a breathtaking view of the Vals d’Orbey and Munster. This hike is accessible to everyone, but long enough: around 6 hours of walking.

Family hike in the Donon

This hike is one of the easy ones to do, making it the ideal family hike. It is also rich in historical stops. Hiking Le Donon with the whole family would take about 2 hours of walking, which will take you to the temple of Donon, a very impressive Gallo-Roman vestige.

Le Temple Du Donon

Le temple du Donon dans les Vosges – © Istock – Libre de droit

Departing from the Maison Forestière du Haut-Donon, and through a somewhat rocky path but accessible to the whole family, visitors would face a climb of about 1 hour, to land at the top of one of the summits offering the most beautiful view of the Black Forest and the great Alsatian plains.

Surprising hike in Little Canada

This place is nicknamed “Little Canada” for its landscapes of lakes and forests that will instantly transport visitors thousands of kilometers! To get there, start from the Lac de Pierre-Percée dam, and follow the winding path that will take them from lakes to creeks, through the forest.

Le Lac De Pierre Percée

Le lac de Pierre Percée dans les Vosges – © Istock – Pixel-68

This is an unmissable walk to take during your stay in the Vosges, and perfectly accessible with young children. During this walk, we recommend doing kayaking or paddleboarding sessions near the lake.

High-altitude hike to the Grand Ballon

The Grand Ballon is the highest peak in the Vosges: overlooking the valleys at an altitude of 1,424 meters, hikers will have the opportunity to discover an extraordinary panorama over the plains of Alsace and Lorraine. To get there, the departure is near the Grand Ballon on the route des crêtes, accessible from Colmar, Mulhouse, and Gérardmer.

Le Grand Ballon

Le Grand Ballon, plus haut sommet des Vosges – © Photononstop – Babayaga

Visitors at high altitudes will fill their lungs with air while observing the Black Forest, Mulhouse, or even the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle. The climb takes around 1 hour, but nothing prevents hikers from continuing the walk down the GR5 route on the other side of the summit.

Learn More About France

We invite you to learn more about France, its beautiful regions, and the experiences we love the most. You would find resources in our educational platform Decouvertes University very helpful. If you found this article helpful then you would enjoy our webinars on Exploring the Alsace region.

You could always simply send us a request at . We also encourage you to read more from Decouvertes’ Blog. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and sharing our love for France with you.