Calcareous Grasslands Menu Heritage and Tours Sceneries and Men History of Men Geology and Climate Landscapes Hautes-Vosges The “Plateau des Mille Etangs” Fougerolles and Val d’Ajol Valleys Ballons of Franche-Comté Vosgian Valleys Haut-Rhin Valleys Wine-growing Foothills Natural Heritage Forests High Stubble Lakes, Ponds, Peatlands Ravines, Cliffs and Scree Slopes Calcareous Grasslands Orchards Local Products and Craftsmanship Marque Parc (Park Label) Wood Cladding Mineral and Natural Spring Waters Wooden Toys Honey and Fruit Juice Wooden Furniture for Children Products Fougerolles Orchards and Kirsch Fish Farming Vosgian Cattle Breed Cheeses Small Fruit, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Alsatian Wine Smoked Meats and Andouilles Craftsmanship Textile Granite Lava Sandstone Wood industry Farm Shops Farmhouse-Inns Farm Markets Cultural Heritage Thermal Heritage Industrial Heritage Farms Country of Art and History Religious Heritage Intangible Cutural Heritage Heritage and Memory Castles Thematic Roads and Tracks Tourist Routes Barefoot Trails Treetop Adventure Park Museums and Heritage Sites Thermal Baths Environment Awareness Structures Parks and Botanical Gardens Venues for Shows, Exhibitions and Festivals At the Park Doors Colmar Belfort Lure Mulhouse Luxeuil-les-Bains Remiremont Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Nature activities Guided Walks and Discovery trails A Farm, A Hike Mountain Guides Pedestrian Hikes Club Vosgien / Club Alpin (Vosgian / Alpine Clubs) Reception Centres for Educational Stays Winter Activities Mountain Biking and Cyclo-Tourism Fishing Trail Aeromodelism Water Sports Equine Activities Climbing Skydiving Nature vacations Camping in Nature Panda Lodgings and Guesthouses Hôtels au Naturel (Hotels in Natural Settings) The Ballons des Vosges Regional Natural Park offers a large variety of natural environments. In itself, the forest covers two-thirds of territory. Still, the Park is rich with a multitude of other resources. High stubble (altitude meadows), peatlands, glacial cirques, rocky cliffs, rock slides, lakes and rivers intermingle harmoniously. On a few Alsatian hills sheltered by the Vosges Mountains and overlooking the Alsatian vineyard, high temperatures, low rainfall and hard limestone provide ideal conditions for the development of arid moors and lawns. Forest clearing for agriculture – perhaps as early as the end of the Neolithic Age, as with high stubble – favoured their growth. But the Gallo-Roman Era saw the development of vine cultivation and pastures to the detriment of oak forests. Many species inhabit these moors – displaying true Eastern steppe landscapes in places – often at the far edge of their distribution area, and originating from the Mediterranean Basin or Central Europe. These arid lawns shelter 500 plant species – among which fifteen orchid species, and constitute favourite haunts for many insects (bees, butterflies, crickets…) or again green lizards, cirl buntings or hoopoes. They provide shelter for species hunted on the plain due to increased farm activities, as well as for species originating from the Mediterranean or Central Europe.