Orchards 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 Orchards Forests High Stubble Lakes, Ponds, Peatlands Ravines, Cliffs and Scree Slopes Calcareous Grasslands Local Products and Craftsmanship The Park Certification Label The Wood Industry Meat Producers Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Mineral and Natural Spring Waters Fruit and Vegetables Products Fougerolles Orchards and Kirsch Fish Farming Vosgian Cattle Breed Cheeses Small Fruit, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Alsatian Wine Smoked Meats and Andouilles Farmhouse-Inns Farm Shops Craftsmanship Textile Granite Lava Sandstone Wood industry 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 Treetop Adventure Park Barefoot Trails Environment Awareness Structures Parks and Botanical Gardens Museums and Heritage Sites Thermal Baths Venues for Shows, Exhibitions and Festivals At the Park Doors Colmar Remiremont Belfort Lure Mulhouse Luxeuil-les-Bains 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 Trail Mountain Biking and Cyclo-Tourism Equine Activities Climbing Skydiving Aeromodelism Fishing Water Sports Winter Activities 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. Traditional orchards composed of tall trees (with trunks reaching at least 1.80 meters) grow a large variety of local apples, a few damsons and cherries. They can be found on foothills with favourable weather conditions. Plentiful around Fougerolles and at the foot of the Franche-Comté Ballons, they provide original natural environments on village outskirts and benefit local economy when the fruit can be processed. Fruit trees can be found higher up the mountain. They used to provide food for farmers and their families, and also for livestock. On an ecological level, traditional orchards associated to fertilizer-free mowed meadows shelter a very diverse flora. With their many fruit tree varieties, high-stem orchards are sanctuaries for a certain number of wild animal species. They find shelter in the trees, roots, barks, leaves, and fruits. Many birds find food all year long there: bats, garden dormice, hoopoe, wrynecks or the extremely rare little owls search for nooks and cavities to settle their nests or for shelter. Along with the gardens, they play a role in landscape diversification – for example, on winegrowing foothills. Author Katia Tournoux View all posts