Hautes-Vosges 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) This treasure offers great natural environment diversity thanks to relief, geological variations, and above all climatic conditions, in an outstanding environment: moors, high stubble lawns, beech woods and altitude peatlands, well-developed forests (close to a natural state, without the intervention of Man), maple groves on scree slopes, primary formations of high glacial cirques. No less than 67 plant species and 19 vertebrate animal species are considered very rare, like the Capercaillie, a wild forest symbol. Beech and pine trees dominate the wooded sides. At a lower level, the climate allows for oak and beech development. These jewels, nestled in a fragile environment recognized at European level, are protected according to regulation: 5 National Nature Reserves, 4 of which are managed or co-managed by the Ballons des Vosges Park; 3 Regional Nature Reserves were also created. Most Hautes-Vosges summits have German-sounding names – reminiscent of an old crest colonisation by pastors and marcaires from Alsace and Lorraine, led by the Dukes and their herds across vast territories owned by the Alsatian abbeys of Munster and Murbach. (Find out More). Started as early as the nineteenth century and developed in the Seventies, mountain agriculture suffered a massive exodus. The marcaires made ends meet with hiking programmes under the impetus of the Vosgian Club as early as 1870. The roads grant easy access to summits in these mountains. The farmhouse-inn concept appeared, and relaunched pastoral activity. Hautes-Vosges landscapes and peace attract many visitors. Today, the Crest Road – historical road built during WWI – is a tourist route that provides easy access to the mountains’ natural heritage and emblematic landscapes. Therefore, the Ballons des Vosges Park aims at welcoming visitors while ensuring heritage preservation.