Vosges: Mountain Forests and Mineral Springs in Eastern France
Vosges takes its name from the mountain range that forms its eastern border with Alsace. Epinal, the prefecture, is known for the Images d'Epinal, popular prints produced here since the eighteenth century. The department's textile industry once rivalled that of northern England but has largely disappeared. Spa towns like Vittel and Contrexeville still produce mineral water sold across Europe.
The population sits around 359,000 and has been declining for decades as young people leave for Strasbourg, Nancy, or further afield. The Vosges mountains offer skiing in winter (modest compared to the Alps but accessible) and hiking through forests of fir and beech in summer. The Route des Cretes, built during World War I to keep supply lines hidden from German observation, is now a scenic drive.
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Vosges takes its name from the mountain range that forms its eastern border with Alsace. Epinal, the prefecture, is known for the Images d'Epinal, popular prints produced here since the eighteenth century. The department's textile industry once rivalled that of northern England but has largely disappeared. Spa towns like Vittel and Contrexeville still produce mineral water sold across Europe.
The population sits around 359,000 and has been declining for decades as young people leave for Strasbourg, Nancy, or further afield. The Vosges mountains offer skiing in winter (modest compared to the Alps but accessible) and hiking through forests of fir and beech in summer. The Route des Cretes, built during World War I to keep supply lines hidden from German observation, is now a scenic drive.
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