Vosges
Vosges holiday homes - Vosges rental cottages, France
The Vosges department is part of the north-eastern region of Lorraine. The department is dominated to the east by the mountain range of the same name; it is also the third most densely wooded department in France. Most visitors are attracted to staying in a Vosges holiday rental house or cottage because of its its superb mountains, pine forests, lakes and valleys.
The Vosges mountain range boasts many valleys, dotted with lakes and is largely covered by forests of fir trees. Unsurprisingly, a holiday rental home in the Vosges department offers plenty to do all year round; including skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The department boasts seven mountain resorts: La Bresse, Gérardmer, Xontrupt-Longemer, Ventron, St-Maurice/Moselle, Bussang, Valtin/Grand Valtin
The west of the Vosges is flat sedimentary land, offering natural mineral waters, which have been firmly established as popular thermal spa resorts. Bains-les-Bains is a family resort with 11 hot springs, which were discovered in the Gallo-Roman times. Farther west, Contrexéville owes its nickname of "Spa Capital of thinness" because of the supposed diuretic properties of its waters. Plombieres-les-Bains is popular for its hot water - a temperature exceeding 80 ° C (a record in Europe!). Finally Vittel, the legendary spa town, is surrounded by 700 hectares of forests.
The plains to the northeast are where most of the department's historic and religious monuments are found. Picturesque villages overflow with churches, abbeys and castles, including Domremy where Joan of Arc was born. The Roman fortified town of Grand, located 30 km from Toul, has an amphitheatre and a temple to the Cult of Apollo.
Don’t forget to visit the Canal de l'Est when you rent a self-catering holiday house or cottage in Vosges, France. The "Canal des Vosges" peacefully links together the North and the South of the department.
The largest cities are Épinal, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Gérardmer and Remiremont. Epinal, the capital city of Vosges, is strongly associated with Napoleon. According to legend, Napoleon's ghost strolls the wall ramparts on the 9th of September of each year at 5:00 A.M. It was on this day and at this time that, in 1811, Napoleon gave his first and last oration to the city of Épinal.
Travelling to your Vosges holiday rental accommodation, France
By rail: Direct Eurostar connections from London to Paris (2h 40). Trains to the Epinal take just 2h 15 and there are over 10 trains a day from Paris’s Gare de l’est. By air: Strasbourg is the main international airport closest to this department; however there are no direct flights from the UK. Peripheral airports include Paris Charles de Gaulle - Easyjet, Ryanair, Flybe and BMI baby all fly into CDG. By road: From Paris, journey time is just over 4 hours. The department is easily accessible via France’s northern ferry terminus.