Regional natural park of the Balloons of the Vosges

The Regional natural park of the Balloons of the Vosges was created in June 1989.

Grouping 208 communes of a total population of 256.000 inhabitants, it is with horse on four departments: Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, the Vosges and Territory of Belfort. Its 3000 km ² do of it one of vastest of France. The park includes the south of the Vosgean solid mass, since the valley of Holy-Marie-with-Mines to the doors of Belfort and of Luxeuil-the-Baths and organizes itself around the the High Vosges, the highest part of the solid mass. It one of largest and is populated French regional natural parks. Like any other Regional natural park, the mission of the Park of the Balloons of the Vosges consists in seeking a balance permanent between protection of the inheritances naturalness and cultural, and local development.

Fauna

Its very diversified mediums shelter the emblematic fauna and the flora of the solid mass: Owl of Tengmalm, lynx, Peregrine falcon, capercaillie, linaigrette gracile, superb eyelet, Cranberry, Droséra,…

Flora

The Park includes the spaces diversified like the High-Vosges and their timbered slopes, the valleys Vosgean, haut-rhinoises and comtoises, the plate of the Thousand Ponds, the under-Vosgean country and Alsatian wine Piedmont. It also conceals rare natural environments, such as high-thatches, the peat bogs, the hêtraies-fir plantations, the forests collinéennes of oaks and beeches, the lawns limestones, the rivers, the lakes and the ponds.

Five natural reserves take part thus in the protection of these most prestigious mediums of the large peak.

  • Plants of the peat bogs
  • medicinal Plants: Digital Arnica,
  • Resinous

Inheritance

Strongly marked by an old human presence, the Regional natural park of the Balloons of the Vosges is an alive territory, whose man knew very early to exploit water, wood, the stone and the basement to develop industry and the craft industry. He is also the heir to an animated history related to the world wars.

The old industry of the south of the Vosgean solid mass was rural and closely related to the geographical conditions. Many rivers, richness of the basement (money, copper, iron, cobalt,…) and of the ground (granite, sandstone,…), the density of the forests were as many elements favorable to the birth of industry and the craft industry. The wheel with water, of the Middle Ages until the middle of the XIXe century then the turbine and the vapor were the engine.

In addition, the wars marked strongly the Vosgean solid mass and left traces always present. Tough reflections or more strange facets of the history, the places of memory contribute to the knowledge of our territory.

An about sixty museums, sites inheritance (mills, high-iron, galleries of mines, etc), circuits historical and centers of interpretation animated by associations and local actors invite you to discover the richness of the inheritances of the Park. Topics of a large variety are treated there: forest with agriculture and know-how, while passing by the industrial and technical inheritances, with art and the history and finally the memory.

Economy

  • mountain and hill farming

  • the vine growing
  • the distillation of kirsch
  • the die wood
  • exploitation of the granite
  • textile industry
  • tourism
  • hydrotherapy

Points of reception: to sensitize

The House of the Park constitutes a starting point to discover this vast territory with the multiple identities. It accommodates a permanent exposure of 600 m ² and makes it possible to discover the natural environments, the cultural heritage, the landscapes, the geology and the economic activities of the territory (agriculture, vine growing, die wood, industry, exploitation of the granite, craft industry and tourism). Guided visits in summer, booklets of visit in German and English. The House of the Park accommodates each year various temporary exhibitions.

In the same spirit as the House of the Park, the point of reception of the Large Balloon, estival relay on the Peaks, offers information and documentations on the Park, its mediums and its activities. Moreover, the Large Balloon belongs to one of the many stops of the shuttle of the Peaks.

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