In this episode of the podcast, Annie and Elyse describe Les Vosges, a wonderful part of France for people who love active vacations and slow travel. Looking for gorgeous scenery, happy cows and amazing hikes in France? Listen to this episode! Table of Contents for this Episode [00:03:05] Ancient mountains, like the Adirondacks [00:04:31] Épinal is the only city [00:05:20] Elyse lived in Épinal for a year [00:06:11] Lots of grass and happy cows [00:06:25] Best for active vacations [00:07:01] Vittel and Contrex are west of Épinal [00:07:28] Thermal baths stations [00:07:52] Tourism around natural water [00:08:20] The Vosges department is filled with quaint villages [00:09:39] Clairefontaine paper products [00:10:08] A nice place for affordable summer homes [00:11:24] Second largest wooded area of France [00:11:58] Hills, low altitude ski resorts, hiking, biking, nature trails [00:13:17] Large natural parks with lots of trails [00:14:33] Cross country skiing and summer activities in Gerardmer [00:15:16] Daffodil festival (Fête des Jonquilles) [00:16:15] Blueberries [00:16:34] Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer [00:17:07] Ruins of Monasteries hidden in the forest [00:18:25] Why visit the Vosges? [00:19:49] Lots of pretty (and not famous) villages including Domremy where Joan of Arc was born [00:20:34] Hwo Visorando works to plan hikes [00:24:17] Les images d’Épinal [00:27:13] Plombières the flavor of ice cream [00:27:39] Lalique and cristallerie [00:28:10] Canal des Vosges [00:28:44] There are five remarkable gardens in the Vosges [00:29:20] The Vosges is best for slow tourism [00:29:45] Wildlife in the Vosges [00:31:11] Great nature trails for families [00:31:52] Food specialties of the Vosges [00:40:43] New Patreon Reward for Donors! [00:42:10] Annie’s Itinerary Service [00:42:41] Can’t do an itinerary review? Get my VoiceMap tours! [00:43:18] Taking the TGV at CDG [00:47:49] This week in French news [00:48:58] Annie’s personal update More episodes about the Alsace and Lorraine area