The Vosges massif has a lot to offer for lovers of an active outdoor life. An exuberant nature, lots of walking and cycling routes and an extensive road network. No wonder this beautiful mountain range attracts many hikers, mountain bikers, cyclists and motorcyclists in spring, summer and autumn. The area offers much more active entertainment; horse riding, parapente (paragliding), canyoning, acroparks (trail between the trees), white water rafting, swimming, mountain climbing, golf, go-karting, toboggan runs. The region also has plenty of recreational opportunities in the winter period. Snow usually falls from December. In winter, the Vosges Mountais get quite a few hours of sunshine. A good climate for a pleasant winter sports holiday; skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are among the possibilities.

Links: On the site of the tourist office of the Ballons des Hautes Vosges you can find many links to all kinds of activities. By clicking on Summer or Winter you will be taken to their overview page with links to activities of the relevant season. Feel free to ask us for tips too; we ourselves are lovers of an active outdoor life and have lots of trail maps for beautiful walks, bike rides and motorcycle rides. We will be only too happy to help you out!

Culture, tradition & other sights: All that sport that's on offer would almost make you forget how rich in culture and tradition this region is; cities and villages with historical centers, castles and fortresses, museums, open-air museums, traditional crafts and industries, et cetera. Important livelihoods in the region were the textile and woodworking industries. Much of this heritage can still be admired; the building of La Vieille Colonie was once a textile factory as well! In the past, tough battles have often been fought over the border between the Vosges and Alsace. Silent witnesses to this are the trenches of the Vieil Armand (Hartmanswillerkopf) along the route des Crêtes. To the east of the Vosges is Alsace, one of the most famous wine regions in France. The tourist 'Route des Vins' takes you past vineyards and picturesque wine towns such as Eguisheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr. An ideal combination of nature and culture. South of the Vosges lies the Plateau des Milles Etangs, the thousand lake region. There are many interesting and monumental cities in the area; Mulhouse with its famous car museum, Colmar, also called Little Venice, with its beautiful half-timbered houses and Belfort, south of the Ballon d'Alsace, with its Citadel and the famous Lion. Not far from Belfort, in Sochaux, is the Peugeot museum.

And, for a change, you can of course also just relax for a day. It's wonderful to lean back in one of the seats of La Vieille Colonie meanwhile enjoying good company, sunshine and the surrounding nature.