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The 'Vosges' is a mountain range in eastern France, stretching along the west side of the Rhine valley in a NNE direction, from Belfort to Saverne. Geographically, the Vosges mountains are completely located in France with the ''Col de Saverne'' separating it from the Palatinate Forest. Geologically, though, some parts of the Palatinate Forest are considered to belong to the same entity.
From 1871 to 1918 the eastern part of a line from the Ballon d'Alsace to Mont Donon was occupied by Germany. There is a remarkable similarity between the Vosges and the corresponding range of the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine: both lie within the same degrees of latitude and have the same geological formation; both are characterized by fine forests on their lower slopes, above which are open pasturages and rounded summits of a uniform altitude; both have a steep fall to the Rhine and a gradual descent on the other side. The Vosges in their southern portion are mainly of granite, with some porphyritic masses and of a kind of red sandstone (occasionally 1640 ft. in thickness) which on the western versant bears the French name of ''grès Vosgien''.
Orographically the range is divided south to north into three sections: the Higher Vosges (Hautes Vosges), extending from Belfort to the valley of the Bruche; the Central Vosges (31 miles), between the Bruche and the Col de Saverne; the Lower Vosges (30 miles), between the Col de Saverne and the source of the Lauter. The rounded summits of the Grandes Vosges are called ''ballons''.
The highest points are located in the southern part of the range (Higher Vosges): the Grand Ballon (also called Ballon de Guebwiller) rises to 1424 m (4,670 ft), the Storckenkopf to 1366 m (4,481 ft), the Hohneck to 1364 m (4,475 ft), the Ballon d'Alsace to 1247 m (4,091 ft). The Col de Saales, between the Higher Vosges and the central section, is nearly 1900 ft. high; the latter is both lower and narrower than the Higher Vosges, the Mont Donon (3307 ft.) being the highest point of this part.
The railway from Paris to Strasbourg and the Marne-Rhine Canal traverses the Col de Saverne. No railway crosses the Vosges between Saverne and Belfort (except for the line Strasbourg - Saint-Dié), but there are carriage roads over the passes of Bussang from Remiremont to Thann, the Schlucht (1135 m / 3723 ft) from Gérardmer to Munster, the Col du Bonhomme from St Dié to Colmar and the pass from St Die to Ste Marie-aux-Mines. The Lower Vosges are a sandstone plateau ranging from 300 to 600 m (1000 to 1850 ft.) and are crossed by the railway from Hagenau to Sarreguemines, defended by the fort of Bitche.
Meteorologically the difference between the eastern and western versants of the range is very marked, the annual rainfall being much higher and the mean temperature being much lower in the latter than in the former. On the eastern slope the vine ripens to a height of 400 m (1300 ft.); on the other hand, its only rivers are the Ill and other shorter streams. The Moselle, Meurthe and Sarre all rise on the Lorraine side. Moraines, boulders and polished rocks testify the existence of the glaciers which formerly covered the Vosges. The lakes, surrounded by pines, beeches and maples, the green meadows which provide pasture for large herds of cows and the fine views of the Rhine valley, Black Forest and snow-covered Swiss mountains combine to make the district picturesque. On the lower heights and buttresses of the main chain on the Alsatian side are numerous castles, generally in ruins. At several points on the main ridge, especially at St Odile above Ribeauvillé (''Rappoltsweiler''), are the remains of a wall of unmortared stone with tenons of wood, 6 to 7 ft. thick and 4 to 5 ft. high, called the pagan wall (''Mur Païen''). It was used for defence in the middle ages and archaeologists are divided as to whether it was built for this purpose by the Romans, or before their arrival.

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★ Activity: Paragliding in Vosges

★ Illustrated article on the Vosges battlefields of WW1 at Battlefields Europe

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