FRANCE | PAYS DE BITCHE
The embattled Citadelle de Bitche, a landmark military fortress in the high peaks of the Northern Vosges, also features a Peace Garden at the foot of the castle ramparts. Photo: ©Gilles Pecqueur & Pays de Bitche
Castles, crystal and countryside in the borderlands The Pays de Bitche are beguiling borderlands in the Northern Vosges, sandwiched between Alsace and Germany. Set in Lorraine, these lands have long been a cultural crossroads and a pawn in the politics of the great powers. Framed by forested mountain peaks, with ruined castles, military forts and wild wooded landscapes, this region is made for history buffs and hikers in search of ‘the real France’. TEXT: LISA GERARD-SHARP | PHOTOS: PAYS DE BITCHE
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inning down this mysterious landscape is part of the magic. Le Pays de Bitche lies in the Moselle ‘département’ of the merged mega-region dubbed Le Grand Est. These borderlands are bound by Alsace to the south and to the German Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland to the north. “We’re recognised in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere reserves,” explains Delphine Descourvières, who represents tourism in the region, “and we can offer not just special wildlife but walks through amazing scenery, with fortress-topped forests and castles that have helped shape European history.”
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UNESCO-listed scenery
cliffs. The nature reserve preserves the forestry belt, the habitat of peregrine falcons and lynxes, along with a sustainable, eco-friendly, rural way of life beyond the big urban centres. The landscape, running from wetlands to uplands, also provides a home to grey herons, kingfishers, tawny owls and storks, along with highland cattle, and even a bison ranch, where North American bison roam.
Hugging the Franco-German border, the UNESCO-listed Northern Vosges is celebrated for its dense forests, sandstone outcrops and myriad streams and lakes. It might feel gloriously remote yet it’s also a stepping-stone to Alsace and Germany, with the renowned vineyards of Moselle and Alsace on its doorstep, along with sophisticated Strasbourg and Metz. The Pays de Bitche is also made for exploring on foot, with over 400 miles of marked border trails.
One steep hike takes in four strongholds, including the Château du Falkenstein, the picturesque medieval ruins of a pink sandstone fortress. You can even borrow a top-quality hiking kit free of charge from the tourist office. For keen cyclists, the 28-mile-loop known as Mills without Borders is a cycling path that reaches the German frontier. While once war-torn paths have become peace trails, the border castles are a reminder of the region’s earlier history on the military frontline.
The cross-border Northern Vosges National Park is filled with dense forests, heathlands, peatlands, rocky outcrops and sandstone
Castle country Castle country peaks in Bitche, one of the biggest strongholds in the Vosges, and one