Anould: Hiking, Nature and Local History

Anould offers several ways to shape your stay: hiking, nature, local history and insights into beekeeping. If you’re looking for a hotel in Anould, you can use these interests to help plan your trip. The sights and activities range from an easy circular hiking trail to a natural site and a church that individual visitors can explore freely.

Hiking the heights of Anould

The “Circuit pédestre - Roche du Sphinx” circular hiking trail is 6.5 kilometres long and rated easy. It links viewpoints, geological features, areas shaped by agriculture and stretches of woodland. So the route offers more than a single impression of the landscape: along the way, you’ll encounter a variety of terrain and landscape features. Its length and difficulty rating give you concrete information to help fit the hike into your day’s plans.

Another hiking route is Le circuit des Croix. It is one of the routes on the heights of Anould and in the surrounding area. No length is given for this route; check current route conditions and availability before setting out, as they may change.

Roche du Sphinx: rocks and valley views

Roche du Sphinx is a natural site at an altitude of around 560 metres, on a hill overlooking Anould and the Meurthe Valley. The site is covered with heather and scattered rocks; the rock itself consists of fine-grained, feldspar-rich granite. Both the vegetation and the geological features are therefore part of the character of this place.

There are viewpoints at Roche du Sphinx, and the site can serve as a picnic spot. This makes it a destination in its own right for anyone wishing to focus on the landscape and geology during a stay in Anould. The circular hiking trail of the same name adds further viewpoints, along with areas shaped by agriculture and stretches of woodland. You can therefore choose between visiting the natural site and taking a hike that showcases several different landscapes.

Église Saint-Antoine and its architecture

Église Saint-Antoine was rebuilt on the heights of Anould, on the site of the former church, which had been destroyed. It overlooks the Meurthe Valley. On its façades, pink Vosges sandstone blocks highlight the corners, piers, buttresses, cornices and round-arched windows. The stones draw attention to the façades’ layout and to the different architectural elements, rather than presenting the church as just a single structure.

Individual visitors can explore the church freely. This offers a different focus for your visit from the hiking trails: here, the emphasis is on the rebuilding and architectural details. Its elevated position above the Meurthe Valley also connects the church to one of Anould’s defining landscape features.

Insights into beekeeping

Rucher des Hautes Vosges - Bertrand Noël, located in Anould, welcomes visitors year-round. Offerings include tastings of honey products and direct sales of honey and hive products. This adds a tangible connection to beekeeping to the hiking, nature and local history options. If local produce interests you, you can make this visit a focus of your trip planning.

More activities and trip planning

Anould is also listed as a destination for hiking, snowshoeing on circular trails, Nordic skiing and alpine skiing. Check the seasonal availability of these activities locally before planning your trip around them. This is especially useful if you want to combine hiking with winter sports or plan your stay for a particular season.

The activities described also differ in terms of when they are available: Rucher welcomes visitors year-round, while the availability of seasonal activities should be checked locally. When choosing a hotel in Anould, you can first decide which nature, hiking, cultural or beekeeping experiences matter most for your stay, then plan your travel dates accordingly.

Discover more destinations: Raon-Aux-Bois, Saint-Nabord, Vincey, Le Tholy, Lironcourt, Liézey, Gérardmer, La Chapelle-Devant-Bruyères

For the broader travel overview: Vosges.