La Bresse: Nature, heritage and cross-country skiing

La Bresse combines a landscape of forests, mountain lakes and open high-altitude areas with cultural and seasonal activities. The town is located in the Parc Naturel Régional des Ballons des Vosges. When planning a stay, you can focus on nature at Lac des Corbeaux, heritage at Saint-Laurent Church and the Maison de La Bresse, or activities in the Nordic area. If you are looking for a hotel in La Bresse, this overview can help you decide which experiences you want to shape your stay.

Forests, mountain lakes and trails

La Bresse encompasses forests, mountain lakes and open high-altitude areas known as chaumes. The landscape therefore ranges from wooded areas to open heights. One notable spot among these lakes is Lac des Corbeaux: the lake, formed during the Ice Age, is in La Bresse and surrounded by a fir forest.

An accessible footpath leads around the lake in about 30 minutes. This is an approximate time. As seasonal road conditions can vary, it is a good idea to check current conditions before your visit. The short circular route lets you explore the lake on foot without planning a longer hike.

La Bresse and the Hautes Vosges have marked trails for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, gravel riding, trail running and horseback riding. This offers several different ways to get outdoors. For your plans, start with the activity you have in mind and choose your routes accordingly.

Heritage and encounters with art

Saint-Laurent Church bears the “Patrimoine du vingtième siècle” label. Its distinctive features include 28 glass-panel windows created by Gabriel Loire between 1951 and 1956. The number, material, artist and dates give you specific points of reference if you are interested in the church’s art and design.

Throughout the year, the Maison de La Bresse hosts heritage exhibitions and guided encounters with artists. This provides a cultural point of interest year-round, though individual exhibitions may change. During the Festival international de sculpture Camille Claudel, participating sculptors are available to the public for conversations and questions. The dates vary from one edition to the next.

Cross-country skiing and getting there

In the La Bresse-Lispach Nordic area, classic and skating cross-country ski trails run between lakes, forests, moorland and high plateaus. The two styles of cross-country skiing take you through a landscape of varied terrain. Access to the snow area is seasonal, so keep snow conditions in mind if cross-country skiing is a focus of your trip.

For travel to La Bresse using SNCF connections, buses run from the Remiremont and Saint-Dié-des-Vosges train stations via Gérardmer. From Paris, you can reach Remiremont by TGV; from there, a bus connection continues to La Bresse. If travelling from Paris, you can plan the TGV leg to Remiremont and the onward bus journey together. Check train and bus timetables before you leave.

Discover more destinations: Bussang, Herpelmont, Docelles, Epinal, Chantraine, Le Thillot, Jeanménil, Rouvres-La-Chétive

For the regional travel overview: Vosges.