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Summer holiday in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges 20 to 27 July 2019

The following people contributed to this page presenting the holiday: Christophe Badonnel, the IT and holiday managers.

Worth a look: viàVosges television video to mark the occasion.

After Mittelwihr, Bitche and Bussang, we'll be back in the Vosges mountains this summer 2019. At the invitation of Christophe Badonnel and a team gathered around him, we will be staying in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges and travelling through new Vosges cantons.

Sant-Dié-des-Vosges is located on the western slopes of the Vosges mountains, around 80km south-east of Nancy and around 50km north-east of Epinal.

We'll be staying at a large establishment located 5 kilometres from the town centre. It's the Village Vacances La Bolle, part of the Cap France group. 

You will find the headings below:

• Introduction to the region
• Tours
• Hosting
• Note from the Board of Directors
• Registration
• Club des Cent Cols and BIG joint meeting
• Other activities or visits   

A few details for the finish

• Participants will be welcomed from 3.30pm. Christophe and I will be in charge of the "Cent Cols" reception and the holiday centre staff will be in charge of the "accommodation" reception.
• The Saint-Dié Tourist Office will be on hand to welcome visitors from 5pm to 5.45pm. They will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the region, places to visit, etc.
• At 6pm, in the main hall, the traditional welcome speeches and practical messages will be followed by a welcome drink.
• Ribbons/wristbands will be given to you, one colour for those on full board, another for those who have taken the 7 evening meal package and a third for the other members taking part in this stay.
• As announced in a previous e-mail, the shop will be open on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. only for people who have pre-booked by e-mail, then on Monday from 5.30pm to 7pm for all members. There will be at least one other shop opening during the week, to be confirmed on site.
• As usual, Gérard Birelli has prepared A3 maps of the circuits, which will be on display, together with the trombinoscope.

Introduction to the Saint-Dié-des-Vosges region

           Situated on the banks of the Meurthe at the foot of four mountain ranges (Ormont, Bure, Madeleine and Kemberg), Saint-Dié-des-Vosges is equidistant from Nancy and Strasbourg. Its altitude is 338 metres, with the highest point at 901 metres (Roche du Sapin Sec in the Ormont massif).

Wikipedia provides a brief history of the city.

"Chief town of a district Merovingianthe town of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges has been perpetuated by prestigious monasteries and Christian shrines, welcoming pilgrims and the sick. In the 12th century, the church of Saint-Dié, erected as a chapter and its canons are trying to build a town around their collegiate church and began to surround it with walls and towers, it was in the following century that the town really came into being as a result of an association between the Duke of Lorraine and the collegiate church.
After the fire in the town centre on 27 July 1757, the Grand'Rue was rebuilt under the same name. StanislasThe town developed with the blessing of the French authorities. As a sub-delegation centre, it brought together forestry administrations, courts and above all bishopric (erected in 1777).
The town experienced an industrial boom, particularly in weaving, between 1830 and 1890. It is famous for its braderie at the end of September, the successor to its autumn fairs.
It takes its name from the Christian Saint Diéfounder of ban et choir monk (i.e. bishop of the countryside) of the Columban rite (from saint Colomban(an Irish monk), known in Latin as Deodatus, in French as Déodat or Dieudonné, shortened by usage to Dié. For a long time known as Saint-Dié, the commune officially took on its current name of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges on 29 December 1994."

The region we are about to explore is part of the Hautes Vosges Lorraine. There are many cliffs of Vosges sandstone with its characteristic pink colour and beautiful, well-kept forests, criss-crossed by many fairly accessible paths. The sandstone tends to crumble over time and we will find a lot of sand on the tracks and paths. The valleys are fairly wide and accessible, and many of our tours will be at reasonable altitudes (below 800 or 1000 m).

We'll be staying at the Village Vacances La Bolle (Cap France), less than 10 minutes from the town centre. Set in extensive grounds, it comprises chalets and a large building with bedrooms, various rooms, a restaurant (partly self-service) and communal areas. The two swimming pools (heated), wellness area and spa, table tennis, petanque area, etc. are all at our disposal. Entertainment will be provided by the Village Vacances every evening. We will be staying in double rooms with en-suite facilities.

The routes

Each day you will be offered a road circuit and a mountain bike circuit (plus, perhaps, a few free circuits). They are all accessible to all our members in terms of length, gradient and difficulty. All the mountain bike routes have been tested in the field. The mountain bike routes will generally combine road and mule passes, mostly on highly cycleable roads and tracks. You will find more details and a simple rating of the routes in the route descriptions (in the brochure currently being prepared and on the website).

At the start or end of two of these routes, a tourist activity will be offered to cyclists (and accompanying adults): a visit to the Romanesque church of Champ-le-Duc, and a visit to a former hydraulic sawmill (known as "haut fer"), still in working order and now transformed into a museum.

The annual meeting of the Club des Cent Cols

It will take place on Saturday 27 July from 11am at Col de la Crenée FR-88-0550 (truckers on one side and muleteers on the other). There's plenty of room for festivities, drinks and picnics. Picnics will be taken at the centre in the morning, as on other days, but there will be no on-site catering. A fallback solution will be available in case of bad weather.

The pass is located in the Celtic camp of La Bure. A listed archaeological site since 1982, La Bure is the second most important archaeological site in Lorraine after Grand.

Road routes

R1: Saint-Jean-d'Ormont. 94 km, 2000 m of positive altitude difference and 10 passes. The route culminates at 1077 m on the Champ du Feu pass.

R2: Orbey. 84 km, 1930 m of positive altitude difference and 7 passes. The route culminates at 987 m.

R3: Fraize. 86 km, 1,900 m of climbing and 16 passes. The route culminates at 1225 m on the Lac Vert pass on the Route des Crêtes.

R4: La Hallière. 91 km, 1600 m of positive altitude difference and 9 passes. The route culminates at 823 m on the Entre les Deux Donons pass...

R5: Champ-le-Duc. 72 km, 1100 m ascent and 5 passes. The route culminates at 797 m on the Col de Martinpré.

R6: La Bolle. 88 km, 1300 m of positive altitude difference and 7 passes. The route culminates at 606 m on the Col du Haut Jacques.

R7 : Gather at the Col de la Crenée. Departing from the centre, this route is shared by road and mountain bikers and covers 24km with 350m of positive gradient. It takes in 2 mountain passes.

Mountain bike routes

V1: Saint-Jean-d'Ormont. This 40km, 1,150m positive gradient, 95% cycle route will take you over 11 passes at altitudes of between 500m and almost 900m.

V2: Lusse. This 38km route with 1130m of ascent is cycleable at 90% and will take you over 9 passes at up to 800m altitude.

V3: Celles-sur-Plaine. This 47km route with 1000m of positive ascent is cycleable at 98%. It takes you over 9 passes, all below 800m. On the descent after the last pass, you'll pass the superb wild Lac de la Maix. At the finish, you can continue for another hundred metres or so to the campsite with its terrace serving your favourite drink!

V4: La Hallière. A 37km route with 900m of positive ascent, cycleable at 98%. The route starts from the car park next to the Haut Fer sawmill (powered solely by water), which you can visit on your return, after crossing 10 passes, all less than 600 m above sea level.

V5: Champ-le-Duc. A 45 km route with 1070 m of positive ascent, cycleable at 95%. In the start and finish village, you'll find a superb 12th-century Romanesque church that can be visited. The route takes you over 9 passes, all below 700 m.

V6: La Bolle. Departing from the holiday centre, the route covers 44 km and 1100 m of positive altitude difference, with around 80% on the bike. The route takes you over 11 passes, the highest at 730 m.

V7: Gather at the Col de la Crenée. Departing from the centre, this route is shared by road and mountain bikers and covers 24km with 350m of positive gradient. It takes in 2 mountain passes.

V8: Luvigny. This route is "in addition" to the holiday programme. 39 km and 1,050 m of positive altitude difference, cycleable at 98%. It takes you over 9 passes between 600 and 750 m.

At the moment we have booked for 80 people. Depending on the number of registrations, we may be able to increase the number of rooms (but not indefinitely). Beds will be made on arrival and towels will be provided.

Other accommodation options

It is not possible to park camper vans in the holiday village.
In Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, there is no longer a campsite, but you do have a motorhome park located about 5 km away with all the necessary facilities (6 euros per night): 

Campsites

• Corcieux (17 km from the holiday centre) : Camping Au Mica8 route du Plafond, 88430 Corcieux. Tel: +33 (0) 7 69 93 30 56
• La Chapelle-devant-Bruyères (21 km from the centre) : Les Pinasses campsite215 route de Bruyères, 88600 La Chapelle-devant-Bruyères. Tel: +33 (0) 3 29 58 51 10

Chalets

Gerbépal (21 km from the centre) : Chalets les Cascadelles15 les Ziauprès, 88430 Gerbépal. Tel : +33 (0) 3 29 41 26 43 et +33 (0) 6 88 98 51 39 Email : ulrike.schmitt@orange.fr

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact theSaint-Dié-des-Vosges Intercommunal Tourist Office      +33 (0)3 29 42 22 22

A end-of-stay drinks, probably on Friday evening, will be hosted by the town of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges at the top of the Tour de la Liberté.

Registrations

To register, download the PDF registration form from the link below and follow the instructions therein. Please note that the registration form available on the Club's website consists of two pages: the registration form itself (make sure you fill in all the sections that apply to you and sign at the bottom of the page), and the conditions governing the operation of the "solidarity fund", which you should also sign. If you plan to be accompanied by your partner, be sure to register him/her as an associate member with your Territorial Delegate beforehand, and don't forget to enter his/her associate membership number in the box provided. If, and only if, a participant does not hold an FFCT licence, the compulsory insurance must also be taken out. Participation in the Solidarity Fund is included in the registration fee.

You can pay the registration fee by cheque or by transfer to the Club's account. In view of the additional fees charged, we do not accept payment by PayPal.

Members are allocated in the order in which the cheque is sent or the transfer is made. For the former, the postmark will be taken as proof, for the latter, please send us a copy of the transfer order. If the holiday is full, a waiting list will be set up, which will operate according to the same priority allocation rules as for direct enrolments.

Download the newsletter :

• Registration Form St-Dié
• Registration form St-Dié 
• Modulo d'iscrizione St-Dié (Italiano)

The deadline for receipt of entries is 31 March 2019.

Trombinoscope, a new feature:

When we meet up at trips (and other events), we meet a lot of friends and acquaintances, but we're not sure we know everyone's name, and we don't always dare admit it or ask. To try to remedy this, as announced at the Bédoin AGM, we are proposing to give each participant in the trips a simple trombinoscope of those present, with the photo, name and membership number of all those who have sent us (either beforehand or with their registration) their photo and authorisation to publish it on the trombinoscope page of the Club's website. You can send a digital photo of your face alone as a JPG file of good definition and quality, with a width/height ratio of ¾, clearly mentioning your name and membership number, to photodemembre@centcols.orgor directly at sejours@centcols.org who will pass on the information. Make sure you tick the yes or no box on the registration form, depending on whether you accept or not. If no box is ticked, the answer will be deemed negative. If you send a "paper" photo with your enrolment form, this will only be used for the trip's trombinoscope.

You can leaf through here le Passbook which will be distributed during your stay and, in addition to welcome messages, contains information about the region and how to get there, safety tips and detailed descriptions of the tours.

Club des Cent Cols and BIG joint meeting

Following contacts between the two Presidents, reported in recent publications, the two clubs have decided to organise a joint gathering (exchange of good words, meetings, etc.). This will take place the day after the last day of our stay in Saint-Dié, on

Sunday 28 July at Schliffkopf (D-BIG 168) at 12 noon

This BIG is very close to the Kohlgrube road pass (DE-BW-0998). All members of the two associations are cordially invited to attend.

To help us organise the event, please let us know at sejour@centcols.org your intention to take part in this event.

There are two routes to the Schliffkopf:

• A 74km road course, 1700m ascent with 11 passes.
• A 48km mountain bike route, 1300m ascent with 9 passes.

For these two routes, GPS tracks and a description of the route will be available on the site in the spring. These routes have only been recognised and will therefore be ridden by participants at their own risk. A joint start for both routes will be organised on Sunday morning at 8am, meeting point in front of the hotel.
Oberkirch is around 130 km from Saint-Dié, to the east of Strasbourg (less than two hours' drive).

To make things easier, Christophe Badonnel has negotiated rates and pre-booked around fifteen rooms in a hotel in Oberkirch:
Hotel Renchtalblick,
Bellensteinstr. 9,
D-77704 OBERKIRCH
Tel +49 (0)7802 92520, info@renchtablick.de
Rates for half-board (dinner + overnight stay + breakfast + tourist tax) per person are :
64.50 for a room for 2 (for couples)
60.00 for a 3-person room
55.50 for a room of 4 people

Christophe has offered to manage registrations and relations with the hotel, so please contact him to register and pay for your stay.
Christophe Badonnel, badonnel.christophe@wanadoo.fr tel: +33 6 78 87 33 67

Other hotels nearby include :
Hotel Haus am Berg
Am Rebhof 5
77704 OBERKIRCH
info@haus-am-berg-oberkirch.de
Others can be found on the website :
https://portal.toubiz.de/renchtal/ukv/search?reset=1&box=0

There is a camping area in the village:
Rencheallée
77704 OBERKIRCH

Other activities or visits

The Village de Vacances La Bolle will be offering activities for accompanying adults.

You can find many proposals atSaint-Dié-des-Vosges Intercommunal Tourist Office      +33 (0)3 29 42 22 22

SAINT-DIE-DES-VOSGES

• Gallery 36^th art
• TRAINLAND Museum
• Pierre Noël Museum
• The cathedral
• The Freedom Tower
• The Molières waterfall

ABBEY COUNTRY

• VELOSOLEX Museum (Senones)
• Abbeys (Etival, Clairefontaine, Moyenmoutier, Senones)

PIERRE PERCEE LAKE Scierie de la Hallière (Celles-sur-Plaine)

HIGH VOSGES

• Confiserie des Hautes Vosges (Plainfaing). France's most visited food company.

BACCARAT

25 km (20 minutes by car) north of Saint-Dié, in the town of Baccarat, you'll find the famous crystal factory. It is no longer open to visitors, but the museum located in the courtyard of the crystal works opposite the manufactory, will be delighted to welcome you. Our guided tours include a historical and a technical section, followed by a tour of the museum rooms. Admission is 5 euros per person, with one free entry for every 20 people. For safety reasons, we cannot take more than 25 people per group. If there are more than 25, we will split the group in two. Please allow 1/2 hour between each group and 1 hour for the visit. Museum sheet.