THE COUNTRY OF THE THREE BALLOONS

Located in the southern half of the Regional Natural reserve of the Balloons of the Vosges, four merry valleys, crowned by the Balloon of Alsace, the Large Balloon - climax of the Vosgean Massif, 1424 m - and the Small Balloon, leads to the southernmost part of the Alsatian vineyard. Across the road of the Crêtes which runs from Rainkopf to Uffholtz, the pleasures of the mountain mix narrowly with the delights of the regional gastronomy, the great quality of the reception and the expansion of the cultural life, to form like a concentrate of Alsace.

Wine trail: fabulous great vintages :
A charming landscape accomodates the visitor, from the coast of Hattssttatt until Thann, the southern door of the Wine trail. The vine, planted in flexible rows, marries the changing relief of the under - Vosgean hills, drawing a decoration with innumerable facets. Each village causes amazement: frontages and pinions, bases of surmounted sandstones of half-timberings, arched cellars, flowered fountains, sinuous lanes, wine paths and isolated vaults... Kings from the vineyard and hosts of refined tables, the seven Alsatian type of vines are offered to tasting in divine nectars; most famous under the name grand vintage.

Valleys that are full with life :
The Country of the Three Balloons overflows with life. Marked out with small cities and attractive villages, the valleys are the bond between the wild nature of the Vosgean crests and the cordial environment of the vineyard. If the sunny summer constitutes of course a moment of choice, each of the four season invites to leave in excursion along the thousand and one paths marked out by the Vosgean Club, which connect peaty, glacial lakes and straws of altitude. One practises there the bicycle along the rivers, the bicycle of mountain on 300 kilometers of marked tracks, the walking at his rhythm, the free flight and in the winter; skiing on track and ski touring. Each one, finally, likes to be found in a farm inn for a meal marc, or in a typical restaurant, the time of a true pause.

Cultural inheritance: pleasure of discovering :
The valleys of the Country of the Three Balloons were formerly the headquarters of powerful religious communities. One finds their traces through a very beautiful concentration of Roman buildings, as well as authentic florets of the Gothic art. These poles of of the Rhenish culture continue to inspire the inhabitants who perpetuate a deep love for the classical music. Many are passionately fond of the popular traditions, to the point to have created the Ecomuseum of Alsace, with the statements of the experts, one of most beautiful and most animated in Europe.