Five ideas for guided tours in the Grand-Est

• Gérardmer Lake

  Located at an altitude of 660 meters, close to the city center, Lake Gérardmer is the largest lake in the Vosges. In fine weather, you can do all kinds of activities such as sailing, canoeing, paddle boating, rowing, and trout fishing. You can even swim here, or simply enjoy a relaxing moment on one of the white sand beaches. A very pleasant and perfectly marked trail will take you the 6 kilometers around the shores of the lake.

• Verdun

  A Lorraine town in the center of the Meuse, Verdun’s history is permanently marked by the First World War. For ten months in 1916 the town was home to the infamous battle that left 300,000 dead. Many sites have been preserved in commemoration. Most notably the Douaumont fort, occupied early-on by the Germans, and the fort of Vaux, which served as an observatory and place of fierce resistance for monitoring the battle. You can also visit the city’s underground citadel. Built between 1890 and 1893, its galleries reached up to 7 kilometers at the end of the war and could accommodate up to 2000 men. The logistical headquarters were located here. local guides of the Grand-Est are there to accompany you and explain in detail what happened in its historic places

• Kaysersberg

  Don’t hesitate to take the Alsatian wine route, as you will be charmed by the small villages you will pass through. Don’t miss the quaint village of Kaysersberg, with its magnificent history. You will enjoy vintage half-timbered building facades, cobbled streets, and ruins of the 13th-century imperial castle which offer a magnificent view of the river. It was thanks to these military forts that the whole valley could be monitored back in the day.

• The Great Island of Strasbourg

  The historic city center was built on an island on the Ill River, a tributary of the Rhine. It is a lovely example of a medieval city and can be walked around by way of the riverbank. The large island of Strasbourg has many monuments: half-timbered houses from the Renaissance, religious sanctuaries (including the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral), and mansions such as the Rohan Palace. In the commercial heart of the city you will find a great many shops, cafes and restaurants. This part of Strasbourg can be seen entirely on foot, with eyes raised to observe the beauty of the well-preserved mansions. Don’t forget to go for a stroll in “Little France”, the most romantic district in the Alsatian capital. Not to be missed at the end of the year: the famous Christmas market.

• The Vent des forêts (Forest winds)

  Located 30 kilometres from Verdun, the Wind of the Forests is an open-air contemporary art space. This place spans over six villages that have joined forces: Fresnes-au-Mont, Nicey-sur-Aire, Dompcevrin, Lahaymeix, Ville-devant-Belrain and Pierrefitte-sur-Aire. Hundreds of works by artists from all over the world are presented over a route divided into six circuits of 3 to 14 kilometers each. All creations are made on site; their lifespans are at the mercy of the weather before new works move in to replace them. A must-see.