Bonvillet: Sandstone Quarry, Circular Walk and the Saône

Bonvillet offers a clear focus for travellers interested in sandstone, historic stone extraction and the Saône. In the village, you can visit the sandstone quarry; the Sentier des carriers (n°33) explores the theme further with an easy circular walk to former extraction sites. There is also the Fête du grès at the end of August and a cyclosportive cycling route that crosses the Saône in Bonvillet. For your planning, it is worth considering these options as separate activities: a quarry visit, a walk, a village festival and cycling.

Sandstone quarry and stonework

The Bonvillet sandstone quarry is open to visitors free of charge all year round. It was restored and enhanced by the Association Villageoise. The quarry also has an educational trail that is accessible to everyone. This gives you several ways to approach your visit: you can plan a visit to the quarry regardless of the season, learn about the association’s restoration and enhancement work, and consider the trail as an educational offering. The quarry can therefore be a focus of your stay in its own right, not just a subject hinted at in the name of the walking route.

The Sentier des carriers and the valley

The Sentier des carriers (n°33) starts at Impasse de La Forge Kaïtel in Bonvillet. It is an easy 4 km circular walk that takes one hour. Its stated length, duration and difficulty provide a concrete basis for planning; its circular format also distinguishes it from a one-way route. If you would like to include a walk in your day, you can consider these features together.

Along the way, the Sentier des carriers leads to several former stone extraction sites. Walkers also see the Saône winding through the Bonvillet valley. The route thus brings together two different perspectives: the historic use of stone and the valley’s river landscape. If you are interested in both, the walk gives you a shared thematic framework rather than treating stone extraction and the landscape as unrelated travel interests.

Fête du grès and cycling route

Bonvillet’s Fête du grès takes place every year at the end of August and brings the work of the quarry workers to life again. The festival thus connects with stone extraction, which also features in the name of the walking trail and at the former extraction sites. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the exact event date in advance. The annual timing gives you a general guide for planning your trip; the festival date itself is what matters when choosing the precise dates.

Another option for travellers who want to get around by bike is the Boucle cyclosportive B5 – La source de la Saône. It crosses the Saône in Bonvillet. This is a different way of experiencing the river from the Sentier des carriers: on the walk, you see the Saône, while the cycling route crosses it in the village. The two activities can therefore be distinguished by mode of travel and river experience, without combining them into a single route.

Choose your travel dates and focus

When choosing your travel dates, you can give different activities different priorities. The sandstone quarry is open to visitors free of charge all year round; the Sentier des carriers is listed as a one-hour, 4 km walk; and the Fête du grès takes place every year at the end of August. If the festival is the reason for your trip, check the exact event date in advance. The B5 offers another independent option involving cycling and a river crossing. You can choose Bonvillet based on whether the quarry visit, circular walk, festival or cycling route is the main draw for you.

Discover more destinations: Epinal, Saint-Maurice-Sur-Mortagne, La Grande-Fosse, Chantraine, Bruyères, Hennezel, Baudricourt, Pargny-Sous-Mureau

For the broader travel overview: Vosges.