Fraize: Trails, Landscapes and Cultural Heritage

Fraize is located in the Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges. The municipality combines a distinctive landscape with hiking trails, architectural and industrial history, and insights into fruit-growing culture and school life. If you are considering Fraize as a travel destination, you can tailor your choices to these different interests.

Trails and Landscapes

The hiking trails in Fraize comprise a total of 32 kilometres of circular routes. The Parcours de Santé at Col des Journaux is 2,000 metres long and can be used by schools, clubs, individuals and families for leisure and recreation. For planning purposes, note the distinction: the 32 kilometres refer to the hiking routes, while the 2,000 metres refer to the Parcours. Check the condition of the facilities and the current trail route before your visit.

The Voie verte de la Haute Meurthe is a 9-kilometre former railway line between Saint-Léonard and Plainfaing. At La Roche des Fées, you will find a jumble of rocks on a wooded hilltop, surrounded by coniferous forest on scree and dry peat bog. This description of the landscape offers a different focus from the route details: here, the rocks, woodland and bog take centre stage.

Architectural and Industrial History

The Church of Saint-Blaise was built in 1783 after the previous church was destroyed by fire on the night of 6 February 1782. Among the church’s several objects listed in the inventory of historic monuments are 19 stained-glass windows by Max Ingrand. They were installed in 1949 and 1950.

The Maison Wald is an 18th-century townhouse. For almost two centuries, it housed a pharmacy run by a family line of surgeons and herbalists. Fraize’s textile past is also visible: the Avelines chimney, built in 1891, stands 63 metres high and was listed as a historic monument in 2015. The Croix du Mazeville Ouest is a monolithic monument dating from 1711. The Croix du Belrepaire Sud is a stone wayside cross with a monolithic shaft; the date 1812 is inscribed on its base.

Museums and Places of Remembrance

The Classe musée la Costelle recreates, with period furnishings, a classroom as it might have looked between around the 1940s and 1960s. Guided tours are available on request, as are educational visits. Check the visiting arrangements in advance. A forest walk to the Chapelle du Suisse starts at the tourist office and offers views of the Meurthe, the Petite Meurthe and the slopes of Anould. Built in 1865, the chapel is freely accessible via marked trails; visits are limited to the exterior. Check the current access conditions before your visit.

The Carré Militaire contains 318 graves. Most of those buried there are French soldiers, along with several Muslim soldiers and one English soldier. They died in the fighting at Col des Journaux, in Mandray, at Cols du Bonhomme or at Lushpach. The places mentioned and the composition of the Carré Militaire give the visit a clear historical context.

Fruit-Growing Culture and Visitor Services

The Verger Patrimonial was created to preserve old varieties of apples, pears and plums from the canton of Fraize and the surrounding region. The orchard also serves an educational purpose for schools and tourists. La Costelle organises training days, visits and conferences about the orchard and how it operates. Check the visit and event dates in advance.

Boucherie Toussaint offers homemade charcuterie and smoked specialities from the Vosges; the specific selection may change. The Fraize tourist office offers visitor information, a shop selling regional products and a ticket service. Check current service details before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Rambervillers, Lamarche, Denipaire, Bulgnéville, Le Clerjus, Le Tholy, Xonrupt-Longemer, Thiéfosse.

For the regional travel overview: Vosges.