Lubine: Hiking, Village History and Geology

Hiking trails, a parish church with its own history of construction, geological formations and a toy museum give Lubine a range of different points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel in Lubine, you can plan your stay around the places and activities that interest you most: for example, the historic traces along a trail, church architecture or the geology near La Bassotte.

Hiking and history along the trails

The Chemin de la Résistance et de la Liberté connects the Col d’Urbeis with the Col de Noirceux and is about 10 kilometres long. Twelve panels recount the passage of people who sought to flee from German territory to France during the Second World War. For much of its route, the trail follows the former border. Numerous historic boundary stones stand there, engraved with F for “France” and D for “Germany”. The trail description thus links a specific route with the history of the border.

Another named hiking trail is the Circuit pédestre – La Chapelle de la Jambe de Fer. This mid-mountain hiking trail is 9.5 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 313 metres and is marked with a red ring. The stated distances are close: the Chemin de la Résistance et de la Liberté is about 10 kilometres long, while the Circuit is 9.5 kilometres. The Circuit also has a stated elevation gain and trail marking. If you are planning this circular route, check the markings and local conditions before setting off.

The parish church and its history of construction

The parish church, église paroissiale de la Pentecôte, is located on Rue Haute in the village of Lubine. It was enlarged from 1726 to 1728, while the base of the tower was retained. Its architecture is characterised by a rectangular nave, a bell tower that partially projects from the main structure, a polygonal choir and a Baroque façade. The construction period and the retained tower base are linked: they show that the enlargement did not replace the entire earlier tower structure.

The description of the individual architectural features also gives a visit to the church a specific focus. The nave, tower, choir and façade are different elements of the same building. If you are interested in architecture, you can look at these features alongside the documented history of the enlargement, rather than judging the church only by its age.

Geology near La Bassotte

The geological formations are known as Écailles de Lubine or Écailles du Climont. They are considered an example of metamorphic rocks of different types and origins. Along the forest roads of Climont and Chevremann near La Bassotte, there are access points to geological slices I, II and III on both sides of the La Fave river.

The geological site at La Bassotte is reached via the path behind the church; parking is possible where the paved road ends. Check access conditions locally before your visit, as vegetation, property rights or road access may affect them. The geological description and directions make La Bassotte a different kind of excursion from the two named hiking trails: here, the focus is on rock formations and geological sites.

Toy museum and regional context

The Musée du jouet vintage in Lubine displays nearly 400 old toys that visitors can touch and hold. It offers themed activities and a children’s workshop. As activities may change, check the visitor arrangements and current offerings before your visit. This will help you fit a museum visit into your plans without assuming fixed dates or an unchanged programme.

Lubine is one of the 189 communes in the Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges; 44 of these communes are in the Vosges département. Another historical trace is the Lordonbahn, also known as the Tacot Allemand: a western branch of the narrow-gauge railway, which operated during the First World War, ran as far as Lubine. This places the railway’s history in its historical timeframe and distinguishes it from today’s hiking themes.

Discover more destinations: Les Voivres, Fays, Senones, Anould, Godoncourt, Champdray, Frapelle, Tendon.

For the regional travel overview: Vosges.