Fraize is located in the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park. Notable reminders of its history include a town house with a long history as a pharmacy and the 63-meter-high Avelines chimney. Hiking trails, landscape features and an educational orchard add further dimensions to the town.

Landscapes and Trails in Fraize

The hiking trails in Fraize include around 32 kilometers of loop and point-to-point routes. Another kind of route is the Voie verte de la Haute Meurthe: this 9-kilometer former railway line connects Saint-Léonard and Plainfaing. This gives visitors a network of hiking trails and a clearly defined connection between two towns as different options for planning.

The 2,000-meter-long Parcours De Santé is located at Col des Journaux. Schools, clubs, individuals and families can use it for leisure and recreation. As this is a facility, it is advisable to check its condition before use. Those interested in distinctive landscape features can find a jumble of rocks on a wooded hilltop at La Roche des Fées. Coniferous forest on scree and dry peat bog characterize the surrounding area.

A woodland 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 access conditions before your visit. The route thus combines views of rivers and slopes with a destination of historical significance, without including a tour of the interior.

Town House, Church Art and Textile History

The Maison Wald is an 18th-century town house. For almost two centuries, it housed a pharmacy run by a family line of surgeons and herbalists. The church of Saint-Blaise tells another part of the town’s history: it was built in 1783 after the previous church was destroyed by fire on the night of February 6, 1782.

The church contains several objects listed in the inventory of historic monuments. These include 19 stained-glass windows by Max Ingrand, installed in 1949 and 1950. The Avelines chimney is a reminder of the area’s textile past: built in 1891, it is 63 meters high and was listed as a historic monument in 2015. The windows offer a glimpse of the church’s furnishings; the chimney points to Fraize’s industrial history.

The Classe musée la Costelle recreates, using period furniture, a classroom as it might have looked from around the 1940s to the 1960s. Guided tours are available on request, as are educational visits; check the visit conditions in advance if you would like a guided tour. Smaller monuments also add to the picture: 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 year 1812 is inscribed on its base.

The Carré Militaire contains 318 graves, mostly of French soldiers. Those buried there also include 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.

Fruit Varieties and Regional Specialties

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 organizes training days, visits and talks about the orchard and how it works. As these are organized visits, it is advisable to confirm dates locally in advance.

For regional products, Boucherie Toussaint offers homemade charcuterie and smoked specialties from the Vosges. The availability of individual products may vary. The Fraize tourist office offers visitor information, a shop selling regional products and a ticket service; check the latest service details if you have a specific request.

Discover more destinations: Charmes, Mazirot, Saint-Amé, Ban-De-Laveline, Le Syndicat, Frebécourt, Ventron, Pargny-Sous-Mureau.

For the broader travel overview: Vosges.