Just a few hours’ drive from Luxembourg (and not far from Paris and Brussels), the Vosges mountain range provides a great opportunity to escape your busy working life and disconnect from everyday worries in a true mountain environment.
Nothing better than a long walk in the mountains or a ski or snowshoeing day to forget all about daily troubles. There’s no better way to detox and reconnect with nature!
Thirty-six year old Guenael, currently living and working in Luxembourg, recently had the chance to put all this to the test. He took advantage of his proximity to the Vosges mountains to go on a 2-day snowshoeing tour he had learnt about while surfing Explore-Share.com.
Originally from Belgium, Guenael arrived in Luxembourg three years ago, after spending 10 years in China. Although he had hoped that being back in Europe would allow him to spend more time in the mountains, distance was often an issue and he didn’t get to do it as much.
So this Vosges trip was the perfect opportunity for him:
“I really needed a rest but, most of all, I needed to empty my mind and re-energize. It’s not easy to find this kind of activities close to Luxembourg, especially to do over a weekend.”
Instantly re-energized
Guenael has always felt a deep connection to the mountains and feels “instantly re-energized after spending even a single day above 1000 meters.” The fresh air, the quietness, the mountain people, the physical efforts… it all adds up for him and allows him to completely disconnect from his hectic work life.
During his recent trip to the Vosges, Guenael especially enjoyed the possibility of finding himself “lost” in the mountains, even when just two hours away from Luxembourg. He also loved the instant chemistry he found with the group. The night spent at a mountain lodge and the tasty local food didn't hurt either!
Highlights of this snowshoeing weekend
“We met up early afternoon on Saturday and immediately went for a 4-hour hike. The group was great and the guide was super knowledgeable. We had dinner together and spent the night at L'Auberge du Rouge Gazon. We had a great evening,” says Guenael of his first day of the trip.
On the second day, the group walked “5 fantastic hours under a sunny, blue sky, with no one else around”. Afterwards, they had lunch at a mountain hut. Eric, the group’s mountain leader, had prepared an awesome variety of local cheeses, dry meat, sausages and paté. “We had lunch outside, nested between the sun and the snow, on a wood table. It was authentic and delightful,” he said.
The trip's highlights? "At 1200 meters, seeing the Swiss Alps from far away", says Guenael. Also, the surreal lunch on the second day. And then a magical 1-hour period during which the group walked in total silence. "Always good to think, enjoy the landscape and focus on the walk," he adds.
Eric, the mountain leader
The guide was one of the trip’s highlights as well. Guenael found Eric's profile especially interesting. “He knows a lot of stuff about the mountains, the local flora, fauna. We learnt a bunch of stuff. We joked we’d have to pass an exam at the end of the weekend,” he recalls.
Would he hire him again? No doubt, says Guenael. “I have to say all was way above expectations. It was perfect from A to Z. I wouldn’t change a single thing if I had to go again (which I will!).” In fact, he’s already planning to go skiing to the Vosges before the end of winter and maybe do some trekking during the summer.
Not as close to home but just as fun, he would also like to do a one-week trek in the Alps next summer, why not in Vanoise. Finally, a Mont Blanc tour, proposed by the same mountain leader, is also on his to-do list.
Eric is originally from Les Vosges and loves showing people around his local mountain. He enjoys letting them in some of its best-kept secrets! Additionally, he loves sharing the region's "history, traditions and savoir-faire".
Taking advantage of the treks in the mountains to give them a taste of the local gastronomy, which he has carefully selected, is another of the reasons why he loves to guide people around the Vosges.
The Vosges
Located in eastern France, this range of low mountains is a “must-see” in Alsace. Its unspoiled flora and fauna, its lakes and waterfalls and its mountains and incredible forests make it a great destination to get away from city life and reconnect with nature.
Eric's Les Vosges 2-day guided showshoeing hike is organized almost every week during January, February and March. He provides the snowshoes and participants can choose between different itineraries and accommodation. Private tours are available as well!
During the summer, Eric also organizes a Forest hike, wellness and sylvotherapy experience in Les Vosges.
A trip to the mountains is always the perfect way to escape a busy working life. And if those mountains are close to home and one can do it over the weekend, all that much better!
