Vosges Mountains
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The Vosges (IPA: [voːʒ]) or Vosges Mountains are a mountain range in eastern France, stretching along the west side of the Rhine valley in a north-north-east direction, from Belfort to Saverne. Geographically, the Vosges mountains are completely located in France with the Col de Saverne separating it from the Palatinate Forest. Geologically, though, some parts of the Palatinate Forest are considered to belong to the same entity.[clarify] Vosges, a department of France, is named after the range.
From 1871 to 1918 the Vosges were divided along a line streching from the Ballon d'Alsace to Mont Donon with the eastern part being incorporated into Germany as part of Alsace-Lorraine. There is a remarkable similarity between the Vosges and the corresponding range of the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine: both lie within the same degrees of latitude; have similar geological formations; are characterized by fine[clarify] forests on their lower slopes, above which are open pastures and rounded summits of a rather uniform altitude; and have a steep fall to the Rhine and a gradual descent on the other side. The Vosges in their southern portion are mainly of granite, with some porphyritic masses and a kind of red sandstone (occasionally 1640 ft.[clarify] in thickness) that bears the French name of grès Vosgien.
Orographically the range is divided south to north into three sections: the Higher Vosges (Hautes Vosges), extending in the southern part of the range from Belfort to the valley of the Bruche; the Central Vosges (31 miles),[clarify] between the Bruche and the Col de Saverne; the Lower Vosges (30 miles),[clarify] between the Col de Saverne and the source of the Lauter. The rounded summits of the Grandes Vosges[clarify] are called ballons ("balloons").
The highest points are located in the Higher Vosges: the Grand Ballon (also called Ballon de Guebwiller) rises to 1424 m (4,670 ft), the Storckenkopf to 1366 m (4,481 ft), the Hohneck to 1364 m (4,475 ft), and the Ballon d'Alsace to 1247 m (4,091 ft). The Col de Saales, between the Higher and Central Vosges, reaches nearly 1900 ft. high, both lower and narrower than the Higher Vosges, with Mont Donon (3307 ft.)[clarify] being the highest point of this section.
The railway from Paris to Strasbourg and the Marne-Rhine Canal traverses the Col de Saverne. Only the minor Strasbourg – Saint-Dié rail line crosses the Vosges between Saverne and Belfort, but there are also carriage roads over the passes of the Bussang from Remiremont to Thann, the Schlucht (1135 m / 3723 ft) from Gérardmer to Munster, the Col du Bonhomme from St Dié to Colmar, and the pass from St Dié to Ste Marie-aux-Mines.
The Lower Vosges are a sandstone plateau ranging from 300 to 600 m (1000 to 1850 ft.) and are crossed by the railway from Hagenau to Sarreguemines, defended by the fort of Bitche.
Meteorologically, the difference between the eastern and western versants[clarify] of the range is very marked, the annual rainfall being much higher and the mean temperature being much lower in the latter than in the former. On the eastern slope the vine ripens[clarify] to a height of 400 m (1300 ft.); on the other hand, its only rivers are the Ill and other shorter streams. The Moselle, Meurthe and Sarre rivers all rise on the Lorraine side. Moraines, boulders and polished rocks testify the existence of the glaciers which formerly covered the Vosges. The lakes are surrounded by pines, beeches and maples, and green meadows provide pasture for large herds of cattle, with views of the Rhine valley, Black Forest and snow-covered Swiss mountains. On the lower heights and buttresses of the main chain on the Alsatian side are numerous castles, generally in ruins. At several points on the main ridge, especially at St Odile above Ribeauvillé (German: Rappoltsweiler),are the remains of a wall of unmortared stone with tenons of wood, 6 to 7 ft. thick and 4 to 5 ft. high, called the Mur Païen (Pagan Wall). It was used for defence in the Middle Ages and archaeologists are divided as to whether it was built for this purpose by the Romans, or before their arrival.
[edit] References
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- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
[edit] External links
als:Vogesen an:Bosgos ca:Vosges (serralada) da:Vogeserne de:Vogesen es:Cordillera de los Vosgos eo:Vogezoj fr:Massif des Vosges hr:Vogezi it:Vosgi la:Vosegus hu:Vogézek nl:Vogezen (gebergte) no:Vogesene nn:Vogesane oc:Vòges pl:Wogezy pt:Vosges ru:Вогезы sl:Vogezi fi:Vogeesit sv:Vogeserna
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