The Source de l’Avière in Renauvoid

From Épinal, take the D51 towards La Vôge-les-Bains (Bains-les-Bains). Continue to the Avière Forest. Park at the forest access road on the departmental road (see GPS coordinates in ‘Practical information’).

Red Ring markings along the entire route

(S/E) From the starting point, head towards the D51 and cross it to reach the path on the opposite side.
Follow the Red Ring and Red Cross markings and, at the first junction at the forest entrance, carry straight on until you reach the second junction.

(1) Turn left and, some 200 metres further on, you’ll pass close to the Fontaine de la Couleuvre. Continue to the next junction.

(2) Turn left, then right to leave the forest, passing close to a small house.

(3) Turn sharply left to join the D51; cross the road and head to the left of a shed, following the signposted path. This path, which runs alongside fields and woodland, takes you – keeping to your left at all times – to a small tarmac road at a place called Censes des Lois. Leave this hamlet.

(4) Head up the road to the left to reach the Avière Forest House.

(5) Opposite the house, take the signposted path (Red Ring and Red Saltire) and pass a signposted path (Red Saltire) on your right. Further on, you’ll come out onto a stony track.

(6) Follow it to the left until you reach the crossroads.

(7) Turn right onto the path leading to the Source de l’Avière, nestled at the foot of a cirque-shaped valley wooded with a majestic beech forest. Take a few moments to enjoy this magnificent setting, as you’ll then need to climb up to the left, facing the spring, along the winding, signposted path.

Follow the path, passing a track on your right halfway up the slope and, further on, another track on your left. Off the main route, the more adventurous can take a round trip (marked with a Red Triangle) to the memorial stone commemorating the crash of an Allied aircraft during the 1944 bombings. You’ll emerge at the top onto a forest road. Turn left and head back to the starting point (S/E).

Coordinates for the start and finish points: 48.131772, 6.377103

Thank you to the Club Vosgien for organising this walk and for the work carried out by its teams throughout the year to mark out and maintain these paths.

Fontaine de la Couleuvre.

Source de l’Avière.

Commemorative stele marking the crash of an Allied aircraft during the 1944 bombings.