Épinal brings together architectural and cultural history, expansive parks and activities ranging from astronomy to water sports. When planning a visit, it is helpful first to understand the different highlights: medieval architecture and collections sit alongside landscaped parks, science outreach and outdoor activities.
Cultural history from the Middle Ages to the collections
The Salle des Boiseries in Épinal preserves thousands of old books, including one more than 1,200 years old, in a remarkable, unique oak ensemble. The book collection and the woodwork give the venue two clearly identifiable cultural highlights.
The Château d’Épinal is a fortified medieval complex dating from the 13th century and classified as a Monument historique. The Basilique Saint-Maurice adds an older historical dimension: it is the oldest surviving building in Épinal. Its foundation is dated to around 980; it was rebuilt in the 11th century and extended through the 14th century. Its architectural history thus spans several centuries, while the château dates from the 13th century.
La Glucoserie, Épinal’s Centre d’interprétation de l’architecture et du patrimoine, presents architecture and heritage through videos, virtual reality, mashup projections, exhibitions and escape games. Its focus is communicating architectural history and heritage through a range of formats. The Imagerie d’Épinal adds another perspective on cultural heritage: it was founded in 1796. Its heritage includes nearly 7,000 lithographic stones, 1,400 woodblocks and 23 historic machines.
Two English-style landscaped parks
The Parc du Château is a 26-hectare English-style landscaped park, listed in the supplementary inventory of Monuments historiques. It includes an animal park, a medieval garden and an educational trail about lichens and pollen. The park is open daily and free to visit year-round.
The Parc du Cours is also an English-style landscaped park. At 28 hectares, it is two hectares larger than the Parc du Château and is located in the centre of Épinal. Its dated features include a bandstand from 1863 and a meteorological station from 1892. The two parks share the same landscape style but differ in size, location and the features mentioned for each.
Astronomy, exercise and water
While the Glucoserie presents architecture and heritage, the Planétarium d’Épinal is devoted to astronomy, space and natural sciences. It offers shows, science workshops, events and other educational activities year-round. For those interested in these topics, the programme ranges from shows to workshops and events.
Spinaparc is a five-hectare adventure park in Épinal. It combines high ropes courses and a via ferrata on a sandstone cliff. This makes it a different kind of activity from the cultural learning experiences.
At Base Natur’O in the port of Épinal, visitors can use canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, electric boats that do not require a licence and pedal boats. As the activities and equipment arrangements may change, check in advance which activities are currently available.
The 2.2-kilometre-long “Sur les traces du Nacré” trail refers to the rare Nacré de la Canneberge butterfly. This adds a nature theme alongside the parks, focusing on a particular butterfly species.
Discover more destinations: Bellefontaine, Beaufremont, Rambervillers, Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle, Cheniménil, Golbey, Rouvres-En-Xaintois, Châtenois
For the regional travel overview: Vosges.
