Vosges Club

The Vosges Club (French: Club Vosgien, officially the Fédération du Club Vosgien, German: Vogesenclub) is a French rambling organization that covers the Vosges Mountains in the regions of Alsace, eastern Lorraine and the northeastern part of Franche-Comté.

The club was founded on 31 October 1872 in Saverne and recognized as a charitable organisation in 1879. Its first chairman was Curt Mündel, known for his much-printed guide Die Vogesen – Reisehandbuch für Elsaß-Lothringen und angrenzende Gebirge. In the period around 1890–1910 the Vosges Club erected viewing towers on the summits of the Scherhol, Grand Wintersberg, Wasenkoepfel, Brotschberg, Climont, Champ du Feu, Heidenkopf, Ungersberg and Faudé.

The Vosges Club has 111 local branches (as at 2006) and about 34,000 members. Its head office is in Strasbourg. Its chief executive since 2008 is Rémy Herry from Lutzelhouse.

The aims of the club include the maintenance and waymarking of just under 19,000 km of footpaths and trails. The waymarks are put up by over 760 volunteers. The club manages 26 of its own hostels and maintains 67 refuge huts. In addition to promoting hiker tourism the Vosges Club is also dedicated to other outdoor activities like climbing and skiing, as well as nature conservation. The club publishes walking guies and maps, as well as its own magazine, Les Vosges, which comes out 3 times a year.

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