Refinement and Excitement from your Lorraine Villa

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever considered eating quiche that the French region of Lorraine is as well known for its cuisine as it is for its excellent villas and homes. What sets food from Lorraine apart is the key ingredients, among which smoked bacon and the mirabelle plum are chief.

While French restaurants in America can approximate the puffed and flaky pastries that the Lorraine region is celebrated for, an approximation is all those faux auberges can truly produce. While it’s a stretch to consider traveling to Europe just for desert, once in Lorraine a visitor may very well wonder why they didn’t do just that sooner.

Within Lorraine, the department of Vosges is one of the oldest. An original post-revolution department, Vosges has a rich history and long traditions easily overlooked by the casual observer. Just looking out from a vacation villa at the densely wooded countryside from Saint-Julien, a visitor would be too impressed with the natural splendor to contemplate the hard work that has kept it that way.

Hidden within those rolling hills are hydropathic springs reputed as having restorative powers. Whether it’s the water itself or just the tranquil setting of a bubbling spring bathed in slanting jade sunlight, the regenerative reputation of those springs is well deserved. Dramatic waterfalls, placid mountain lakes and a host of protected flora and fauna–including wild boar–are all accessible by hiking, climbing or biking. Contact the local tourist board for motor tours.

Sitting atop one of these pastoral foothills is Saint-Julien. With only 130 inhabitants, this escape in the countryside defines ‘get-away-from-it-all.’ This 19th century villa, the Domaine de St Julien, is an ideal base to explore any or all of the local natural wonders by foot, car or bike. If you want a real change of pace try floating along on your own personal cloud by trying your hand at paragliding. Moving no faster than a passing cloud with some practice, paragliding will give you a highly enviable point of view and photographs you will be proud to show off.