Randonnée - la chapelle sainte sabine

Kerlinquin Stone: an enormous monolithic block of red sandstone, almost 5 metres high, 8 metres long and about 1.5 metres wide. It seems to have been torn from a sandstone cliff by the glacier that covered the heights and transported it several hundred metres away. It was used as a gathering place for ritual practices that still took place in the modern period. Its weight has been estimated at about 132 tons. Classified as a historical monument in 1886.

Built in the 18th century on the site of a former oratory, Sainte-Sabine chapel pays homage to a young nun who was beheaded by the Huns in the Fossard forest in 818. According to legend, her death near a spring gave rise to numerous miracles, and Sabine is celebrated as the only one to have borne the palm of martyrdom. Every last Saturday in August, a pilgrimage honours Saint Sabine on her feast day. Near the chapel, a divinatory basin allows young girls to predict their marriage: if the needle floats up after throwing it, the marriage will take place within the year.

The Pont des Fées (Bridge of the Fairies), a listed historic monument, is a mysterious vestige located between Saint-Amé and Saint-Étienne-lès-Remiremont, in the heart of a magnificent forest. Built of dry stone at an undetermined time, it is 29 metres long, 13 metres wide and 7 metres high. The bridge served as a passageway between the Saint-Mont and the Massif du Fossard. Since April 2023, it has been forbidden to cross the Pont des Fées, but a diversion has been put in place by Club Vosgien volunteers. This new route offers a splendid view of the bridge, providing an unforgettable escape in a natural setting. It can be reached by car from Saint-Amé or Saint-Étienne-lès-Remiremont.

The site offers fine views over the Moselle and Moselotte valleys. A place of pilgrimage for centuries, it had a major influence on the whole region. Recent archaeological excavations have enabled the construction of the church to be restored and its history to be clarified. Access: from ‘Saint-Romary’, take the main road, which is closed to motor vehicles. Go straight on at the junction of two tracks. At the junction of several paths, turn left. Continue uphill and pass under the porch to reach the plateau, the chapel and the 360-degree panorama. Return along the large downhill path. Head towards the Ponts des Fées (follow the diversions as it is forbidden to walk on the bridge in order to preserve it). Once you have crossed the bridge, follow the red ring markings and finally take the path marked with red triangles, which will take you back to the car park.

Mont Habend, also known as Saint-Mont, is a sacred site located at an altitude of 672 m in the commune of Saint-Amé, to the south of the Fossard massif. The site offers exceptional views over the Moselle and Moselotte valleys, and has been occupied since ancient times. In 620, Amé, a monk preacher, and Romaric, a nobleman from Austrasia, founded a double monastery here, following the austere rule of Saint-Colomban. The female monastery was transferred in 819, but the site remained a place of pilgrimage for several centuries. Recent excavations have uncovered a burial necropolis dating back to the first millennium and traces of various medieval buildings. Now a listed monument, the site holds many secrets, including the largest group of Formae (funerary tombs of nuns) ever discovered. Saint-Mont can only be reached on foot, either via the chapel of Vieux Saint-Amé, or via Saint-Étienne-Lès-Remiremont.

The Miraumont waterfall is located near the Sainte-Claire chapel. From the lower part of Saint-Étienne-Lès-Remiremont, it can be reached by a path that runs alongside the waterfall on the way up to the place called "Saint-Romary" (490m). The waterfall is located on the Seux stream, a tributary of the Moselle. Its water comes from the Fossard massif. A small bridge, built in reinforced concrete by the "éclaireurs de France" group in 1969, allows you to walk towards the Saint-Mont. Access by road: follow the Auberge de St Romary, park in the car park on the right of the road (opposite the entrance to the Auberge) then follow the Club Vosgien signs.