The Vosges, vast and open-minded

Straddling the Alsatian and Lorraine territories, the Vosges massif is not lacking in assets for business.  

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As the green lung of Eastern France, the Vosges mountains will appeal to entrepreneurs who are attached to nature and sustainable development.

Employment areas

The Vosges area is structured around four medium-sized towns with strong personalities.

Epinal

The town of Epinal is the capital of the department and is particularly oriented towards industry, especially in Golbey, where there is a Michelin factory.

Epinal employment area

185 052
inhabitants
63 758
employees
71 535
total jobs

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

Located in the middle of the mountains, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges is resolutely turned towards nature, tourism and activities linked to sustainable development.   

Saint-Dié-des-vosges employment area

87 621
inhabitants
24 019
employees
27 431
total jobs

Gérardmer

Textiles, and in particular quality household linen, have ensured Gérardmer’s reputation. But the town, nestled on the edge of its lake, has other assets, essentially linked to the surrounding nature. 

Tourism Eastern France

Colmar

It owes its reputation to its nearby wine route and its tourist attractions, but Colmar also has an interesting business community.

Colmar employment area

208 634
inhabitants
85 324
employees
93 770
total jobs

Infrastructures and connections

Despite being a mountain area, the Vosges are very accessible and well served thanks to a real desire for territorial development.  

  • Major roads linking the Vosges with the cities of Eastern France (N59 Strasbourg<Saint-Dié-des-Vosges-Nancy, A35 Mulhouse Colmar Strasbourg)  
  • Efficient passes and tunnels with heavy traffic (Schlucht Pass, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines tunnel).

Economic sectors, research and education 

Forest industry, paper, furniture… the region has always known how to take advantage of the formidable nature that makes it up. The Vosges mountains are also very active in the food industry. 

  • Very active emblematic and excellent sectors: wood, paper and cardboard, textiles   
  • Strong presence of automotive equipment manufacturers  
  • Fibre campus in Epinal with, in particular, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Technologies et Industries du Bois (ENSTIB)  
  • Concentration of laboratories and R&D in textiles, paper, rapid prototyping and tooling, etc.

They have chosen the Vosges

Clairefontaine
Paper
Ftreca
Wholesale (cheese)
Liebherr
Mechanical construction
Linvosges
Textile
Norske Skog Golbey
Paper
Ancel / Dr Oetker
Food industry
Ricoh
Electronical equipements and office supplies
Michelin
Tires
Timken
Manufacture of bearings

Where to set up in the Vosges

Tourism and quality of life  in the Vosges

Hans rock, overhanging the “Lac Blanc” in the Vosges

The Vosges is first and foremost a preserved, rejuvenating nature that inspires serenity. You only have to sit on the edge of one of the many lakes that dot the massif or walk along its paths to be convinced.   

The area is also very well known for the quality of its thermal spas. Nestled in the heart of the massif, they welcome curists and tourists for health stays but also for the beauty of their infrastructures.  

And for winte sport lovers, the Vosges ski areas are as welcoming as they are spectacular. Slopes that wind through the heart of the forests, family resorts adapted to all budgets: the Vosges mountants get off the beaten track to put nature at the heart of winter sports.   

  • Culture: Bussang theatre, Epinal pictures, Gérardmer international fantasy film festival  
  • Gastronomy: 1 Michelin starred restaurant, munster cheese, blueberries  
  • Leisure, nature and sport: wine route (Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin), skiing and hiking, Nigloland and Fraisperthuis theme parks.