Читать книгу The GR5 Trail - Vosges and Jura. Schirmeck to Lac Léman, and the GR53 онлайн

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The edge of the forests up around the tree-line is favoured grazing for chamois. These small, goat-like animals with black-and-white-striped faces are native to various parts of Europe and were introduced to the Vosges in 1956. Since then they have maintained good numbers in the region of the Ballons. They tend to seek cover during the day, so early morning and late evening are the best times to see them, with the eastern slope below Le Hohneck a good place to go looking (Section 5). Chamois are also found quite widely in the Jura, particularly near Le Mont d’Or (Section 11) and on the slopes around Joux Castle (Section 10).

Out of the forests, in the upland regions, there is a chance to see larger birds of prey, including golden eagle, buzzard and kite, and the sandstone outcrops of the Vosges and the rocky cliffs of the Jura provide excellent habitat for the peregrine falcon.

On open pastures the yellow gentian is common. This broad-leaved, yellow-flowered plant, often several feet high, is found throughout the region, and extracts made from the roots are still commercially important for making liqueurs and herbal medicines (Section 11). The yellow daisy-like flowers of arnica are also collected for medicines, and it is common in some areas of the Vosges. Above the tree-line a range of Alpine plants can be found, with pasque flower, wild narcissus, martagon lily and globe flower giving a delightful splash of colour in season.