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

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The path leaves the plateau soon after crossing into Switzerland and descends quite steeply, the final few kilometres crossing the belt of flat fields surrounding Lake Geneva.

History

In 58BC Caesar led the Romans into battle just south of the Vosges and the Romans were to remain there for a further four centuries. Many towns can date their origins to this period; Nyon on Lake Geneva was founded by the Romans. Roads were built through some of the Vosges passes (Saverne and Donon) and a stretch of the GR5 dropping towards Nyon (Section 11) follows an old cobbled track that dates back to this time.

The eighth and ninth centuries saw the spread of Christianity and the founding of several abbeys, including that at Wissembourg.

The GR53 and GR5 through the Vosges lie for the most part in the region of Alsace, but south from the Ballon d’Alsace to the Swiss border the route runs through Franche-Comté. These regions have very different histories. Alsace, in particular, has a heritage that is part French and part German, and an overview of the various border changes helps to put the region’s identity into perspective.