Common Vosges, in Grand East region, Bruyères takes place about thirty kilometers from Epinal, in the heart of the Vosges mountains. It is located near Saint-Die-des-Vosges Gerardmer and its film festival, between the valleys of Vologne and Mortagne.
Populated for many centuries, the territory of Bruyères in particular experienced a Gallo-Roman occupation from the third and fourth centuries AD. It originally had a military purpose, particularly because of its strategic geographical position. The town as we know it today appears in the records in the thirteenth century, in 1263 specifically, and experiencing a golden age and great economic prosperity in the course of the eighteenth century, before the horrors of the French Revolution then in the second half of the nineteenth century with its industrial and military rise.
Today Bruyères continues to attract visitors passing through its charm and dynamism that does not seem to fail over time.
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was built originally in the first half of the seventeenth century when the parish of the town is detached from the field. The building as we know it today, in pink sandstone, the date for its nineteenth century, having experienced an enlargement in 1842. Inside, it is particularly possible to admire several works of interest as statues of St. Jacques and St. Nicolas or bell of the late eighteenth century.
Walking through the town, you can admire the ruins of the fortified castle or visit the tower of the Avison. Built in the early nineteenth century and fifteen meters high, it was partially destroyed by bombing in 1944 and repaired in the late 1950. Located close to 600 meters, it offers a unique perspective on all the city.
Used for worship until 1940 and the German invasion, the old synagogue Bruyères was rehabilitated in the 1990s in the museum through the generosity of Henri Mathieu who left his name. Listed historic monument, the site allows particularly admire an incredible collection of popular arts and traditions, as well as works by Jean Lurcat and collections of the old hospital pharmacy.
Be seduced by the old market to post office grains become, the town hall which was once the court, the hospital of the eighteenth century, the Notre-Dame-de-la-Roche or the beautiful Place Stanislas eighteenth century.
But it is also for its natural heritage as the common Bruyères appreciated by visitors. Several marked hiking trails allow visitors to discover the local fauna and flora like the Avison or Pointhaie ponds with their rocks ideal for an introduction to climbing. Do not miss the path of the ants opened in 2002. Four kilometers you will discover incredible sculptures and other panels recalling the history of the area.
The weekly market is held every Wednesday morning. A Christmas market with entertainment is proposed by year's end. Exhibitions and other cultural events are also held throughout the year.
Epinettes The festival is held every two years in July. The famous event Spruce Vosges through different musical and festive activities.
