Ban-De-Sapt: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

In Ban-de-Sapt, examples of church architecture, World War I memorial sites, signposted trails and the Jardins de Callunes come together.

Those travelling to Ban-de-Sapt because of Saint-Grégoire, La Fontenelle and the Jardins de Callunes may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Culture and History

The former Saint-Grégoire church was destroyed during the fighting of the First World War; the replacement building was consecrated on 1 June 1930. The Saint-Grégoire church is considered a rare example of post-World War I reconstruction architecture; its architecture and furnishings draw on Romanesque models.

The church’s harmonium was probably built around 1855 by Cavaillé-Coll in Paris and acquired by the Ban-de-Sapt parish in December 1929. It has been classified as a protected object since 20 December 1989.

Trails and Memorial Sites

La Fontenelle, at elevation 627, was a strategic position that was fought over in 1915; French troops recaptured it on 8 and 9 July 1915. The Nécropole nationale de la Fontenelle was established at the summit of elevation 627 in 1921 to commemorate the soldiers who fell there. It contains the graves of 2,346 soldiers, including 1,382 in communal graves, and is the starting point for three memorial trails addressing the difficult war years of the First World War.

The Sentier de la Cote 627 is a signposted, easy trail 1.2 kilometres long, with 45 explanatory panels and a stated walking time of 30 minutes. The Sentier des Lignes de Front is 22 kilometres long, has a stated walking time of seven hours and a moderate difficulty level. It conveys French, American and German perspectives on the First World War.

The Sentier des Hameaux morts pour la France is a signposted, easy trail 4.5 kilometres long, with ten explanatory panels. Along the way, ruins, former shelters and areas affected by mine warfare can be seen. The Circuit pédestre - Ban de Sapt starts in the hamlet of Launois, is 17 kilometres long and has a stated elevation gain of 250 metres.

Gardens

The Jardins de Callunes were created between 1994 and 1996 by transforming a former quarry, previously used as a landfill, into a botanical landscape garden. They are a four-hectare English landscape park with heathland plants and various areas, including a pine forest, a waterfall and a flowering trench.

The Jardins de Callunes offer individual self-guided visits, educational visits and visits exclusively to the outdoor areas.

Further destinations: La Chapelle-Devant-Bruyères, Lironcourt, Baudricourt, Bellefontaine, Igney, Senones, Anould, Le Val-D'ajol.

To the higher-level travel overview: Vosges.