Trekking in the Vosges and Jura - A Walker's Guidebook

The guidebook describes a long-distance route (672km, 418 miles) through the Vosges and Jura ranges on the eastern French border, much of it along the GR5/GR53 footpaths. The guidebook has suggestions for circular walks along the GR5, shorter walks throughout the region and alternative long-distance routes.

The sketch maps in this guide are not meant to be sufficient for navigation – separate walking maps are strongly recommended. Place names in bold capitals in the route descriptions are those included on the sketch maps, and place names in bold are other places of interest that can be found on published maps.

When choosing which scale of map to use, level of detail has to be balanced against expense and weight. The cheapest option is the IGN 1:100,000 (TOP100) series. Three sheets cover the whole GR5/GR53 route (Nos 12, 31, 38). These maps are good for planning and providing an overview of the region. In conjunction with this book they can be used for route-finding, as GR paths are marked, although there are those who might feel more confident with a more detailed map.

At the 1:50,000 scale, eight sheets cover the route from Wissembourg to Nyon. These maps, at the same scale as standard OS maps, are certainly sufficient for route-finding, and they also give details of many other footpaths in addition to the main GRs, so are preferable to the 1:100,000 if you might want to explore off the route.

The relevant maps are listed under Maps at the beginning of each route section, and details of possible stockists can be found at the end of the appendix.

At a 1:25,000 scale, IGN TOP25 maps can be obtained for the whole GR5/GR53 route, but at least 22 sheets would be needed. These are very detailed and might be worth considering for thoroughly exploring a single centre.