Fauna

The chamois

Reintroduced in Alsace from 1938, you count about 900 in the whole Vosges Mountains (250 to 300 in the Valley of Munster). You can see them on the ridges of the Valley from 800 meters of altitude. But be quiet, do not try to go near them; these animals are shy.

Autumn is the best season to watch them at sun dawn and sunset. Our mountain guides will take you through the paths to live unforgettable moments

Testimony

"To discover the secret life of the chamois, you have to station, watching, on a ridge (…). About 5-8 P.M., when the herd comes out, with the new-borns, it is all about playing. And in Spring, the large snow patches remaining on the avalanche corridors are used for crazy capers. Walk slowly, quietly, listening to the quavering: only then you can discover their real life." C. Kempf

The lynx

 Reintroduced in 1983 after about two centuries of absence, the Vosges Mountains now provide a habitat for about 30 lynxes, and some of them roam the Valley of Munster. This nocturnal and lonesome hunter, from the big cats family, is hard to see. If you are lucky enough to see one, you will recognize its brown-spotted fur and the black brushes of hair on its ears.

The deer

 Lord of the great forest, the deer remains invisible till autumn comes, to meet the does. It is about the evening, in the misty clearings, that you can hear the deer’s powerful bell, sometimes followed by the sounds of fighting between two opponents, the impact of the antlers colliding.

At the en of winter, the antlers fall to grow again stronger during spring. It is in May that the doe delivers a little fawn. While the doe suckles, it stays far from its cub, not to give away its presence. If found, you must not touch a fawn, for its mother might reject it because of the smell of Man.