Landscapes in relief
The entire eastern part of Lorraine is covered by what is known as the "Lorraine plateau". Strictly speaking, this is not a real plain, but rather characterized by hills and water bodies. The low-lying Lorraine Plateau is clearly visible near Briey in Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Chambley and Boulay in Moselle. As early as the Middle Ages, monks dug ponds that became refuges for migratory birds and, even today, are home to a wealth of flora and fauna. But the Lorraine basin is also defined by its well-developed hydrography, which is particularly useful for salt harvesting. Lorraine is also characterized by its mountains, which are very popular in both winter and summer. Located at the eastern edge of the region, the Vosges mountains in Lorraine reach an altitude of 1,360 m with the Hohneck. On the Alsatian side, the massif rises to 1,420 m with the Grand Ballon. The Lorraine side of the Vosges differs from the Alsace side in that it is longer and less steep. In winter, the lush green landscape is a haven for snow sports enthusiasts, while mountain climbers and hikers enjoy the region all year round.
A wooded region
The region's geographical relief and rainy, humid climate are conducive to lush vegetation. Forests, in particular, cover 870,000 ha, or 35% of Lorraine's land area, with the Vosges region being particularly densely forested. This is due not only to the department's relief and altitude, but also to demographic factors, as the territory was inhabited later by populations and therefore less systematically deforested. Lorraine's forests are far from uniform, with a wide variety of environments and species. Lorraine has two types of forest: deciduous on the plains, and coniferous and deciduous in the mountains. The Vosges may have a hint of fir, but beech and oak remain the region's king species. On the western plateaus, beech dominates. They are associated with sessile oak, ash, hornbeam, cherry, maple and wild cherry. These trees thrive in humid climates and shallow soils. The undergrowth consists of privet and hawthorn, and ivy covers the ground almost uniformly. In the eastern and southern parts of the region, beech forests are less diverse, with no ash, cherry, hornbeam or maple to be found. Finally, on the lower slopes of the Vosges, the predominance of conifers (firs at medium altitudes) is the main characteristic of a more mixed forest. Up to 450 m, beech dominates almost exclusively. At higher altitudes, between 450 m and 800 m, the beech fir stands predominate. It is in this mid-mountain region that blueberries and ferns are found in abundance. At higher altitudes, fir gives way to spruce and large maples. Where the forest has been cleared, meadows and crops now spread. But in the more isolated, less-worked areas, wasteland reclaims the land: first with fruit trees, then, a few years later, with more forested species. Overall, thanks to the reforestation of fallow land, the surface area of forests in Lorraine is tending to increase.
A dense hydrographic network
Water is an essential element in the region, which lies on the borders of no less than four river basins: the Rhine, the Meuse, the Seine and the Rhône. All water drains into either the Meuse or the Moselle, the region's two main sources of water. But alongside this river and the Rhine tributary, the region is criss-crossed by a large number of more secondary watercourses, such as the Meurthe and the Seille. And when it comes to lakes, the region is not to be outdone. Lorraine boasts a number of major natural lakes, such as Gérardmer, which is 2 km long and 38 m deep. There are also a number of man-made sites, such as Lac de Pierre-Percée, the largest of its kind in Lorraine, with a surface area of 304 ha and a circumference of 32 km. Built by EDF in the early 1980s, it holds almost 62 millionm3 of water at a depth of 80 m in places. All these lakes are major tourist attractions in summer, offering a wide range of activities and discoveries.
A continental climate
Cold, harsh winters, hot summers! Lorraine's continental climate is full of contrasts. In terms of climate, Lorraine lies at the crossroads of several influences: oceanic from the west and continental from the east. The climate is thus intermediate and varied. The advantage here is that each season is still very much in evidence, giving the area a charm all of its own. And even if the temperature variations are more extreme than the national average, the winters don't seem to deserve the reputation of an ice age that has been attributed to them for over sixty years, a reputation caused by the testimonies of soldiers during the Second World War, at the end of the exceptional winter of 1939-1940. Today, although the mercury can sometimes dip low, the winter average is just above 0°C. Spring is generally clearer, brighter and sunnier, with temperatures fluctuating between 5 and 10°C. This sunshine makes it possible to grow vines on the Toul hillsides, and fruit trees such as the inevitable mirabelle plum.
An area rich in flora and fauna
If the fauna and flora are so varied and well preserved, it is in particular thanks to the Lorraine coasts, carved out by the Moselle and Meuse rivers. These are gently sloping and generally well exposed. It is therefore an ideal configuration for the cultivation of orchards and vineyards. The most famous are the Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle hillsides, which are characteristic of the Lorraine landscape. This specific geology has also favoured the formation of basins dating from the ice age, lakes and ponds. Finally, there is a wetland, a "peat bog", near Pagny-sur-Meuse, about 15 km west of Toul, between the Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle rivers. At this location, the marshes extend over 80 hectares, a large part of which is now permanently protected by the Conservatoire des sites lorrains for the preservation of exceptional fauna and flora.
