Epinal is situated 60 km south of Nancy. It is the capital of the Vosges departement. The Moselle River flows through the town. Surrounded by forests, Epinal makes a good base to explore the Vosges region.

Though Epinal was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War there is still a lot to see including the arcades of the Place des Vosges, the remains of the chateau and the Basilique St-Maurice, some of which is 11th century.

Épinal is best known for the "Images d'Épinal" which is now a common expression in French language - these simple prints with saturated colours have been produced since the late 18th century by a local company, the Imagerie d'Épinal, formerly known as the Imagerie Pellerin. You can take a guided tour at L’lmagerie d’Epinal up river to see how the images are made and coloured.

Don't miss the Musée Departmental d’Art Ancien et Contemporain which is situated on an island in the middle of the river. This is a stunning modern  building with luminous glass walls. It has good collections of local archaeological finds plus a whole section devoted to the Images d’Epinal. There is also a good art collection with work by Rembrandt, George de La Tour and Brueghel and more modern work by Gilbert and George and Andy Warhol.

Stop at Baccarat if you interested in buying some beautiful crystals. A large shop near the Musée Deprtemental d’Art Ancien et Contemporain sells  top-quality pieces, even the smaleest costing a small fortune, while there are other cheaper shops in town.

The town has a lot of parks and gardens and boats and river cruises can be taken from the riverside marina.

Epinal (Vosges, Lorraine) mini guide

Guide point Details
Location: Épinal is located in the Vosges department in the northeastern France.
Public Transport:

Train: There are hourly trains from/to Nancy (55min), as well as less frequent direct trains to Belfort (1h20min). Most other destinations require a change in one of these two cities. Trains from Paris-Est transit by Nancy and take about 2h45min to 3h15min if using the TGV until Nancy. There are a few direct TGV to Epinal per day (2h20min).

Air: The nearest international airport is Strasbourg.

Road: There are no Autoroutes direct to Epinal, the A31 is the closest to pass by (exit 9 or 10).
Tourist information website: http://www.ville-epinal.fr/
Tourist information contact email: mairie@epinal.fr
Tourist information switch board number: + 33 (0)3 29 68 50 00
Tourist information address: Mairie d'Epinal - 9, rue du Général Leclerc - B.P. 25 - 88001 Epinal Cedex