Plainfaing ( French pronunciation: [plɛ̃fɛ̃] ) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France .
7-411: The commune is positioned in the east of the department, at the foot of the 949 meter high Bonhomme Pass (Col du Bonhomme) , between Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (17 km (11 mi)) to the west and Colmar (41 km (25 mi)) in neighbouring Alsace to the east. The river Meurthe rises in the nearby commune of Le Valtin and crosses Plainfaing from the south, and is joined by the stream from
14-533: Is also crossed by the Route des Crêtes (north–south). The pass takes its name from the nearby village of Le Bonhomme , 6 km to the east. Between 1871 and 1918, the pass was a border crossing between Lorraine (France) and Alsace , which had been ceded to Germany under the Treaty of Frankfurt . A stone marking the former border is situated 100 m south of the pass on D148 (Route des Crêtes). During World War I,
21-469: The Route des Crêtes (D48), passing Col des Bagenelles (904 m (2,966 ft)) and Col du Pré de Raves (1,009 m (3,310 ft)) en route, with the highest point reached at 1,062 m (3,484 ft), 3.5 km (2.2 mi) before the Col du Bonhomme. The total distance is 18.4 km (11.4 mi) gaining 589 m (1,932 ft) in height at an average gradient of 3.2%. The central section,
28-786: The Chaume valley. A designated natural reserve of half a square kilometre is shared between Valtin and Plainfaing, and includes the peaks of the Tanet and the Gazon du Faing . Plainfaing is the headquarters of the Confiserie des Hautes-Vosges, an artisanal company taken over by the Claudepierre family in 1986 and specializing in the production of nearly 35 types of candies made from natural flavors or essential oils . The company produces an average of 250 tons of candy per year. Guided tours of
35-531: The pass was the scene of fighting between French and German soldiers. On 8 September 1914, the commander of the French 41st Infantry Division , 69-year-old General Bataille, and six of his men were killed in a German artillery attack. A memorial to the General and his men stands at the pass. From the east, the climb starts at Ammerschwihr , passing through Kaysersberg and Le Bonhomme en route. From this direction,
42-442: The total ascent is 22.1 km (13.7 mi) long climbing 714 m (2,343 ft) at an average gradient of 3.2%, with a maximum of 7.4%. From the west, the climb starts at Saulcy-sur-Meurthe passing through Fraize . This climb is 20.0 km (12.4 mi) long, at an average gradient of 2.8%, climbing 564 m (1,850 ft). The maximum gradient is 6.5%. The pass can also be reached from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines via
49-565: The workshops are offered to visitors. The confectionery welcomed nearly 180,000 visitors in 2010. This Vosges geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Col du Bonhomme The Col du Bonhomme ( French pronunciation: [kɔl dy bɔ.nɔm] ) (elevation 949 m (3,114 ft)) is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains of France. The pass connects Kaysersberg ( Haut-Rhin ) with Saint-Dié-des-Vosges ( Vosges ) (east–west) and
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