The Place
Amid the thick conifer forests, meadows, streams and ponds of this little visited but lovely region sits l’Auberge de la Poulciere. An enterprising young couple, the Bouguerne-Arnould’s, were responsible for bringing a nearby farmhouse back to life by creating a calm ambience deep in the heart of the Vosges hills. They have now turned their attentions to creating something from scratch and have triumphed by building this chalet-style guesthouse within easy reach of good skiing whilst managing to negate the noise and crowds that might put some people off.
Rooms are pretty and nicely put together, with walls washed in pastel colours and a pleasant assortment of furniture and beds, some modern and some antique. Dinner here is a real treat and features dishes such as ravioles de St Jacques sauce corail au gingembre and pieds de cochon aux morilles. M. Bouguerne-Arnould is a skilled chef and, weather permitting, dinner can be taken on an attractive terrace with wonderful views.
The overall feeling here is one of tranquility; all the suites here have their own private terrace and high quality bathrooms and all look out on to dramatic scenes of wooded mountains and valleys. Although the town centre is only a short walk away, the restaurant on-site should not be overlooked.