Saales

Perched on the Via Salinaria, an ancient salt route crossing the Vosges, Saâles has often been a strategic prize. Destroyed several times by wars, notably in 1262, 1525, and during the Thirty Years' War, the town leveraged its position to develop commercial activity. From 1743, it gained the right to hold a fair and market, then became a canton capital in 1790. Annexed by Germany in 1871, it returned to France in 1918 and was in a border zone between 1940 and 1944.

Today, Saâles focuses on tourism and the tertiary sector, offering varied accommodations such as a hotel-restaurant, holiday cottages, and furnished rentals. Its medical center complements local services.

Don't miss the summer market at the Town Hall halls every Friday during the season, where mountain producers and artisans offer local specialties: berries, vinegars, fruit wines, smoked trout, cured meats, yogurts, milk, and cheeses. Nearby, the microbrewery delights craft beer lovers. A walk through the town reveals twenty-three historic fountains, once used as watering troughs and washhouses.