réserve naturelle régionale de la tourbière des Charmes

Réserve naturelle régionale de la tourbière des Charmes is a mountain peatland reserve in the Vosges, straddling the boundary between the communes of Thiéfosse and Rupt-sur-Moselle in the Moselotte valley. Established in 2008, the reserve covers around 68 hectares in total, of which the peatland core itself makes up close to 40 hectares — one of the largest of its kind in the Hautes-Vosges massif. The site sits at roughly 880 metres above sea level, on the ridge on the northeastern side of Rupt-sur-Moselle.

What makes this peatland scientifically significant?

In places, the peat layer reaches a thickness of about 7 metres, built up over thousands of years as dead vegetation accumulated under the constantly waterlogged, cool conditions typical of the high Vosges. That depth makes Charmes an important paleoecological archive for the region, preserving a long record of past climate and vegetation change that researchers can read directly from the peat layers.

How was the site used before it became a reserve?

The peatland was commercially harvested for more than a century, with local residents extracting peat for fuel and horticultural use. The old extraction pits were not left barren: today they are gradually being recolonised by sphagnum mosses, showing the ecosystem's capacity for natural recovery — a slow process that plays out over decades rather than years.

What lives in and around the peatland?

The surrounding forest is a good example of high-altitude woodland with an open structure and a varied mix of tree species and ages. Birches grow directly on the peat, while nearby stands mix old firs and beeches with spruce of all ages, creating a mosaic of habitats. Birdlife is the reserve's main ecological draw: 28 protected bird species have been recorded here, 23 of which actually nest within the site. When the reserve was created in 2008, its boundaries were extended to include peripheral forest parcels that are particularly valuable for capercaillie, a species that depends on large, undisturbed forest complexes.

Can visitors explore the reserve?

Mountain peatlands are among the most fragile ecosystems, highly sensitive to trampling and drainage, so access to reserves like this one is typically restricted to marked paths or organised educational visits run by the site's managing body. Anyone planning a visit should check current access rules with the local nature conservation authority beforehand, since parts of the reserve may be closed to visitors entirely to protect nesting birds and the delicate peat vegetation.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the reserve located? On the boundary between the communes of Thiéfosse and Rupt-sur-Moselle in the Vosges department, at around 880 metres above sea level.

When was the reserve created? In 2008, with an extended perimeter that also covers surrounding forest parcels.

How thick is the peat here? In some spots the peat layer reaches roughly 7 metres.

What birds can be found here? The reserve hosts 28 protected bird species, including nesting species and capercaillie, for which the boundaries were specifically extended.

Did past peat extraction damage the ecosystem? Not permanently — the abandoned extraction pits are now being progressively recolonised by sphagnum mosses, a sign that the habitat is recovering.