There Is a Donkey Outside Your Window
You will hear the geese before you see them. The paddock runs right up to the buildings, with a donkey, a few goats, sheep and geese in it, and two fish ponds in front where koi circle under the reflection of the chalets. Children get taken out to feed the donkey and take some persuading to come back in. A German family who stayed in April summed the whole thing up in three words: nature, animals, quiet.
The Auberge du Saut des Cuves is a two-star inn under the official French classification, family-run by Frédéric Petitdemange, with eleven rooms across a pair of timber chalets and a restaurant in between. It sits three hundred metres from the waterfall that gives it its name, on the boundary between Xonrupt-Longemer and Gérardmer, and it is listed under the Massif des Vosges en famille charter for good reason.
Daffodils in April, Skis in January
In spring the bank in front of the auberge fills with wild daffodils, the same jonquilles that Gérardmer builds a festival around. In winter the same slope is under half a metre of snow and the car park is a sheet of white. That is the shape of the year up here: the Vallée des Lacs runs two seasons hard and empties in between.
The geography is the reason to book. Gérardmer's La Mauselaine ski area, the largest in the Vosges with forty kilometres of pistes, is five minutes by car. Lac de Longemer is eight minutes, Lac de Gérardmer ten, Lac de Retournemer twelve, and the Col de la Schlucht and the Route des Crêtes under twenty. The Saut des Cuves itself is a five-minute walk, and the Sentier des Perles de la Vologne starts there.
Simple Rooms, and the Dinner Question
The eleven rooms are plain and clean: pine beds, painted or ragged walls, tiled or laminate floors, satellite television, a wardrobe and a private shower room. The largest run up into the roof with the roof timbers left exposed and a sofa and dining table under them. Two guests, one Turkish and one Brazilian, both loved their rooms and both wished there had been a kettle in them. There is no air conditioning and some beds are firm. Nobody is pretending otherwise, and the value score reflects a fair deal rather than a grudging one.
The one thing to plan around is dinner. There is a restaurant here, with a stone-and-timber bar and a glazed veranda looking into the trees, and the kitchen has a chef with decades behind him. But a British guest who came in June found that evening meals are only served in the July and August high season. Outside those two months, book the room for the breakfast and eat in Gérardmer, five minutes down the road.
Why Book the Auberge du Saut des Cuves?
This is a plain, well-run family inn in a very good spot, and it is priced accordingly. Here is what it does properly and what it genuinely does not do.
Three hundred metres from the waterfall
The Saut des Cuves, where the Vologne drops through granite bowls beside the road, is a five-minute walk from the door and gives the auberge its name. Gérardmer's ski area is five minutes by car, Lac de Longemer eight, and the Col de la Schlucht under twenty. Location is one of the two highest-rated things about a stay here.
Breakfast, and animals in the field
The buffet breakfast is what guests write about first: fresh eggs, croissants and several homemade jams. Outside the window there is a donkey, some goats, sheep and geese in a paddock, with fish ponds in front. A German family summed their stay up in three words: nature, animals, quiet.
A games room, and a gym
Table tennis, a pool table, table football and a drinks machine in one big room, an indoor play area, a children's playground outside and a small fitness room with exercise bikes. For a two-star inn in the mountains that is a lot, and a British guest called the games room a very welcome bonus on a wet afternoon.
Park for nothing, even on a bike
Free private parking on a big forecourt, no reservation needed. Touring motorcyclists mention it specifically, because leaving a bike here overnight feels safe in a way that a town car park does not. The Route des Crêtes and the Col de la Schlucht are the reason they are here.
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Interesting Points About Auberge du Saut des Cuves
- The restaurant does not serve dinner all year. A British guest who stayed in June found evening meals were only offered in the July and August high season, which is the single most useful thing to know before booking here and the thing no listing tells you. Breakfast is served every day and is the most praised thing about the place.
- The two accessible rooms are disputed. One listing says two ground-floor units, the Single Room and the Suite for two adults and a child, are entirely wheelchair accessible with adapted parking. The French government's own Acceslibre access register, last confirmed in January 2025, records no accessible room and no adapted parking space at this address. Contact the auberge directly before booking on that basis.
- There is a working animal paddock beside the rooms. A donkey, goats, sheep and geese live in it, with fish ponds in front of the buildings, and it is the thing children remember. The property is listed under the Massif des Vosges en famille charter and carries a Famille Plus tag on the local tourist-office listing.
- The waterfall it is named after is about 300 metres away, a five-minute walk. The Saut des Cuves is a roughly three-metre cascade where the Vologne has carved bowls, cuves, out of the granite beside the D417, and it is the starting point of the Sentier des Perles de la Vologne.
- The address has two versions in circulation. The property's own website prints 111 route du Saut des Cuves; every official registry records 1111. Some booking sites also file the auberge under Gérardmer rather than Xonrupt-Longemer, which is understandable, since it sits right on the boundary between the two.
- There is no kettle in the rooms. Two separate guests, one from Turkey and one from Brazil, both otherwise delighted, made the same point. There is also no air conditioning, which nobody at 700 metres in the Vosges should expect, and no pool or spa despite what some aggregator pages suggest.
- The auberge is a two-star hotel under the official Atout France classification rather than a self-declared rating. It is run by Frédéric Petitdemange through FP REMEGNOL, registered in December 2016, with the business itself long predating that company.
Rooms & Accommodation at Auberge du Saut des Cuves
Standard Suite
About 55 m² · Private entrance · Sofa and seating area
Best for a group or a family staying several nights who want somewhere to sit that is not the bed. At around 55 m² it is the largest thing the auberge sells, open to the roof with the timbers showing, a sofa, a table and chairs, and its own entrance. If you are here for a ski week rather than a night, this is the one to ask for.
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Family Suite (4 Adults)
4 adults · About 35 m² · Private entrance
Right for four adults travelling together, a walking group or two couples sharing. About 35 m² with a private entrance, a sofa and a proper seating area, tucked under the roof beams. Children aged two and over are charged as adults here, so read that into your numbers before you book.
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Quadruple Room
4 guests · About 32 m² · Upper floor
Works well for a family of four with children who will happily take the bunks. About 32 m² with a sofa and seating area, on the upper floor and reached by stairs, so factor that in with pushchairs or heavy bags. Cots and extra folding beds can be added for a nightly charge if you need a fifth.
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Suite (2 Adults + 1 Child)
2 adults and 1 child · About 30 m² · Ground floor
Choose this if you want space on one level. It is around 30 m² on the ground floor with its own entrance, and it is one of two rooms the listing describes as wheelchair accessible. Be aware that the French government access register disagrees on that point, so if step-free access is a requirement rather than a preference, ring the auberge before you book.
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Double Room - 2 to 3 People
2 to 3 guests · About 20 m² · Upper floor
The sensible pick for a couple with one child, or three friends who do not need much. Around 20 m² with a sofa and seating area on the upper floor. This is also the room type sold as a triple, so if you are offered a triple on your dates, this is what you are getting rather than a separate room.
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Double Room - Annex
2 guests · About 16 m² · Ground floor with terrace
Best for a couple who want their own front door and somewhere to sit outside with a coffee and the geese. It is the only room type with a terrace, on the ground floor in the annex, at around 16 m². Ask for it in summer, when sitting out is the whole point of being here.
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Single Room
1 guest · About 12 m² · Ground floor
The right choice for a solo walker or a motorcyclist stopping a night on the Route des Crêtes. About 12 m² on the ground floor with its own entrance, a desk and a private shower room. It is the second of the two rooms the listing describes as wheelchair accessible, with the same caveat about the government register worth checking first.
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Double Room
2 guests · About 11 m² · Upper floor
Suits two people who are out walking or skiing all day and want the cheapest way into a good position. At around 11 m² it is the smallest room here and it is honest about that, with a double bed, a private shower room and a television. A Polish guest called it small but clean and comfortable, which is exactly the deal.
Check PricesIs the Auberge du Saut des Cuves Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Families with young children, thanks to the animal paddock, playground and games room
- Walkers and skiers wanting the Vallée des Lacs and the Route des Crêtes on the doorstep
- Touring motorcyclists, who single out the safe free parking
- Anyone who rates a proper breakfast over a smart bedroom
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- Guests wanting dinner on site outside July and August, when the restaurant does not serve evenings
- Anyone expecting a kettle, air conditioning or a soft mattress
- Travellers who need certified step-free access, which the official register disputes
- Dog owners, since pets are not accepted and a guest was turned away for arriving with one
Amenities and Facilities
In Your Room
- Private bathroom with shower, toilet, towels and toilet paper
- Satellite TV
- Heating
- Wardrobe
- Garden and mountain views
- Fold-up bed available
- Non-smoking
- Not available: Kettle or tea tray
- Not available: Air conditioning
Food and Drink
- Continental buffet breakfast with eggs, croissants and homemade jams
- On-site restaurant serving traditional regional cooking
- Evening service in the July and August high season
- Bar in wood and stone, plus a coffee house and snack bar
- Wine and champagne available
- Children's meals
- Packed lunches on request
- Heated veranda dining room
For Families and Free Time
- Animal paddock with a donkey, goats, sheep and geese
- Fish ponds
- Games room with table tennis, pool and table football
- Indoor play area and outdoor playground
- Fitness room with exercise bikes
- Garden, sun terrace and picnic area
- Babysitting and child services at extra cost
- Not available: Swimming pool
- Not available: Spa or wellness centre
Access, Parking and Policies
- Free private parking on site, no reservation needed
- Step-free ground-level entrance
- Two ground-floor rooms with private entrances
- Daily housekeeping and shared lounge
- Meeting and banquet facilities at extra cost
- Children of all ages welcome, aged 2 and over charged as adults
- Cots and extra beds on request for a nightly charge
- Not available: Lift
- Not available: Pets
- Not available: Airport shuttle
- Not available: Smoking indoors
Location and Getting Around
The auberge stands on the D417 corridor at Xonrupt-Longemer, right on the boundary with Gérardmer, in the upper Vologne valley that the Vosges call the Vallée des Lacs. It is set back from the road behind its ponds and paddock, so the traffic is not the problem the map suggests. Some booking sites file the property under Gérardmer rather than Xonrupt-Longemer, and the property's own website prints the house number as 111 while every registry says 1111. Both refer to the same place.
You want a car. Remiremont, about 28 km away, is the nearest useful station, with a Fluo Grand Est bus onward to Gérardmer in around 35 minutes. Locally, Fluo line 1C between Gérardmer, the Col de la Schlucht and Munster stops at Saut des Cuves near the door, with a summer ridge shuttle and a winter ski bus as well. Colmar's small airport is 48 km; Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse are the realistic international gateways.
- Saut des Cuves waterfall: About 300 m, a 5-minute walk
- Pont des Fées and the Pierre Charlemagne: About 1 km, a 15-minute walk
- Gérardmer La Mauselaine ski area: About 2 km, a 5-minute drive
- Lac de Longemer: About 4 km, an 8-minute drive
- Lac de Gérardmer: About 5 km, a 10-minute drive
- Roche du Diable viewpoint: About 5 km, a 10-minute drive
- Lac de Retournemer: About 6 km, a 12-minute drive
- Col de la Schlucht and the Route des Crêtes: About 12 km, a 20-minute drive
- Confiserie des Hautes Vosges, Plainfaing: About 15 km, a 20-minute drive
- Remiremont station: About 28 km, a 30-minute drive
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Sapin88, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Saut des Cuves
5 min walk
About 300 metres from the front door, a 5-minute walk, the Saut des Cuves is the cascade the auberge is named for: the Vologne dropping roughly three metres through granite blocks it has hollowed into bowls, right beside the D417. It is free, it takes ten minutes to look at, and it is the start of the Sentier des Perles de la Vologne, which follows the river down through the woods.
View on Map
Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lac de Longemer
8 min drive
About 4 km southeast, an 8-minute drive, Lac de Longemer is the quieter glacial lake of the pair, used for swimming, fishing and boating, with a shoreline path and a campsite fringe rather than a town. Carry on another couple of kilometres and Lac de Retournemer sits dark and still under the Roche du Diable belvedere.
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Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lac de Gérardmer
10 min drive
About 5 km west, a 10-minute drive, Lac de Gérardmer is the largest natural lake in the Vosges at roughly two kilometres long, with a lakeside promenade, boat and pedalo hire and a proper resort town alongside. Gérardmer calls itself the Pearl of the Vosges and hosts the Fête des Jonquilles in spring and a fantasy film festival in late January.
View on MapHow to Get to the Auberge du Saut des Cuves
- By car: Follow the D417 from Gérardmer toward the Col de la Schlucht. The auberge is about two kilometres out of Gérardmer, on the Xonrupt-Longemer side of the boundary, set back from the road behind its ponds at the Saut des Cuves. If your sat-nav objects to 1111, try 111 route du Saut des Cuves, which is what the property's own site prints.
- By train and bus: Take a TER or TGV to Remiremont, about 28 km away, then the Fluo Grand Est line 88R012 bus to Gérardmer, Boulevard d'Alsace, which takes around thirty-five minutes. Épinal is the other useful railhead. From Gérardmer it is a short taxi or the local bus.
- The bus that stops outside: Fluo Grand Est line 1C runs from Gérardmer over the Col de la Schlucht to Munster and stops at Saut des Cuves, near the door. A Navette des Crêtes runs the ridge road in summer and a ski shuttle operates in winter, which makes a car-free stay possible if you plan around the timetable.
- Flying in: Colmar-Houssen is 48 km away but has very few flights. In practice you arrive at Strasbourg, about 92 km, at Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport, or at Luxembourg, and drive from there. All three need a hire car or an onward train.
Gérardmer and the Vallée des Lacs
Gérardmer calls itself the Pearl of the Vosges and has the lake to justify it: two kilometres of water with a promenade round it, boats for hire and a town that has been taking visitors since the nineteenth century. It was founded in the eleventh century and made its money in linen and lace before tourism took over. Five minutes from the auberge, it is where you eat, shop and ski.
The valley either side is the reason to come. La Mauselaine above the town is the largest ski area in the Vosges, with forty kilometres of pistes including the longest run in the range. In summer the same slopes carry a rail toboggan, and the lakes at Longemer and Retournemer, the Roche du Diable belvedere and the Route des Crêtes fill the days. The Fête des Jonquilles takes over in spring and a fantasy film festival in late January.
Watch: Around the Lake
A walk around Lac de Gérardmer and through the town five minutes from the auberge, taking in the shoreline, the streets and the forests that surround the Vallée des Lacs.
Is the Auberge du Saut des Cuves worth it?
Yes, if you are here for the mountains and not the bedroom. You get a quiet family-run inn three hundred metres from a waterfall, five minutes from Gérardmer's ski area, with donkeys in the paddock, a games room, free parking and a breakfast guests rate above everything else, at the value end of the Vallée des Lacs. Skip it if you need dinner on site outside July and August, a kettle in the room, or a certified step-free bedroom.
What Guests Say About the Auberge du Saut des Cuves
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Fabulous
Nearly nine hundred reviews land in the same place. Guests come for a quiet spot in the mountains at a fair price, and they leave talking about the hosts, the breakfast and the animals. Staff, location and value all score at or near the top, which is the profile of a well-run inn rather than a smart one. The complaints are small and consistent: no kettle in the room, firm beds, a simple dinner, and the restaurant not serving evenings outside the summer.
Loved the setting and called the hosts fantastic, rating the games room a very welcome bonus. He noted there was no air conditioning, though he had not expected any.
Ed
Found the room very spacious, spotless and well furnished, with friendly staff and a great position. His only wish was for a kettle in the room.
Praised the quiet setting, the safe parking for his motorcycle and a good breakfast with several homemade jams. His one regret was that the restaurant served evening meals only in the July and August high season.
Highlighted the position, the size of the bedroom and the breakfast. Her only suggestion was an in-room kettle for boiling water.
Picked out the setting, the breakfast, the local produce and the staff as the things that made the stay.
Summed the stay up in three words: nature, animals and quiet.
Enjoyed a quiet position in a peaceful village and rather liked the evening they spent there.
Rated the staff as excellent, friendly and genuinely helpful, loved the breakfast and valued being close to Gérardmer while staying peaceful. He had nothing to fault.
Described a family-owned hotel in the middle of nature but still close to town, which was exactly what he had wanted.
Found the room small but clean and comfortable, and rated the breakfast well.
Good to Know Before You Book
Dinner is a summer thing
There is a restaurant, a bar and a chef with decades of experience, but a guest who stayed in June reported that evening meals are only served in the July and August high season. Breakfast runs every day and is the best thing about the place. Outside high summer, plan to eat in Gérardmer, five minutes away by car, and confirm the current dinner arrangement with the auberge when you book.
The accessible-room claim is disputed
One listing describes two ground-floor rooms, the Single and the Suite for two adults and a child, as entirely wheelchair accessible, with adapted parking. The French government's Acceslibre register, confirmed in January 2025, records no accessible room and no adapted parking space here. The entrance is ground-level with a wide swing door and there is no lift. If step-free access is a requirement, telephone the property before booking.
Bring your own kettle, and don't expect air conditioning
Two guests in the same month both loved their rooms and both wished for a kettle. There is none, and there is no air conditioning either, which at this altitude is rarely a problem. Some guests find the beds firm. The rooms are simple and clean rather than smart, and the value score reflects a fair exchange.
Check how you can pay
The booking fine print lists cash and ANCV chèques-vacances, while several French tourism directories also show Carte Bleue, Visa and Mastercard. That is a genuine contradiction, so confirm card acceptance directly before you travel and carry a fallback. Cancellation and prepayment terms vary by the room option you choose and are shown before you confirm.
Call Auberge du Saut des Cuves
Want to check whether the restaurant is serving dinner on your dates, ask about a ground-floor room, or confirm how you can pay? Reception answers the phone.
+33 3 29 63 46 58Photos of Auberge du Saut des Cuves
Frequently Asked Questions
No, and this is the most important thing to know. There is a restaurant and a bar on site, but a guest who stayed in June found evening meals are served only during the July and August high season. Breakfast is served every day and is the highest-praised thing here. Outside high summer, plan on eating in Gérardmer, five minutes away, and confirm the current arrangement with the auberge when you book.
Parking is free, private and on site, and no reservation is needed. Touring motorcyclists mention the safe parking specifically in their reviews, which matters on a route that draws bikers to the Col de la Schlucht and the Route des Crêtes. No vehicle height limit is published.
Check-in runs from 12:00 to 22:00 and check-out is by 10:00, which is earlier than many. Staffed reception hours beyond that window are not published, so if you expect to arrive late in the evening it is worth a phone call first.
Whether breakfast is included depends on the rate you choose, so check that at booking. What is served is a continental buffet with fresh eggs, croissants, bread, several homemade jams, cereal, coffee and juice, roughly between half past eight and half past nine. It is the single most praised thing about a stay here.
No. Pets are not accepted, and a guest who arrived with a small dog was turned away, so do not assume there is any flexibility. The property is also non-smoking throughout.
There are ground-floor rooms with private entrances, and the listing describes two of them, the Single Room and the Suite for two adults and a child, as entirely wheelchair accessible with adapted parking. The French government's Acceslibre access register, last confirmed in January 2025, records no accessible room and no adapted parking here. The entrance itself is ground-level with a wide swing door, and there is no lift. Telephone the auberge before booking if this matters.
The Saut des Cuves is about 300 metres away, a five-minute walk. Lac de Longemer is around 4 km and eight minutes by car, Lac de Gérardmer 5 km and ten minutes, and Lac de Retournemer 6 km and twelve minutes. Gérardmer's La Mauselaine ski area is about 2 km, five minutes by car.
The booking fine print lists cash and ANCV chèques-vacances, while several French tourism directories also list Carte Bleue, Visa and Mastercard. Those two accounts conflict, so confirm card acceptance directly with the property before you travel rather than assuming, and carry a fallback.
Xonrupt-Longemer, but only just. The auberge sits on the boundary between the two communes at the Saut des Cuves, which is why some booking sites file it under Gérardmer. The postal address is number 1111 on the Route du Saut des Cuves, in the 88400 postcode for Xonrupt-Longemer, although the property's own website prints the number as 111.
No to both, and the property has confirmed it. What there is instead: a games room with table tennis, pool and table football, an indoor play area, an outdoor playground, a small fitness room with exercise bikes, a garden and sun terrace, an animal paddock and fish ponds.
Other Great Stays in the Vosges and France
Au Domaine de Py
Pick this if you want a host-cooked dinner every night rather than only in high summer, and a genuinely remote forest lane. It is a five-room guesthouse at Le Grand Valtin, higher and quieter, but it takes no cards and has no games room for the children.
Hôtel Aboukir
For the city half of a French trip. A budget hotel in central Paris, where you trade the paddock, the ponds and the free car park for the Métro and a street that never quite goes quiet.
Ready for the Vallée des Lacs?
Eleven rooms beside a waterfall, five minutes from Gérardmer's pistes and lake, filling for the ski season and the summer hiking weeks. Check your dates now.
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