The Glières plateau

Winter: cross-country skiing, the plateau's "high mass"

At the campsite we put it this way: in winter, Nordic skiing is the plateau's high mass. The Glières area, run by Haute-Savoie Nordic, offers classic and skate skiing, snowshoe routes, a sledging area for children and evening sessions. Tickets and passes at the Maison du Plateau. Details, prices and tips in our guide to cross-country skiing on the Glières plateau.

Remembering the Resistance

From January to March 1944, Resistance fighters gathered on the plateau to receive weapons dropped by the Allies. According to the Haute-Savoie departmental council, there were 465 of them, led by Lieutenant Théodose "Tom" Morel, then by Captain Maurice Anjot. On the night of 9 to 10 March 1944, Tom Morel was killed in Entremont, today one of the two villages of Glières-Val-de-Borne. The following night, a parachute drop delivered around 45 tonnes of weapons and explosives.

On 26 March, after attacks at several points, Maurice Anjot ordered the withdrawal at 10 pm. The German troops, several thousand together with the Milice, took the plateau the next day after its defenders had left. The departmental council puts the toll at 129 maquis fighters and 20 local residents killed in action, executed or deported. The Glières motto, "Vivre libre ou mourir" ("Live free or die"), remains tied to the plateau. Historians debate the scale of the "battle": Claude Barbier, in Le maquis de Glières. Mythe et réalité (Perrin, 2014), offers a critical reading.

The memorial sites can be visited in a day:

• at the pass, Émile Gilioli's National Monument to the Resistance, unveiled on 2 September 1973 by André Malraux, and the departmental "Mémoire du maquis" centre (€3 full price, €2 reduced);
• down in the valley, in La Balme-de-Thuy, the Morette site: the Glières national cemetery, where 105 Resistance fighters lie, and the departmental museum of the Haute-Savoie Resistance, founded in 1964. The departmental council suggests allowing an hour's drive between the plateau and Morette;
• from the campsite, the Sentier des Patriotes, which honours the people of the valley who died for helping the maquis.

The Notre-Dame-des-Neiges chapel

The plateau's only chapel stands on the Plaine de Dran, at the southern end, and can only be reached on foot. In March 1944, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges was a maquis defence post. Everything we know about its history is in our guide to the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges chapel.

Hiking, pastures and the Refuge de Spée

The plateau discovery trail, about 5 km and almost flat, is the area's family walk. Higher up, the Montagne des Auges and the Frêtes ridges make fine hikes. The Refuge de Spée, at the foot of the Col de Spée, is open all year by reservation; the Sentier des Patriotes passes close by. During the summer grazing season, some pasture chalets sell their cheese.

Autumn: the deer rut and mushrooms

From late September to early October you can hear the deer rut on the plateau: keep quiet, dress warmly and bring a head torch for the way back. See our guide to the deer rut on the Glières plateau. It is also mushroom season: picking is regulated in Haute-Savoie (see the FAQ below).

Practical information

• Dogs: on a lead, because of livestock and guardian dogs; not allowed on the Nordic area in winter.
• Weather: conditions change fast at this altitude, and snow can last into spring.
• Contact: Maison du Plateau, +33 4 50 22 45 63.