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| Plateau des Glières | |
|---|---|
| Name | Plateau des Glières |
| Location | Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France |
| Elevation | 1450–1800 m |
| Area | ~30 km² |
Plateau des Glières is a high Alpine plateau in the Haute-Savoie department of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in southeastern France. It sits within the Massif des Bornes near the Mont Blanc Massif and overlooks the Arve valley and the Faucigny region. The plateau is renowned for its role in World War II as a center of French Resistance activity, as well as for its winter and summer outdoor recreation, unique alpine flora and historical monuments.
The plateau occupies a karstic basin between the Glières pass and the ridges of the Massif des Bornes and lies south of the municipality of Thorens-Glières and west of Annecy. Elevations range from about 1,450 m near Seythenex to 1,800 m toward the Mont Charvin foothills, with glacially influenced landforms and moraines linking to the Aravis Range and Bornes Massif. Hydrologically it feeds tributaries of the Fornex and the Fier, and its sinkholes and limestone pavements are characteristic of Jura Mountains-type karst environments found nearby. Administratively the plateau falls within the cantons associated with La Roche-sur-Foron and Bonneville.
Human presence dates to pastoral transhumance traditions tied to Savoy and the medieval seigneuries of the House of Savoy. The plateau featured in territorial disputes between local communes and the Duchy of Savoy before the annexation of Savoy by France under the Treaty of Turin. During the 19th century the area’s alpine pastures were managed under customs influenced by the Code Napoléon land registries and local customary law of the pays de Faucigny. In the 20th century, the plateau’s strategic isolation attracted groups linked to the French Resistance and shaped memorialization practices associated with the Fifth Republic and national commemorations.
In 1944 the plateau served as a maquis stronghold for groups associated with the Armée secrète, FTP, and FFI. It was the site of the Battle of Glières (March 1944) involving clashes with forces of the Milice française and units of the Vichy France apparatus supported by elements of the Waffen-SS and German occupation troops. The plateau became a receiving zone for Allied supply drops coordinated with SOE and operations linked to General Charles de Gaulle’s provisional administration. After liberation, the narrative of martyrdom and heroism was institutionalized by veterans associations such as the Fédération nationale des anciens combattants and commemorated through ceremonies attended by figures from the French Resistance movement and representatives of the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie.
The plateau’s montane climate is influenced by Alpine climate patterns, with long snowy winters and cool summers shaped by orographic lift from the Mont Blanc Massif and prevailing winds from the Mediterranean Sea. Vegetation zones include subalpine meadows, montane fir and spruce stands linked to the Arolla pine and European spruce, and species-rich alkaline grasslands supporting endemic and protected taxa surveyed by regional branches of the Office national des forêts and the Conservatoire botanique national alpin. Fauna includes populations of Chamois, Alpine marmot, and birds such as the Black grouse, with habitat conservation coordinated through regional Natura 2000 sites and initiatives involving the Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges and cross-border Alps conservation networks.
The plateau is a destination for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing in winter, and hiking, mountain biking, and paragliding in summer, attracting visitors from Annecy, Geneva, and the Haute-Savoie tourism circuit. Facilities include Nordic ski tracks maintained in collaboration with local offices of tourism such as the Office de tourisme du Pays du Mont-Blanc and trailheads linked to routes toward Col des Aravis and Col de la Colombière. Accommodation ranges from mountain refuges and gîtes d’étape to guesthouses in Saint-Jeoire and Entremont. Events and commemorations draw crowds for memorial marches organized by associations tied to the French Resistance and veteran groups associated with the Ministère des Armées.
Key monuments include the national memorials and ossuaries erected by postwar authorities, plaques honoring maquisards and members of the Forces françaises de l'intérieur, and the reconstructed farmsteads reflecting traditional Savoyard architecture with lauzes and wood framing. Nearby ecclesiastical heritage sites in Fillinges and Seyssel complement chapels and crosses on the plateau maintained by municipal councils and heritage bodies such as the Monuments historiques administration. Museums and interpretation centers in Annecy and Bonneville provide context through archives from the Service historique de la Défense and collections of the Musée de la Résistance.
Access is via departmental roads from Annecy, Bonneville, and La Roche-sur-Foron, with seasonal vehicle restrictions enforced by the Préfecture de la Haute-Savoie to protect winter access routes and pastures managed under local municipal bylaws. Winter maintenance is coordinated with the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie and snow grooming teams linked to the Office national des forêts. Public transport options include shuttle services from Annecy and regional SNCF stations at Annecy and Bonneville, plus marked trails connected to the GR5 and regional long-distance paths promoted by the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre.
Category:Landforms of Haute-Savoie