Villard de Lans and the Vercors
Refuge of the French Resistance
This small town in the Vercors National Park at an altitude of 1050 metres is an ideal winter resort and offers all the leisure facilities you would expect. Only a hours drive from Grenoble, Villard has has a good variety of accommodation and a lively après-ski scene
A ski school for for young skiers and 125km of slopes for the more experienced for whom there are plenty of more challenging pistes as well as snowboarding and Telemark skiing
Last Stand of the Resistance
Throughout WW2 the French Resistance, known as the Maquis, occupied the Vercors due to its relative inaccessibility and were able to harass the occupying German forces. However, they declared the Free Republic of Vercors in June 1944 and faced the Germans with about 4000 Maquisards in open battle but despite being supported by the Allies they were greatly outnumbered by the German forces and suffered a heavy defeat.
There is a memorial to Maquisards at Vassieux -en-Vercours 40km/25m south of Villard on the D76 road.
