France – Alps : Vercors, a massif in the French Pre-Alps – 20 photos

The Vercors is a massif of mountains and plateaus East of the Rhône Valley, between the Drome department and the Isere department

The Vercors massif and surrounding areas are protected thanks to the Natural regional park.

In addition to outstanding, vertiginous landcapes the Vercors is also famous for the part played during WW2.

During the XXe century, these mountains were used as a shelter by the French Resistance during WWII. These resistant camps housed 400 combatants by the beginning of 1944, provisioned by locals. On June 6, 1944, the roads entering the mountain were closed, and the Vercors was declared a republic (République du Vercors). In July 21, 1944, the mountain was attacked by 15,000 German soldiers by the roads, the small passes in the cliffs, and from the air. Resistants where only 3,500 at this time. 600 resistants and 200 civilians including women, childs and infants were killed, most in gruesome ways. The killing of civilians was especially horrible in the village of Vassieux, where S.S. troops killed all the inhabitants and destroyed the houses.