Montée des Glières

in Bonneville

20.0 km

Bike routes

Hard

This extremely steep road is a favourite climb among local cyclists. At the top, it emerges from the forest into open pastures, only to stop 2 km before the pass and the road from Thorens.

Documentation
- GPX Trace
GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)

Accepted customers
- Individuals

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Points of interest

1 Bonneville City Hall

2 Maison des Têtes

3 The Europe Bridge

4 Column of Charles Félix

5 Plateau des Glières

1 Bonneville City Hall

Built out of ashlar stone, the building was finished in 1853 and is an important example of this period which can also be seen in other neighbouring town halls. One of engineer Imperatori's masterpieces, the building's neo-classical facade is patterned with four pilasters, the two central ones topped by a triangular pediment pierced by an oculus (currently the clock), all of it crowned by a pinnacle. Three doors with ashlar stone frames open into the hall, whilst the window of the formal reception room on the first floor is adorned with a cast iron balcon.
Alternating stone and coloured render provide character to the facade.
The entrance hall is home to three historic pieces:
• The original bas-relief original (replaced by a copy) which decorated the pedestal of the Charles-Félix column (see “column” for details)
• A drill which served to tunnel under the Mont Cenis for the railway, invented by Germain Sommeiller, an engineer from the Haute-Savoie (born in Saint Jeoire).
• A stone that came from the Bastille when it was demolished. The patriot Palloy, entrepreneur-architect in charge of the prison’s demolition, gave it to the district of Cluses on the 1st January 1793. A plan of the fortress is framed and displayed above the stone.
On the left of the town hall's rear door, you will notice a stained-glass window depicting the coat of arms of both Bonneville and Staufen, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the French-German twinning which dates back to 1963.

2 Maison des Têtes

Venez découvrir des masques grimaçants et des anges souriants sur la façade baroque de la Maison des Têtes. La maison des Têtes de style baroque, fut construite en 1731 par un maçon sculpteur nommé M. Chauplannaz. Elle a été érigée à l'emplacement d'un édifice datant de 1573 dont témoigne un linteau servant de seuil aujourd'hui. Cette date est la plus ancienne inscription de Bonneville.
C'est un émigrant de Bavière ou d'Autriche qui est à l'origine de la décoration de la façade, avec des encadrements de fenêtres aux 4 masques comiques. (le grognon grimaçant, le dépité au long nez, le coléreux, l’homme à mufle de lion).
Ils font un vif contraste avec les charmantes créatures du 2e étage. Dans un encadrement baroque noir, aux courbes élégantes, ce sont quatre jeunes femmes, à la chevelure soignée, au visage fardé, au décolleté généreux.

3 The Europe Bridge

The bridge dates back to the town's origins, built from 1225 onwards. It was first built of wood, with supports on the islets of the river Arve to link the two banks. In 1661, the Regent Marie-Jeanne-Baptiste de Savoie-Nemours commissioned the building of a five-arch stone bridge.
Between 1863 and 1866, it was replaced by the current bridge which was created by engineers, Deglin and Vivenot.

It was named "Pont de l'Europe" to mark the visit to Bonneville of Valérie Giscard d’Estaing in 1989, during the European election campaign. Downstream, it is replicated by a second bridge, built in 2010, with irregular guy wires, the elegant silhouette of which has already become a feature of Bonneville's architectural heritage.

4 Column of Charles Félix

The column is one of the most popular monuments in Bonneville, an iconic structure in this capital of the Faucigny. The only monument of its type in the Savoie, it was built in 1826 to honour Charles-Félix, king of the States of Savoy. This construction followed his visit to Bonneville in 1824 and the grant he agreed for the containment of the river Arve. The column features a pedestal decorated with a bas-relief representing a chained Arve, with a Doric-style limestone column (19 m high) topped with a marble statue of the king, almost 3 m high, made by the Cacciatori brothers. Both artists were working on the restoration of the Abbaye de Hautecombe at the time.
The bas-relief is a copy that was created in Savoie blue marble in 2012 by Béatrice Sassone Bouvet. It represents the embodiment of the river Arve, represented as a nymph clothed in classic-style robes, half lying in the reeds and held chained by her ankles and both arms. In the background, the mountain decor gives space for Charles-Félix's monogram at the centre of a wreath of oak and laurel leaves.

5 Plateau des Glières

This site is a haven of peace with nature that is still pristine. What a surprise for the visitor who, having climbed the limestone escarpments, discovers this plateau, where grassy valleys alternate with rocky crests and conifer forests. At the heart of the Haute-Savoie region, this superb valley is made of limestone rock. It is situated in the Bornes Massif, between the mountains of Auges (1,800 m) and Frêtes, 29 km and 15 km away from La Roche-sur-Foron and Thorens-Glières respectively, and located in the communes of Petit-Bornand-les-Glières and Thorens-Glières.
The pass is situated at an altitude of 1,440 m, the Plateau des Glières offers a number of activities. In fact, it is the key meeting place for passionate Nordic skiers in winter, and hikers in summer.
In winter, snowshoeing is common, and a toboggan slope is set up each year children.

Caving activity is also popular, with some fifteen cavities of over 150 metres deep identified on Les Frêtes. The deepest cavity of which we are currently aware on the Plateau des Glières is the Tanne à Paccot, also known as the "hole of the A2". Its estimated depth is around 400 metres.

History lovers will be able to devote themselves to guided tours to discover - or supplement their knowledge of - the events that took place on the plateau during the Second World War that made it a centre of resistance. There is also a discovery trail, to learn while enjoying nature.