Haute-Savoie (French Alps)Thônes

Thônes is an Alpine town of about 6,000 in the Haute-Savoie department of France. The town is in the Aravis Mountain Range - Chaîne des Aravis. Thônes sits at the intersection of the Fier and Nom valleys and has historically been the administrative and economic heart of the Aravis Range. Thônes is also considered the capital of Reblochon cheese and home to the Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Reblochon, a grouping of Reblochon producers.

During WWII Thônes was vary active in the French Resistance and was bomb by German planes on August 3, 1944. Thônes has the distinction of being the first town in France liberated by French forces. Also nearby is the Plateau of Glières that was used by the Allies for parachute drops and made famous by the Maquis des Glières - 450 Resistance fighters that held off Vichy forces and then took 3,500 German troop to defeat.

Thônes is between Annecy, the capital of Haute-Savoie and the ski villages La Clusaz and Grand-Bornand. Thônes doesn't have a ski station but thanks to its location, less than 10 miles away is the Massif des Aravis ski area including stations at La Clusaz, Manigod, Le Grand Bornand and St Jean de Sixt, Thônes is often used by tourist during winter as a base. For things to do during the summer Thônes is the start of and on many hiking trails. Thônes has 7 hotels and 4 nearby mountain shelters.

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