Vassieux is a village that was wiped out in a matter of days in the summer of 1944. In July 1944, in the weeks after D-Day, German troops attacked the Vercors, where thousands of Resistance fighters had gathered in the mountain fortress, and gliders landed on the Vassieux plateau, carrying soldiers who overran the defences. The village was burned, its people killed, and the Resistance was crushed. Today Vassieux holds a memorial and a museum, and has been honoured as a Compagnon de la Libération, one of the few communities to receive the title.
The plateau itself is a high, open, windswept upland at around a thousand metres, with meadows, scattered farms and the long, grey wall of the Vercors cliffs to the east. In summer it is a green, peaceful pasture, and in winter it can be buried in snow. The sky is huge, the air thin and clear, and the sense of space is a pleasant change after the narrow valleys and cliffs of the Royans.
For a meal, the plateau has a few simple restaurants and farm inns, serving the hearty food of the mountains: gratins, trout, charcuterie, walnut cake and the blue cheese of the Vercors, the Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, a mild, creamy cheese made from cow's milk that has its own protected name. Opening hours are short and tables are limited in the low season, so check ahead if you can, and expect the kitchen to close in the early afternoon.
The riding here is a pleasure: wide, sweeping roads across the plateau, with wide views and light traffic, and a good surface. The descent toward Die, over the Col de Rousset and through its tunnel, is a long, winding run with views over the Drôme valley. Weather can change quickly on the plateau, with fog, cold wind and sudden storms, so carry layers. In winter, the roads can be icy or closed.
Fuel is not available on the plateau in any reliable way, so fill up at Saint-Jean-en-Royans or in Die, about fifteen kilometres from here, and arrive with enough in the tank to reach the next supply.