Church art, chapel festivals and trails to hamlets, a mountain lake or the Glières Plateau give Le Petit-Bornand-Les-Glières a range of options for a trip. Attractions include historic religious buildings and paintings, as well as an easy circular walk and a mountain bike skills area. You can tailor your stay to your cultural interests, hiking plans or cycling activities.

Churches, Chapels and Local History

The first church of the Eglise du Petit-Bornand-les-Glières dates from the 13th century. The parish appears to have been founded as early as 1152 by monks from the nearby Entremont Abbey, under the rule of the Savoyard Count Humbert III. The dates refer to different aspects: the cautiously dated founding of the parish and the first church.

The Eglise du Petit-Bornand-les-Glières contains a fresco painted by George Herman in 1925 in honour of Saint Francis de Sales. Another work of art, “La Mise au tombeau”, is in the Église de la Nativité de Marie in Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières. It is a copy of a painting by Dirck van Baburen and was listed as a protected monument on 28 July 1904. The two works offer different historical and artistic themes within local church art.

The Chapelle de la Ville and the Chapelle des Evaux also each have their own connection to religious occasions. Local residents built the Chapelle de la Ville in 1638; it is dedicated to Notre-Dame de la Pitié and Saint Claude. A mass is celebrated there every year in May. The Chapelle des Evaux lies on the boundary between the municipalities of Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny and Petit-Bornand. A Marian pilgrimage and a mass take place there every year on 15 August. The two annual events therefore differ both in month and in occasion.

Local traditions also include the ovens of La Ville and Termine. Volunteers put both back into operation between 1994 and 2004; they continue to provide an occasion for festivals. The Sentier des Patriotes directly connects the village of Le Petit-Bornand in Glières-Val-de-Borne with the Glières Plateau. It honours the residents who gave their lives for the Maquis fighters, linking a trail between two named places with a commemorative purpose.

Trails to Hamlets and the Glières Plateau

The Sentier des hameaux is an easy 7.75-kilometre circular walk, with an estimated duration of around 2 hours and 30 minutes. It leads to the hamlets of Petit-Bornand, including Beffay, Saxias, Le Villard, Chef-Lieu, Les Lignières and Morat. Along the way, the route passes close to a sulphur spring. Both the approximate duration and the circular nature of the walk are relevant for planning; seasonal conditions may vary, so it is advisable to check the latest route information before setting out.

The Sentier des Patriotes offers a different point of reference: its stated endpoints are the village of Le Petit-Bornand in Glières-Val-de-Borne and the Glières Plateau. Unlike the Sentier des hameaux, no approximate duration or route length is specified. The direct connection and commemorative purpose are the focus. When choosing trails by destination, you can take this distinction into account without treating the two routes as equivalent.

Mountain Lake and Mountain Bike Skills Areas

Lac de Lessy is a mountain lake at an elevation of 1,730 metres in the Aravis range. It is in the municipality of Glières-Val-de-Borne (Petit-Bornand-les-Glières) and is home to remarkable flora and fauna. The lake can only be reached on foot via a hike. This access requirement is therefore an essential part of planning: a visit requires a hike rather than a drive to the lake.

For mountain biking, the Trail Center – Espace VTT is located on Route de Puze in Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, 74130 Glières-Val-de-Borne. It includes several mountain bike skills areas, with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to advanced. The site also has a 50-metre-long pump track with no elevation change. It is designed to help riders learn balance and speed. The pump track and graded skills areas are therefore two distinct features: one with a clearly specified length and learning purpose, and the others with several difficulty levels.

Discover more destinations: Megève, La Clusaz, Annemasse, Argonay, La Côte-D'arbroz, Morillon, Larringes, Pringy.

For the overview of the wider area: Haute-Savoie.