Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve
| Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve (Réserve naturelle nationale de Roc de Chère) | |
| Protected Area | |
 The Roc du Chère above the commune of Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Lake Annecy
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| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Rhone-Alpes |
| District | Haute-Savoie |
| Municipality | Talloires, Menthon-Saint-Bernard |
| Coordinates | 45°50′40″N 6°12′16″E / 45.84444°N 6.20444°ECoordinates: 45°50′40″N 6°12′16″E / 45.84444°N 6.20444°E |
| Highest point | |
| - elevation | 651 m (2,136 ft) |
| Area | .69 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Date | 1977 |
The Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve is a major ecologic site in southeastern France. A protected nature reserve since 1977, it covers a small area of 69 hectares (170 acres). It is located near the commune of Talloires, on the eastern bank of Lake Annecy at an elevation of 448 metres (1,470 ft). The Roc de Chère is a small mountain, culminating at a modest 651 metres (2,136 ft), which was formed by a quaternary glacier from the south.
The word Chère comes from the pre-Indo-European root *car-, which was used to designate a stony material, a rock. This significance is not entirely understood, hence Chère became a proper noun and "Roc" (modern French for rock) was added and is not considered a pleonastic reinforcement.
The reserve is located between the communes of Talloires and Menthon-Saint-Bernard. There are numerous trails along the rock that offer superb panoramas overlooking Lake Annecy. The rock plunges down towards Annecy via impressive cliffs 50 to 70 metres (160 to 230 ft) tall. From atop one can see the lapiaz, calcareous rocks eroded by water that are also found in Savoie.
Formerly logged for timber by the monks from the Abbey of Talloires, the reserve nowadays is mostly covered by Sessile oak and hornbeams. A nature reserve was created in 1978 due to the exceptional biodiversity of the site. 35% of the surface area in 2004 belonged to the Conservatoire du littoral et des rivages lacustres, an academy which deals with littoral zones and lake shores. There is a golf course on its northern slopes.
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