Villard-de-Lans (French pronunciation: [vilaʁ də lɑ̃s], literally Villard of Lans; Occitan: Lo Vilar de Lanç) is a commune in the Isère department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.

There is a plaque on the old building memorializing the names of the numerous students and teachers who were deported to camps by the occupying force during the war.

[9] The region was home to several thousand Poles, people in hiding, military defectors and evaders, as well as members of the French Resistance.

Due to these circumstances, and its proximity to Grenoble, the historically rural and mountainous commune of Villar-de-Lans became a refuge for the resistance against the German occupation and led to the formation of the Maquis du Vercors, a group of fighters that were part of the French Forces of the Interior.

During his visit, de Gaulle gave a speech in which he tried to discuss the controversy, which was still very strong at the time, vis-à-vis the attitude of Free France's leader and allies regarding the Maquis du Vercors.