Just a 25-minute drive from Thônes, come visit the town of Annecy and discover a gem of art and history in a beautiful natural setting.
Visit Old Annecy or “Venice of the Alps”
Old Annecy is not an old town like the others. Its small winding cobbled streets, its arcades and its colorful buildings along the Thiou and its canals give it the appearance of a little Venice. A picturesque stroll among the most beautiful in France. Dating from the Middle Ages, follow in the footsteps of a guide-lecturer to discover all the secrets of this beautiful architectural ensemble.
The Palace of the Island
On a natural rocky island, proudly breaking the waters of the Thiou at the entrance to the old town, the Palais de l'île dates from the 1900th century. A former fortified house, it was the home of the lord of Annecy before becoming in turn an administrative hotel, prison, court, mint, archives... Listed as a Historic Monument in XNUMX, it is certainly the most emblematic monument of the old town.
The Castle Museum
Built in the Middle Ages from the 12th century, Annecy Castle dominated the city and its ramparts. It was successively inhabited by the Counts of Geneva and then the Dukes of Savoy. Ravaged several times by fire and then abandoned in the 17th century, it then served as barracks until the Second World War. Bought and restored by the city since then, it now houses the Museum-Castle and its rich and varied collections (fine arts, contemporary art, archaeology, ethnography, natural history, animated cinema) as well as the Regional Observatory of Alpine Lakes located in the Perrière Tower.
If you are interested in castles, do not miss a visit to the Château de Montrottier, a beautiful example of Savoyard military architecture. Guided tours are organized from Annecy.
The fortified gates
An ancient fortified city, the gates are the only remains of the old surrounding wall that protected the city. To the south, the Perrière gate located just under the castle and facing Faverges, Albertville and Italy was the main entrance gate to the city. The Sainte-Claire gate towards Chambéry has retained its specific characteristics with its old hinges, machicolations and bell tower. It was reinforced by a second gate further west, the so-called Sepulchre gate in memory of a convent of this order located nearby.
Sainte-Claire Square
This square where you can admire the pretty ornate facade of the Gallo house dating from the 18thrd century, housed until 1973 a large cotton factory which employed up to 2000 people at its peak in the 19thrd century. It was housed in a former convent of Poor Clares expelled during the Revolution, and a plaque commemorates its existence. The Quiberet fountain, located under an imposing arcade in the square, is a very old fountain fed by a well thanks to a clever noria system. Walled up for many years for health reasons, it has been restored to its original function.
The 5 bell towers
Annecy's religious heritage is rich, as the old town is home to no fewer than five bell towers from five eras. A whole history revealed by different architectural styles. The Notre-Dame-de-Liesse church was originally a collegiate church built in 5. Destroyed during the Revolution, it was rebuilt between 5 and 1360 in a neoclassical style while retaining elements from the 1846th century.rd and 16thrd century including the bell tower. The Saint-Maurice church is the former Dominican church built in the 16thrd century in a flamboyant Gothic style.
Saint Peter's Cathedral dates from the 16thrd century. Built in 1535 as a Franciscan chapel, it became a cathedral in 1771 with Saint Francis de Sales. The Church of Saint Francis was built in the 1794th century in a Baroque style. After serving as barracks during the Revolution, as a factory in 1812, and as apartments and shops in 1923, worship was reestablished there in 72. Finally, the Basilica of the Visitation was built at the beginning of the 38th century at the foot of the Semnoz. It overlooks the city with its 7 m bell tower housing a carillon of XNUMX bells, and its XNUMX m bronze cross.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Golden Baluster
In the inner courtyard of the former episcopal palace that has become the Annecy Conservatory of Music and Dance, there is a niche decorated with a basin that houses the bust of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A gold baluster made up of intertwined hearts decorated with periwinkle flowers completes this ensemble evoking the writer's meeting with Madame de Warens on Palm Sunday 1728. Memories of this meeting are faithfully preserved thanks to the author's "Confessions".
This visit echoes the Visit to the Manoir de la Tour à Thones where Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed in July 1730 and which gave rise to another chapter of the “Confessions”.
Hôtel de Ville
Until 1855, Annecy's town hall was housed in a house on Place Notre-Dame, built in the 1770s with a porch accessible by a double staircase and recognizable by its elegant wrought iron treatment, its pediment and the town's coat of arms. Since 1855, a new building in the neo-classical style typical of the Sardinian period has housed the town's municipal services. This vast hotel previously housed other administrations such as the Sardinian Intendance, the court, the telegraph, the museum and the library. Its architecture is characterized by imposing proportions, in particular its central avant-corps with monumental columns and its triangular pediment. During the end-of-year festivities, a sound and light show brings the building to life with projections on the façade.
Visit the city center of Annecy
If Annecy is famous for its picturesque walks, its city center also attracts many visitors for its numerous shopping, cultural and gastronomic activities.
Shopping
Courier Mall
Right in the city centre, a few streets from the train station and at the end of Rue Carnot, is the Courier shopping centre where major national brands offer trendy ready-to-wear clothing, leisure and high-tech products, health and beauty products, decoration and even toys... This very bright gallery with its glass roof makes shopping very pleasant even indoors!
The pedestrian cross
Located between Rue Carnot and Rue Royale, you will find many national brands as well as independent boutiques. From clothing and shoe stores to jewelers, including the delicatessen or the coffee roaster, you can stroll while doing your shopping! The pedestrian zone joins the old town where many and varied small boutiques coexist to satisfy all your desires.
The Galeries Lafayette
A few steps from the pedestrian streets in the Parmelan district sits the emblematic round building of Galeries Lafayette, a true temple of fashion. With its two levels of shopping bringing together a vast choice of clothing and shoes but also decoration, household linen, tableware and leather goods, lovers of big brands will definitely be delighted!
Cultural events
The International Animation Film Festival
Every year in June, Annecy hosts the International Animated Film Festival. Created in 1960, this major global event brings together professionals and enthusiasts of moving images from 88 countries who discuss and elect the best animated film of the year. An art in its own right, these animated films are made using a variety of techniques: cartoons, modeling clay, Chinese shadows, cut-out paper, stop motion, 3D, etc. Every evening, more than 7000 spectators attend world premiere screenings in the theater or enjoy the giant screen installed outdoors on the Pâquier to watch films in a friendly atmosphere.
At the same time, the International Animation Film Market allows producers and distributors from all over the world to sell and buy the latest releases.
If you can't attend the festival in June, don't hesitate to visit the animated film museum located 2 minutes from Annecy Castle!
Annecy Landscapes
Every summer, stroll through the streets of Annecy and discover the many artistic creations and reactivations of landscapers, architects and visual artists from all over the world who reinvent urban space for the duration of a festival. The opportunity to walk, admire and question the place of culture in the city, our own place within nature and the collective and the imprint we leave there. Discover the city as a new landscape!
The Lake Festival
On the first Saturday of August, the Lake Festival sets the Bay of Albigny ablaze for over an hour of fireworks punctuated by music, water displays, and light shows. Derived from the great Venetian festival held in 1860 in honor of the arrival of Napoleon III, this fabulous production, unique since the theme is renewed each year, amazes nearly 200 spectators each summer. A grandiose and magical spectacle that will leave your eyes sparkling!
The Venetian Carnival
Every year since 1996, the Venetian carnival has brought life and colour to the streets of Annecy during a 3-day weekend following Mardi Gras. More than 500 masks from all over Europe wander freely and silently, as required by the rules, through the alleys of the old town, in the Jardins de l'Europe or on the Esplanade du Pâquier, perfectly illustrating the image of "Venice of the Alps" that Annecy enjoys thanks to its charm and its canals. An animated presentation on the podium set up in the Jardins de l'Europe allows you to visualise the exuberance, creativity and also the refinement of these costumes that plunge Annecy into an unreal and captivating atmosphere!
Gastronomy
Regional specialties and artisans
As you stroll through the town, you will discover many shops and their artisans, some of whom are Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, to treat yourself to good local products: Reblochon, Chevrotin, lake fish such as Féra or Arctic Char, sausages and country ham, chocolates and the famous "roseaux du lac", génépi, Savoie wines such as Apremont or Roussette...
You can also taste traditional Savoyard recipes in the many restaurants that dot the city.
A shower of stars
Fans of refined and gastronomic cuisine? You will not be disappointed. Annecy, a gastronomic city, has no fewer than 10 stars in the Michelin Guide shared by 5 chefs in Annecy itself and around the lake:
- In the city center in the Post Office district, The Sketch* and its leader Stephane Dattrino
- On the Woods, in Annecy, The Benoît Vidal House**
- On the heights of Annecy-le-Vieux, The Clos des Sens*** and its leader Franck Derouet and his partner Thomas Lorival
- In Veyrier-du-Lac, Yoann Conte's table**
- On the bay of Talloires, Father Bise Inn** and its leader Jean-Sulpice
- At the Forclaz pass, the Montmin Inn** and its leader Florian Favario
- The Rotunda of Trésoms* and its leader Eric Prowalski
- in Annecy-le-Vieux, the chef's restaurant Vincent Favre Félix*
In a natural setting of great beauty
Visiting Annecy is all the more enjoyable as the city enjoys a natural setting of great beauty. Between lake and mountains, nature invites itself into the city!
Lake
An 18-year-old glacial lake, Lake Annecy was formed by melting Alpine glaciers. It is fed by several rivers that flow down from the surrounding mountains and a powerful sub-lake spring. The Thiou, which winds through the old town, serves as its spillway, and flows into the Fier before joining the Rhône.
But Lake Annecy offers, above all, an exceptional panorama opening onto the surrounding mountains whose peaks are reflected in its transparent, turquoise waters. A spectacle that one never tires of admiring in any season. However, it has not always been this way, since the lake was almost asphyxiated by the activities of past centuries. It was at the end of the 50s that protection and enhancement actions were undertaken by a handful of visionary men to obtain the natural setting we know today. The city of Annecy and its inhabitants carried out long and successful operations to save the lake and can now be proud of enjoying the purest lake in Europe. A lake that, beyond contemplation, invites many nautical and seaside activities!
The Gardens of Europe
Located on the edge of the lake, a stone's throw from the old town, the Jardins de l'Europe are a popular place for a walk facing the lake and in the shade of the large trees. Originally a marshy area, the site has undergone many uses and transformations throughout its history. It was in 1863, the day after the annexation to the Duchy of Savoy, that the idea of an English-style garden was conceived. Originally comprising nearly 650 trees and more than 1000 varied shrubs, today you can admire century-old trees, each more impressive than the last: giant sequoias, tulip trees, ginkgo biloba, etc. On the lake facing the gardens, an artificial island called Île aux Cygnes is home to hundreds of birds. Finally, a Petit Bal Perdu is organized every summer, giving the gardens a festive and friendly guinguette atmosphere!
The Bridge of Loves
A footbridge between the Jardins de l'Europe and the Pâquier, the Pont des Amours was originally a wooden footbridge that got its name from the fact that swans came to breed there. The current iron bridge dating from 1907 is not lacking in charm with the view that extends on one side over Lake Annecy, its mountains and the delightful clump of trees on the Île aux Cygnes, and on the other side the Vassé canal where Savoyard gondolas wait in the shade of the plane trees. According to legend, come and exchange a kiss on this bridge and you will be united for eternity!
The Paquier
This large green lung of more than 7 hectares in the heart of the city extends from the Jardins de l'Europe to the Imperial Palace, a beautiful Belle Epoque-style building facing the lake. Also called Champ de Mars, "pâquier" comes from the local dialect meaning "pasture" which was its former purpose. Today, this vast expanse of grass serves both as a promenade much appreciated by tourists and Annecy residents who come to enjoy the splendid view of the mountains flowing into the lake, but also as a large esplanade suitable for many family, sporting and cultural activities: picnics, jogging, volleyball tournaments, triathlons, animated film festival, music festival, lake festival, etc. It is a unique place where it is good to stroll!
