Annecy

Annecy sits at the northern tip of a 27 km² glacial lake that is routinely described as the cleanest in Europe — a claim that rests on a genuinely radical 1960s decision to pipe every settlement's wastewater around the lake rather than into it. The old town is threaded by canals off the Thiou, with a twelfth-century prison, the Palais de l'Isle, standing in the middle of one like a stone ship. The Bauges and Aravis mountains rise straight out of the water on both sides.

Because it is the best combination of lake, mountain and old town in France, and all three are within a ten-minute walk of each other. You can swim off a municipal beach in the morning, paraglide off the Col de la Forclaz in the afternoon and eat tartiflette in a canal-side restaurant that evening. The 42 km cycle path round the lake is entirely traffic-free on the western side.

Haute-Savoie (74), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

We already publish a full guide to Annecy — read it here →

Things to do

• The old town canals — Palais de l'Isle, the Pont des Amours and the covered arcades. Twenty minutes to walk, and worth doing twice.
• The lake by bike — 42 km round, largely traffic-free, with beaches to stop at. Half a day at an easy pace.
• Swimming at the Plage d'Albigny — Free municipal beach, lawns, and mountains on three sides.
• Col de la Forclaz — A 1,150 m viewpoint above the lake and the busiest paragliding launch in France.
• Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard — Turreted, still lived in by the same family after 1,000 years, and reportedly Disney's Sleeping Beauty model.
• A boat to Talloires — An hour on the water each way, with the cliffs of the Roc de Chère on the approach.

3 days in Annecy

1. Day 1 Town and water

   Market in the old town, then the château museum for the lake's geology. Afternoon swimming at Albigny and a pedalo or an electric boat. Dinner beside the Thiou.

2. Day 2 Round the lake

   Bikes from the Pâquier and the western shore to Duingt, lunch there, then the boat back — or the full 42 km loop if the legs are willing.

3. Day 3 Up

   Bus or drive to the Col de la Forclaz for the view and, if you fancy it, a tandem flight down. Afternoon at Menthon's château, or on to Chamonix.

Practical

Best time to go

June–September for the lake — the water reaches about 22 °C in August. May and late September are quieter and the mountains are still walkable. The Fête du Lac in early August is one of the biggest firework displays in Europe. Winter is a ski base rather than a lake town.

Getting there

TGV Paris–Annecy in 3h45. Geneva airport is 45 minutes by bus and is what most international visitors use. Lyon is two hours, Chamonix ninety minutes.

Getting around

The old town and the lakefront are walkable. Rent a bike for the Voie Verte round the lake — the section to Duingt is flat, shaded and beautiful. Boats cross to Talloires and Menthon from the Thiou. Parking in summer is genuinely painful; the park-and-ride is the answer.

Eat & drink

Savoyard, and unapologetic about cheese: tartiflette, raclette, fondue, and diots sausages in white wine. Lake fish — féra, omble chevalier — is the lighter option and is on most serious menus. Reblochon is made in the valleys behind. Wines are Savoie whites: roussette, jacquère, chignin.

Know before you go

July and August are extremely busy and the old town becomes shoulder-to-shoulder by midday — go early or eat late. The lake looks calm and is snowmelt-cold outside high summer. Paragliding from Forclaz is tandem-only for beginners and books out days ahead in good weather.