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A Guide To Exploring Annecy

When most people think about France, they think about Paris . Many tourists will spend most of their time in the capital city and very little time exploring the rest of the country. Although Paris is a beautiful and romantic city, I have found another beautiful and romantic French city near the Swiss border: Annecy.

Annecy is located in southeastern France in the Alps near the Swiss border. It borders the beautiful Lac d’Annecy and is surrounded by mountains. The old town of Annecy is a charming, cobblestoned area where you can wander but never get lost, eat wonderful food, and sit by the canal and feed the ducks and swans. Nicknamed “the Venice of France,” Annecy is a beautiful town that you should consider visiting if you come to France, or are visiting the nearby Geneva. If you are also looking for a place to visit in France that isn’t as touristy as Paris, Annecy is a great city to check out.

How To Get To Annecy

Annecy can be easily reached from Geneva by bus or train. Travel time can vary from 1-3 hours, depending on when you are traveling. The traffic in this area is notorious as many people head to the Alps during the ski and hiking season. Nearly everyone passes through or changes buses in Annecy.

The nearest major French city is Lyon. It may take anywhere from 2-3 hours to travel to Annecy from Lyon via bus or train. There is no airport in Annecy.

What To Do In Annecy

Sports

For the sports enthusiast, Annecy is a Mecca. Due to the mountains in the area, you will find a lot of mountain runners on the trails around the city. There is also a beautiful boardwalk around the lake with many runners and bicyclists. The area is quite popular for triathletes. The crystal clear waters of the lake invite many swimmers in the summertime, and paddle boats and kayaks are always available for rent. We also saw several rowing teams practicing on the water in early March.

If you are a triathlete like me, you could easily plan to spend a week or more training in Annecy. All the resources you need are at your fingertips. You can swim in the lake, bike around the area, and then run in the mountains. You could also participate in the Lake Annecy International Triathlon!

Hiking

While we were in Annecy, we hiked up the Mont Veyrier trail to a stunning overlook. We had a view of Annecy, the lake below, and the mountains beyond. The hike took around 1.5 hours going up from the center of town and was well marked. The starting point of the hike can be found on the east side of the lake along the boardwalk. You will see a sign that will point in the direction of the hike and an estimate of how long it will take to hike, as well as the distance. We found the signs fairly accurate.

The trail was very well worn and was frequented with trail runners. There were significantly more runners than hikers. I commend them for their endurance! Although it is quite steep, there was very little scrambling involved. We had good weather and didn’t have to worry about mud or ice. I can imagine the trail would be more treacherous in bad weather.

Make sure to bring plenty of water as there are no food or water stations along the way. In warmer weather there are some sunny spots but the trail is mostly in the forest in shade which was nice.

If you do this hike, I suggest to bring along lunch (or breakfast) and enjoy the view at the top – especially if you have good weather. We enjoyed a sandwich, a bottle of wine, and a short nap in the sun before hiking back down.

Eating

There is no shortage of wonderful restaurants in Annecy. The best thing to do is just walk around, explore, read the menu, find something you like, then walk in and eat. If you are in Annecy on a Sunday you can also explore one of the best open-air markets in France.

We found a cheese vendor who was more than generous with her cheese samples. We bought some cheese to take home with us, as well as buying other items to enjoy a breakfast on the docks. If you are a fan of truffles, this is also the place to find them. We had the best truffle brie of our lives in Annecy.

Photography

Annecy is a photographer’s dream. Every corner is absolutely picturesque within the Old Town, and the views from the lake are stunning. The water is unbelievably clear and it can be a wonderful contrast to be enjoying the sun in the town while looking at the snow on the mountains!

Pont des Amours

Many people enjoy the view from the bridge Pont des Amours (Lover’s Bridge). The bridge looks down the canal into the Old City, and on the other side looks over the lake. Locals say that if you kiss your lover on this bridge you will stay together forever.

Palais de l’Isle

This castle-like building was once a prison and a courthouse, and is now a museum. Located in the middle of the main canal it is purportedly one of the most photographed buildings in France. You can visit the inside of the Palais at very limited hours, and only during the warmer months of the year, so plan accordingly.

Planning Your Trip To Annecy

If you want to fully maximize your trip to Annecy, I would suggest you go during the spring or fall to avoid the summer tourists. If you also enjoy skiing, you could combine a ski trip in the Alps with a weekend in Annecy. We were able to enjoy warm, spring-like weather in March and a weekend of hiking around Annecy, and then we took a bus to Les 3 Vallées for a week of skiing.

I would also recommend that you brush up on your French. Because Annecy isn’t one of the usual tourist destinations for English speakers, you will find it easier to get around with some knowledge of French. It is entirely possible to visit Annecy without knowing French, but you will have a nicer trip if you can speak a little. Enough to order food and ask for directions if needed would be best.

There are plenty of hotels to stay in around Annecy, but you do not need to stay in the Old Town. It is very easy to get around the city by foot – just try and stay closer to the lake if you can. Staff will speak English in the lobby of the larger hotels.

If you live in Europe, Annecy is the perfect weekend getaway. It is small enough that you can see all the sights in a few days. It is also perfectly accessibly by bus or train from Geneva.

A Romantic City?

I had always believed that Florence was the most romantic city in Europe, but Annecy has begun to change my mind. My husband and I especially loved it because we could get outdoors and into nature while staying active and marveling at the beauty all around us. An added bonus was enjoying delicious French food, too! For us, these things are quite important.

What do you think? What makes a city romantic? Is it the beauty, the people, the food? Have you been to Annecy? We are thinking of buying some land and building a house here one day …