Inside the picturesque town known as the 'Venice of France'
A sublime lakeside town of canals, winding pedestrianised streets and fascinating architecture, Annecy in the French Alps is a wonderful year-round destination – both in itself and or for its proximity to lake and mountains.
The capital of the Haute Savoie region of south-eastern France stands out for its Vieille Ville (Old Town) like something straight out of a fairy tale, with pastel-painted houses lining its river and canal banks, winding cobblestoned alleys to amble along and an array of tempting green spaces. Thanks to its picturesque canals and cobbled streets, Annecy is often described as the 'Venice of France'.
Since 2021, this lovely town has also held the rare Fleur d’Or (‘Gold Flower’) award from the national association Villes et Villages Fleuris (‘Cities and Villages in Bloom’), while its Jardins de l’Europe – originally laid out by Henry I, Duke of Savoy-Nemours, as a place for walking – remain a great place to get away from it all, amidst ginkgo bilobas, laricio pines, giant sequoias and a tulip tree.
Next to the gardens sits the Pont de l’Amour or Lovers’ Bridge, a gorgeous wrought-iron affair with some of the best mountain and lake views you could imagine.
Annecy’s three canals were built to protect the city and facilitate its handicrafts industry in its early days. This is a town with a chameleonic and, in fact, multi-national history, having served as the court of the counts of Geneva from the 10th century, been passed to the counts of Savoy in 1401, and then designated regional capital of Genevois, Faucigny and Beaufortain in 1444 – before finally becoming French in 1860, with the annexation of Savoy.
Come here and you’ll find all the elements of the best French towns: traditional and contemporary restaurants and cafés with leafy terraces for people-watching, together with brilliant shopping, whether you’re in the mood for artisan boutiques or markets bursting with local cheeses and other colourful produce.
There's also the picture-postcard Basilique de la Visitation monastery-chapel, an atmospheric 12th-century castle situated on an island in the river (the Palais de l’Isle with its local-history museum) and the imposing medieval Château d’Annecy itself, once home of the Counts of Geneva and now a fascinating museum bringing together Alpine furniture, religious art and natural history.
Annecy’s location – at the northern tip of Lake Annecy, between the lake and Mont Semnoz, a protected mountain – has kept it bite-sized and cosy because it had nowhere to expand into. It also means it’s perfectly situated for activities both on the water and in the mountains.
And Lake Annecy is something very special indeed – not only lovely to look at but also the the purest lake in Europe thanks to a half-century of ardent conservation work.
You can visit the lake shores with Good Housekeeping during a six-day tour including a day riding the Mont Blanc Express, as well as experiencing it through an array of thrilling outdoors activities.
One of the biggest outdoor pursuits here is paragliding over the sparkling lake waters – Lac Annecy is one of the world's top spots for the sport, and one that regularly hosts major international competitions. There’s also cycling on the dedicated bike path of the Voie Verte du Lac d’Annecy, plus mountain biking, canyoning, sailing, rowing, wakeboarding and water-skiing.
You can also hike or trail-run the nearby mountains La Tourmette and Le Semnoz in summer, while in winter the latter transforms into a small ski and snowboarding resort with the benefit of being only just over half an hour from Annecy. Other ski resorts within easy reach of the town are delightful La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand with their traditional wooden chalet architecture. Even Chamonix, L’Aiguille du Midi with its glass viewing platform and the Aravis Mountains are within day-trip distance of Annecy.
Another great reason to discover or rediscover Annecy is that you don’t have to take the plane here: it’s an easy no-fly destination from the UK by train, car or coach. The Gare d’Annecy has regular rail links with Lyon, Paris, Grenoble and a few regional destinations; the journey from London St Pancras to Annecy takes just over eight hours with a change in Paris. Meanwhile, buses to the cosmopolitan Swiss city of Geneva (another day-trip destination from Annecy) take about 45 minutes.
Experience the beauty of Annecy on Good Housekeeping's exclusive trip to France and Switzerland, with various departure dates in 2023 and 2024.
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