Carnot Square

You’re now standing in Place Carnot, the oldest square in Aix-les-Bains, but this large paved plaza holds more stories than you might think. Since medieval times, it was known as the “Grande-Place” and sat between the city’s two fortified gates, marking a strategic spot on the road linking Chambéry to Geneva. Picture caravans of merchants, pilgrims, and messengers crossing the Alps, many stopped here to rest or trade goods.

Over the years, the square’s name changed with the times. During the Revolution, it was called “Liberty Square,” where a republican tree was planted as tradition demanded. The name “Place Carnot” came later, at the end of the 19th century, honoring Sadi Carnot, the French president assassinated in Lyon in 1894. Once the city’s lively heart, the square used to host a small market hall near today’s fountain, with bustling daily markets.

The Duke Philibert of Savoy even established an annual fair here that attracted merchants and visitors from all around. Take a look at the fountain in the center, it dates back to 1773 and was one of just three public fountains supplying the town with drinking water. It’s hard now to imagine life before running water arrived.

The 19th century brought modernization: the city’s first post office opened here in 1816, followed a few years later by the first street lamp lighting up Aix-les-Bains’ evenings, a real novelty at the time. Soon after came paved sidewalks, slowly reshaping the urban space. Around you, the elegant façades speak of the thermal spa’s golden age: wrought-iron balconies, tall windows, slate roofs, classic features of European spa towns that show how Aix-les-Bains shone in the 19th century, welcoming aristocrats and health seekers from all over Europe.

The square’s last major makeover happened in the 1980s, when it was pedestrianized and fully repaved, restoring its original role as a place to meet, stroll, and enjoy life.