Visit Annecy

It's time to reconnect with the surrounding beauty and enjoy your stroll through the gardens of Europe. This English-style park has seen many changes. In the Middle Ages, it was home to the so-called "health huts", built on small islands lost in the middle of the marshes. People were quarantined here during epidemics! Read more

This strange sundial, originally known as the Gnomon du Frère Arsène, is a 7-pointed star that can measure time. It's a bit technical, so I suggest you read the plaque for more details. Called l'Unique, it was invented by a Capuchin monk from Annecy in 1874 and inaugurated a few years later. Read more

With its Swiss postcard-like scenery, the Lake of Annecy is the true star of the city! France's second largest glacial lake after Le Bourget, this sewage-free, closely monitored lake has earned the nickname of "Europe's purest lake"! Surrounded by mountain ranges that seem to watch over it, this jewel offers many activities for nature lovers! Read more

On the Hôtel de Ville square you'll find the town hall on one side and the church of Saint-Maurice on the other. That's a lot of churches for such a small town! Annecy is nicknamed "the city of 5 bell towers"! And they're all in different styles. This one is the oldest in the town. It's the former chapel of the Dominican convent Read more

You're now in Saint-François-de-Sales square, in front of the church of the same name. It's also known as the Italians' church, for the simple reason that it's mainly attended by Annecy's Italian community. For a complete change of scenery, you can attend mass in Italian! Read more

You've seen it and you've been waiting for it, so let's start with the famous “Palais de l'Ile”, better known as the old prison. It's the most photographed monument in the city. Wait patiently for the space along the balustrades to open up and enjoy this magnificent view for a moment. Read more

You're standing in front of the Château d'Annecy, overlooking the old town on the hillside. Strategically placed to overlook the entire plain, it was used to monitor movements on the road between Geneva and Italy. The origins of this ancient medieval fortress are uncertain, but we do know that it was the residence of the Counts of Geneva Read more

You might have noticed that the streets of Annecy are still very typically medieval. The fortified gates are a good example. To protect itself from outside attacks, the town was surrounded by a fortified wall. To enter and leave the town, you had to go through protected passages and pay a tax. Read more

There's no shortage of photo opportunities in this city! Right here, no flower-filled canals or sparkling lakes, but the Esplanade Saint Maurice still offers a wonderful panorama of the rooftops of Annecy with the mountains beautifully set in the background. Read more

This is the first stone bridge in Annecy, built in the 13th century. It allowed the Alpine road from Geneva to Italy to cross the Thiou. Its name, Morens, comes from the word "demeurant", meaning “wich stays put”, because unlike other wooden bridges, which were regularly washed away by floods, this one "remained" in place! Read more

You are now on one of the city's main thoroughfares. This was the very first street which made it possible to cross the whole of Annecy by carriage! Characterised by its arcades and its façades in ochre, almond green or pink, the street is always busy, lined with bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. Read more

From the Bishop's Quay, you can observe a magnificent row of old houses at water level. It's a scene that sparks the imagination. However, it's important to note that the quays are relatively recent, and in the past, residents had to reach their homes by boat. In the Middle Ages, many craftsmen settled along the Thiou river to Read more

You've now reached the church of Notre-Dame de Liesse. It was founded in the 14th century by the Counts of Geneva, who wanted a place worthy of their name for their future burials. You may not be familiar with the Counts of Geneva. The title was only held by 17 lords and died out with the last one at the end of the 14th century. Read more

Here we are on a much more modern square, the Place Sainte-Claire. What's interesting here is the tiny fountain you see in front of an arcade column. It may not look like much, but it shows the ingenuity of the water distribution system of the past centuries. Drawing water from great depths, emptying it into an inner basin and pouring Read more

Here you are in front of one of the canals of the Thiou. This river is one of the smallest in France, barely 4 kilometres long, but it has had a considerable impact on the creation and development of the city! As you know, the power of water has been used to drive machines since Roman times! Read more

The Old Hotel de Sales you see before you is one of the rare private mansions in Annecy. It was built by the de Sales family, descendants of Saint François de Sales. In the 17th century, it was used as a residence by the nobles of the House of Savoy before being confiscated during the French Revolution. Read more

Where the Royal Street turns into the Pâquier Street, you can observe a very old well curb. This well dates from the 15th century. You can see the inscription 1689, but that's only the date of its renovation! Come on, I'll translate the Latin inscription for you, just for fun and because you never get to know what all the inscriptions around Read more