The Thiou canals

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! The Thiou was therefore very useful for wheels, mills, printing presses and forges. This miniature river was also very useful for transporting supplies and other goods from the lake to the heart of the city. On either side of the bridge, you’ll see a lock – not for navigation, but to control the water level of the lake, with the Thiou as a weir. At that time, this lock was also used to regulate the power of the water used by the mills. So, from time to time, the Thiou is emptied for maintenance. Imagine Annecy without its beautiful canals, it would quickly lose its sweet nickname of Venice of the Alps. Let’s hope that’s not the case today, because that would be a real shame.