Capital of the Haute-Savoie, Annecy is a city of Art with a magnificent architectural harmony. Walking around Annecy old town is a real delight. With its charming canals, its flower-bedecked banks, its small delightful bridges and its beautiful houses with colourful facades, Annecy carries really well its nickname of Savoyard Venice. How pleasant it is to stroll along its canals or walk around the lovely narrow pedestrian streets!
In the heart of the old town, the Île palace, a former prison and the Palais de Justice (law courts), is today home to the Annecy History museum. Near this symbolic building of the 12th century, the Sainte-Claire street is also an unmissable place during the visit for its beautiful arcaded houses. Towering over the town, the museum-castle, former residence of the counts of Geneva and the dukes of Genevois-Nemours, is dedicated to archaeology, ethnology, art, history and alpine lakes.
To complete this beautiful visit, there's nothing like a walk on the edge of the magnificent Annecy lake. Not to be missed! The Europe gardens, the Amours bridge spanning the Vassé canal, the Albigny avenue lined with plane trees and the Champ de Mars are magnificent sites great for relaxation. For the best way to discover the lake and surrounding mountains, visitors can take a trip on tourist boats or hire pedalos and small motor boats.
Among the highlights of Annecy, the lake is undoubtedly one of the most popular natural sights. Several beaches, sand or grass, you will enjoy the sweet season. Young and old will find their happiness both for a game of beach volleyball and to play a game of petanque furious. You will also have a picnic area. At night, a nightclub opens its doors to dance until the end of the night in this magical setting. But Lake Annecy also allows water activities from the quietest to the most sensational. You can rent pedal boats or go wakeboarding. Three marinas and mooring area are available where you can enjoy boating. Finally, many walks around the lake are on the program.
To discover this beautiful landscape from another point of view, you can embark on your choice on a catamaran, on old wooden boats or on a private boat for an unforgettable cruise on the lake. The immense expanse of water is also discovered by gyrocopter, hot air balloon or even microlight airs.
But Annecy is also a city of art and culture. Starting with its castle classified as an historic monument. Home of the famous counts of Geneva, the immaculately preserved building now houses a museum and ephemeral exhibitions. The imposing building combines a defensive style of impregnable fortress with the refined charm of the Île-de-France buildings. The visit continues with the old prisons of the Palais de l'Isle. Initially toll zone on the Thiou, the building quickly became alternately a prison, an asylum or a court, today to house the splendid exhibitions of the Center of Interpretation of Architecture and Heritage. In addition to the exhibited collections, you can visit the cells at the water's edge, the chapel and several rooms at various destinations.
During your walks in Annecy, you will be led to discover many old houses having kept all their stamp as the Gallo house of Italian influence of the eighteenth century or the hotel de Sales, residence of the Princes of the House of Savoy. The religious heritage is not left behind with the St. Peter's Cathedral dating from the sixteenth century. Built in the old Annecy, the building is of Renaissance style outside and Gothic style inside. Among other remarkable wood carvings, you can admire an organ over 7 meters high, classified as an historic monument.
