How long to spend in annecy

Seriously, between the canals, palace, and sidewalk cafes, there are so many cute places to enjoy on a stroll around the old town of Annecy. It is truly an Annecy must see!

As the lovely Thiou River passes through Annecy and empties into the lake, the town is full of little canals lined with flowers, making it one of the most flowered cities in France! There is nothing more romantic than strolling through the old city of Annecy and wandering along the canals. They are dreamy with the flowers around them and adorable sidewalk cafes. Definitely have lunch along a canal for great views and people watching!

And for the lovers, one of the best things to do in Annecy is to visit Pont des Amours. Regardless, the views here will certainly make you fall in love with Annecy! Built around the 12th century, it is well known particularly as being a former prison due to its prime location and the fact that it is fortified. It also went on to be a courthouse as well as an administrative center.

Now, this historical monument is a small art and history museum. It is definitely worth a stop on your Annecy itinerary to check out this beautiful structure and take a peek inside! This is a perfect spot for a picnic amongst the picturesque lake and flower gardens. Like any lovely city or town in France, there are beautiful churches and cathedrals to admire. From the St. Pierre Cathedral that was built in as a Franciscan Monastery to the gothic St.

Maurice Church that dates back to and is the oldest church in Annecy, there are ample churches to explore. You can still spot the original bell tower from the s. And, of course, the Basilica of the Visitation of Annecy is perched on a hill with great views of the city below!

The former residence of the Counts of Geneva from the 13th and 14th centuries is now a beautiful museum with rotating exhibits and collections including contemporary art, lake archeology, and medieval sculpture.

You can also admire the architecture of this medieval chateau during your trip to Annecy. If you plan to visit Annecy, be sure to come on a Tuesday, Friday, or Sunday anytime during the year. Because from 7 am to 1 pm, you can wander around the booths of the Old Town Market. On Tuesdays, it is smaller with more food and local produce. However, on Fridays and Sundays, you can also purchase textiles and handcrafted items. Seriously, I had the best nougat of my life here, and I wish I could go back to get more tomorrow!

Tuck into tartiflette, a tasty dish made from potatoes, reblochon cheese, fatty bacon, and cream. Fondue Savoyarde is also an absolute must try while in Annecy. This cheesy delight is perfect for dipping with warm bread or potatoes. Raclette is a half-wheel of cheese that is placed under a heat lamp and the melted cheese is scraped onto potatoes and other delights. Oh, and if you need more carbs definitely opt for a cheesy bacon bread, and thank me later! Seriously the food is beyond delicious.

While not the healthiest, it definitely is comfort food to the max! While living in Grenoble I became well acquainted with Chartreuse a spirit made with tons of botanicals by Carthusian monks , and it is well worth a try while in Annecy too.

At sunset, it is even more beautiful! So watching a sunset over the lake is an Annecy must see! It definitely is a romantic thing to do in Annecy. Getting a bit outside of the city itself, there are plenty of cool things to do in the area in general. Visiting this castle is one of them. This fairytale-like castle is perfect for a visit during your stay in Annecy.

I strongly recommend you to book your Segway tour in advance. The sportier will for sure enjoy to do a bike ride around Lake Annecy. You will of course need to stop a few times to admire the view! For those with an adventurous spirit and big thrills enthusiasts , I strongly recommand you to book a paragliding session above Lake Annecy.

The view is just crazy, no wonder why Annecy is the most famous paragliding site in Europe , and one of the best in the world! You can even chose if you want a big thrill acrobatic flight or something calmer. The paragliding session usually starts from Forclaz pass col de Forclaz in french or the small town of Talloires and it should be booked in advance. Doing paragliding in Annecy is the best way to discover this sport! The best paragliding session in Annecy can easily be booked online by clicking the button below.

I book my paragliding session now! I want to do paraglading in Annecy Doing paragliding in Annecy 5. Do nautical activities on lake Annecy If you are looking for what to do in Annecy , enjoying the numerous nautical activities can be a good choice! From pedal boat to water-skiing and wakeboarding , everyone will for sure find a nautical activity that suits him on lake Annecy.

To enjoy the quietest places of the lake or just swim a bit further from the shore, you can find on the lake shore many types of boats or pedal boats available for rent. If you enjoy water sports or simply want to try something new, you can do water-skiing or wakeboarding.

To book it, simply click on the button below:. I book my wakeboard session now! The round trip takes around 2h And if you are looking for a free acitvity, you can of course just go swim or get a tan in one of Lake Annecy beaches!

But if you want to enjoy Lake Annecy on a boat far from the other tourists , you should opt for a private boat trip! You will rent a boat with a skipper that will take care of showing you the best spots of the lake.

The great thing is that you can choose the type of boat you prefer and then simply relax and enjoy a perfect day! As you can imagine, this type of VIP day on Lake Annecy is extremely popular, so you should rent your boat with skipper as soon as possible. It would be a shame to miss this day because all boats are already rented!

You can find all boats with skipper in Annecy by clicking on the button bellow:. I book my private boat trip now! I want to rent a boat with a skipper in Annecy And if you have the boat license, you can simply rent a boat by clicking here to enjoy the lake for the whole day and go where you want! Water skiing Annecy 6. You will also find some typical french shops with amazing Haute-Savoie cold cuts and cheese.

About awesome local food , if you are lucky enough to be in Annecy on tuesday, friday or sunday morning, you should definitely go to the old town market. Taking a stroll in Annecy old town streets is nice, but doing so while eating the best ice cream in town is even better!

Yep, there is an excellent ice cream shop in Annecy: Le glacier des Alpes. They offer more than 45 flavours, so the hardest part is to chose and stay reasonable! Annecy is also the perfect place to eat a good tartiflette , croziflette quite similar to tartiflette, but made with crozets, pasta from Savoie , cheese fondue , diots de Savoie sausages or, of course, fishes from the lake like perch, trout or arctic char. Another thing to see in Annecy is the Castle museum.

For adults, the entrance price is 5. Here are the best beaches in Annecy and around the lake:. In addition to paragliding which needs to be booked here! And if you wonder what to do in Annecy in winter , you can maybe try snowshoeing. These 4 to 7 hours hikes are a great way to discover the snowy landscapes around Annecy!

You can enjoy snowshoeing from December to March. You can find more information about this activity by clicking here. Every year, generally at the beginning of march , hundreds of people dressed with magnificent costumes parade in the street. Several activities related to make-up or masks creations can be done in Annecy during the Venetian Carnival. Professionals of the industry from all other the world are showcasing their movies, ranging from 3D animated graphics to traditional animations and some very original creation stop motion clay based animation, Chinese shadows theatre etc….

A great thing about this festival is that every evening, a movie projection is organised on the Paquier lawn , and everyone can enjoy it! Another must-see for locals and tourists is the Annecy Lake Festival. This amazing pyrotechnic show takes place every year on the first Saturday of August and is the biggest in Europe. Fireworks are shot off from Lake Annecy and stands are built everywhere around Paquier so everyone can enjoy it.

There are around 46 paid seats, but of course, you can view it from anywhere! Anyway, a good advice et to hunt for a good viewing spot quite early , as the show attracts more than spectators every year. You can imagine that the best spots are taken quite fast! For more info and seat booking, you can have a look a Annecy official website in french. Considering Annecy is located at the heart of the French Alps , one of the top thing to do is to go for a hike in the mountains surrounding the city.

Here are a few of my favorites:. Take your car, and go to the top of the Semnoz, there is lots of parking places. From there, you will have amazing viewpoints on the lake and moutains surrounding it. The bridge looks absolutely marvelous, and a must visit in Annecy.

One of the most popular museums in Annecy, the Palais de l'Isle dates back to the 12th century and looks something straight out of a movie set. With a huge lake serving the town, there are plenty of sandy or grassy beaches around the lake.

Pack a picnic and head to one of the beaches. Apart from the general sightseeing, your vacation to Annecy can be enriched by booking tours such as. These are the most preferred hotels by fellow travelers to stay on 1 day trip to Annecy. Pick up the ones that best suit you. If you are thinking of spending more than 1 day in Annecy, look out for travel ideas in Annecy itinerary 2 days in Annecy or 3 days in Annecy. More days will give you more time to spend at attractions you like the most.

If you want to craft better itinerary, enter the date and follow simple steps in our planner. Get your customized free Annecy itinerary ready quickly. Annecy Itinerary 1 Day. Popular Day trips to Annecy Have a look at this collection of popular day trips to Annecy created by fellow travelers.

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