Why Lake Annecy?
A good few years ago, a work colleague of mine was in Geneva talking to the World Health Organization (WHO) about Rabies. His time there included a free weekend. After asking about what to do over the weekend, Lake Annecy was suggested.
Lake Annecy (in France) is not far from Geneva (Switzerland) so off he went. On returning home, his descriptions of Annecy and surrounds immediately put it on our bucket list.
Lake Annecy
The lake itself is a picture to behold. It is pretty large and has crystal clear water. It is apparently regarded as Europe’s cleanest lake which is not hard to believe.
You can find out more about how the lake formed here . You can also find out more about what is currently on the go by visiting the Annecy Tourist Office website
If you have a car you can take a very pleasant drive around the lake. There are plenty of places to stop off. Various villages, resorts and beaches dot the shoreline at regular intervals. We were joined in Annecy by my cousin and his wife and we had a a good few picnics on the shores of the lake over the days we were there.
Bikes, Paragliders & all that
If you are a bit more adventurous (and physically up to it), you can hire a bike and ride around the lake as well (about 42km). There is a separate bike path that (at the time of our visit) goes most of the way around the lake. You might have to hop onto a road for a few km’s here and there. However we never saw anything close to a coming together of bike and car.
And if you are a biking supremo, the Tour de France has been through this area. The reason why is not hard to find. If you stand on the shores of the lake and look up, you are likely to see a mountain!!
So if you are interested in riding almost vertically up the side of a mountain, then you can find some great rides listed and detailed here
We ventured up one of those rides – Col de la Fordaz – by car, to see the paragliders leap off the side of the mountain. Lots of people lining up to do the tandem flights. Not cheap, but probably a once in the lifetime experience for many of them.
The lake and the surrounding country side provides a smorgasbord of activities that you can engage in. These change with the seasons but Lake Annecy is well equipped to keep you busy outdoors! All these activities cost a bit but you can equally spend a few days relaxing by the lake with the odd dip into it (in summer) and it would be a fabulous stay.
Annecy Town
Like so many European towns and cities, Annecy has a distinct “Old Town” area where the town started. There are several canals running through the old town which just add to the quaintness and general atmosphere of the place.
Bars, restaurants, hotels and shops can be found throughout the Old Town. But without doubt the ice cream vendors top the list of attractions. Lots of them …. and all worth a visit!!
We didn’t stay in the old town but rather in a modern AirBnB apartment situated between the old town and Parc Charles Bosson. This was only a block back from the lake shore. That put the lake, the Old Town and several local street markets within easy walking distance.
Periodic dips in the lake and picnic lunches and dinners along the shore of the lake became our daily routine.
Annecy is very definitely a holiday destination. It is also fairly easily reached from most of Europe. We timed our stay pretty well in that the town was pleasantly busy but not swarming with tourists. This changed dramatically on our last 2 days when apparently Europe went on holiday and a fair chunk of people headed for the lake!
Still, it remains a favorite place that we will definitely revisit sometime in the future!
