Annecy France travel tips

Annecy France GPS 45° 54′ 31.608” N 6° 7′ 32.34 E.

Annecy France is a most beautiful medieval village near the French Alps. It sits on the spectacular Lake Annecy, and the pretty stone village has waterways and canals attributing to the Lake. Lac d’Annecy owes it gorgeous teal color from the glacial alpine streams from nearby mountains. The sizeable lake is surrounded by parks, beaches, and beautiful walks.

Annecy is dubbed the Venice of the Alps, but we think it stands on its own merits, not like bustling, not so tidy Venice – Annecy is pristine, captivating and charming in its own way. Meandering cobblestone alleyways – mostly designated pedestrian zones – lead you along pretty flower-draped canals, to clever local shops and boutiques. It just has a pleasant French vibe of cafes and restaurants, less hurried than Paris. Sitting at a canal-side café sipping an Aperol Spritz or Cappuccino is perfection.

Annecy history is deeper than its glacial lake, as a medieval trade port dating back to Roman times, in fact Annecy was the capital of Geneva, when Geneva was a Republic 1532-1602, and gained independence as its own country. It became France after the French Revolution in 1860. Geneva is just 30-minutes away.

Annecy thrived in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance – the Age of Enlightenment – with artists, architects, musicians and tradesmen.

Old Town Annecy is charming, where pastel stone and wood homes hug the teal canals, with stone bridges and flowers. Just strolling the stone streets is pastime enough, stopping for a browse in a local shop selling cheese, meat, woolens, leather, crafts, and art.

Don’t miss the most-photogenic Palais de l’Ile, its so scenic as two canals merge- this narrow stone structure was once a a prison in 14th century but also a royal home to lords.

Street markets are frequent, we happened upon a fantastic food market, with lots of free local samples from the farmers themselves – offerings of cheese, smoked meats, honey, Genepi. The flowers and fruits are vegetables were bountiful, beautiful and a bargain, and locals were out with the baskets and cloth bags stocking up. Of course there were also flea markets with vagabonds selling stuff massed produced from away.