Following our afternoon in Aix les Bains we decided to spend our second lakeside day taking an excursion to Annecy, just 40 minutes away by train, and somewhere I had heard a lot of good things about! Supposedly ‘the jewel’ of the Haute-Savoie region we were keen to explore and spend a day in Annecy!
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Our trip to the station took us via the local patisserie where we treated ourselves to a pain au chocolat, fresh from the oven! From there it was not too far to the station and after a short wait we hopped aboard our train and set off on the 09:35 to Annecy.
The first part of the journey took us alongside the lake so finally we were able to get a good view of the lake itself and its western shores. On time, our train arrived in Annecy at 10:16 and we were ready to find out just what the town had to offer the visitor! We had heard many good things about Annecy, but would we, having explored the town, agree with the consensus that the town represented ‘the jewel’ of the Haute-Savoie?
We began our journey of discovery in Stalingrad Square, a compact square, not far from the station concourse, well-planted, with a stunning fountain at its centre; the perfect place to sit whilst waiting for a train or bus or just for relaxing after a hard day’s work. Without a map, our route was fairly random, but following our noses we strolled along the rue de la Poste and into the rue de la République. A hundred metres or so brought us to the point where a small ‘canal’ crossed our path and looking both to the right and the left we caught our first glimpse of the attractive nature and composition which has won the town such accolades as the ‘Pearl of the French Alps’ or ‘the Venice of the Alps’.
Turning to the left we walked along the water’s edge and followed the Quai Madame de Warens to its end and then crossed the canal and onto the Quai de la Cathédrale. The canal-side walk was beautiful with railings hung with multi-coloured baskets of geraniums, begonias and ageratums, ornamental lamps and the backdrop of old Annecy. It being Sunday morning, and with church services taking place we only managed a quick look at the exterior of the cathedral before re-crossing the canal and entering Place Notre Dame.
Right in the centre of the square was an art installation entitled ‘Le Mont des Possibles’, a large wooden construction covered with greenery whose open framework invited the curious to enter and immerse themselves in the world of ‘water and plants’. Behind the installation and slightly obscured was the façade of the Église Notre-Dame-de-Liesse, to the left was a grand stone archway leading to the shops and markets of the rue Filaterie, behind us the start of an impressive arcade and to the right, the rue du Lac, which as its name suggested was our route to the lake.
On reaching the end of the road we could see the park stretching out before us with the mountain landscape cutting across the bright blue of the sky. The lake, at this point, remained hidden from view, but we knew it was there. Our path to the lakeside took us down the Quaie Jules Philippe, a tree-lined boulevard stretching the length of the Canal du Vassé, a popular mooring for boats and yachts, to the Pont des Amours. From this vantage point, the view across the lake opened up and the full beauty of the surroundings became apparent. The path, or more accurately the promenade, curved around the edge of water and entered Les Jardins de l’Europe, an attractive area of park and gardens. With the lake on one side and the shade of the trees and greenery on the other this really was somewhere special. Little wonder that the town has been attracting visitors since Roman times, as the panorama before us was stunning!
The promenade, being semi-circular, offered a constantly changing perspective of the lake, from the quieter side, with the open green space of the public park, the relatively quiet boulevards of either side of the Canal du Vassé and the many small boats moored side by side, to the central viewing platform facing the Iles des cygnes and behind which stood the statue of the 18th century French chemist, Claude Louis Berthollet, to the busier quayside of the Quaie Napoléon III, where the larger pleasure craft, offering cruises around the lake, stood waiting to depart.
At this juncture, we were approaching the outskirts of the Old Town and the number of people moving about was increasing substantial. In the distance we could see the robust ramparts and towers of the Château, standing guard over the lake and town, the massive Tour Perrière facing the lake making a massive statement of intent.
The transformation on crossing into the Old Town was eye-opening, as beyond the bridge, the river Thiou narrowed and presented a picture worth seeing. Reminiscent of the Petite France district of Strasbourg, the combination of narrow waterways, colourful houses with balconies draped with flower-filled baskets, the 12th century Palais de l’Isle sitting majestically, like a stone ship anchored in the centre of the Thiou and the hustle and bustle of the Sunday markets conjured up an atmosphere found only in a few corners of Europe. This picturesque ‘square mile’ captured all the necessary ingredients to justify its claim to be the ‘Pearl’ ‘mounted into the exquisite setting that is Lac Annecy.
Once in the Old Town, and with the temperature still rising, it was time to sit, regroup and have a drink at the canal-side Café des Ducs. Having cooled down somewhat and feeling refreshed, our next ‘target’ was to be the Château. Our route took along the canal on the Quaie des Vielles Prisons to the Rampe du Château, which took us up the fairly-steep slope to the castle.
Having made the effort to get to the castle, we took a few photos from the square, Place du Château, but having investigated the cost of entry, chose not to go inside. So, having made that decision it was time to re-trace our steps and return to the bottom. Rather than battle the crowds milling around the Quaie des Vielles Prisons we took the rue de l’Île as far as the rue de Pont Morens, where again the Sunday markets were busy, attracting locals and tourists alike and selling all sorts; fruit and veg, cheeses, charcuterie, wines, jams and other regional specialities.
Leaving the markets behind we walked along the rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau to the corner of the rue Filaterie, where I bought a few postcards, and then followed the street back to the Church of Our Lady on the Place Notre Dame.
We had come full circle, and now our thoughts switched to lunch and finding a suitable restaurant to satisfy our hunger and thirst. We found such an establishment on the rue du Paquier, La Cuisine des Amis. The menu offered a good choice of dishes from typically French, to Savoyard specialities to Moroccan classics such as couscous or tagines and with some interesting interior design, attentive staff and a pleasant ambiance it proved to be a good choice.
It was close to 1 o’clock as we settled up the bill and headed, once again, to the lake. We decided to take out a pedalo onto the lake to enjoy the early afternoon sunshine, to relax and to take in the stunning views of our surroundings.
Sadly the time soon came to make our way back to the station and back to Aix. Our day out had been successful and we will definitely be returning to the beautiful town in the future!
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I hope you enjoyed my blog post on our day in Annecy. Until next time, love V x
