There are few places in France that manage so effortlessly to bridge old world charms: castles, chateaux, and darling cobbled streets brimming with the scents of melted cheese and wine, with an incredible surplus of natural sights. But Lake Annecy does just that. It's the second-largest lake in France, formed by melting glaciers at least 18,000 years ago, and is set between the beguiling undulations of the French Alps. Dotted around its shore are charming villages, lakeside beaches, fairytale castles ––
at least one (Castle Menthon) with a connection to Disney –– and of course, its star namesake town: Annecy, the so-called "Venice of the Alps."
Lake Annecy's sublime water has been a drinking source for more than a century. It's fed by picturesque streams trickling down the mountain, seven rivers, and a gurgling underwater spring. And if you visit Annecy, you'll notice the town's iconic canals bear a similarity to their Italian counterpart, which is no surprise as the lake empties into the Thiou River, feeding the canals.
The main international airport is in Geneva, 40 minutes away by road. The best way to connect from Geneva is by bus, which takes around 50 minutes. If you're traveling from within France, there's a direct TGV from Paris' Gare de Lyon which takes around four hours. If you have the time, you could also break up the journey with a train first to Lyon, France's capital of food, before continuing to Annecy by train in approximately two hours. If you're visiting Lake Annecy for the winter, then journey onwards to Les Trois Vallées for one of the largest ski areas in the world.
Read more: The Most 'Overtouristed' Places In Europe
Exploring The Highlights Of Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is popular year-round, but in the summer it's a hive of activity, with watersports taking off from numerous spots. You can cross the lake by pedalo or row boat, motorboat or kayak, or take the ferries and taxi boats that link the ports. There are restaurant boats that glide slowly around the lake, providing lunches and dinners with an exquisite view.
An ideal way to explore Lake Annecy is to set off on a circular bike ride around its shores. From Annecy, you can ride south in a counterclockwise direction, which is entirely off-road on a dedicated bike path, passing pretty Sévrier and Duingt, through railway tunnels and alongside sailing schools and beaches. Indeed, this is a pretty enough route that the return journey doesn't feel like a repetition, and is suitable for most skill levels. But if you do complete the entire circuit, you'll ride the opposite side of the lake on roads that have hosted sections of the Tour de France. While challenging, this side is breathtaking with extreme ascents, gifting view-laden descents.
While there are many beautiful signed beaches around Annecy, such as the popular Plage municipale de Talloires, and Douss'plage in scenic Doussard, there are also plenty of minor beaches, some little more than grassy embankments with few people around. If you're staying close to Duingt, look out for the entrance to the small garden and Plage du Château, which has a leafy beach with lovely views of Château de Duingt.
More Ways To Explore Lake Annecy
To see Lake Annecy in its postcard-pretty state, surrounded by mountains, you'll need to head into the hills that surround it. There are walking paths everywhere, some leading to pretty castles, as in the cobbled streets in Annecy, and others up mountain trails to viewpoints that show off the lake's spectacular scale. One of the easiest walks is found in Duingt is the "la petite boucle du Taillefer (the small Taillefer Loop) around Mont Gerbet, a short trail that leads high into the hills with numerous viewpoints. From Duingt, you can also take the road to Saint-Jorioz for a scenic walk with very little elevation changes, making it ideal for even the most novice of walkers, and the views, out over the villages with the lake punctuated by spires and red roofs, are divine.
A more challenging route is found on the paths marked L'ancien téléphérique du Mont Veyrier. Here, a long trail leads into the mountains on the lake's northeast side, and rewards with intensely beautiful panoramas of the Alps. You'll see the snow-capped peak of Mont Blanc from the top as well as Annecy and the lake, set like an aquamarine gem into the lush (or icy, depending on the season) Haute-Savoie landscapes.
If you look up, particularly during the summer months, you'll notice little wisps of color streaking across the sky. These are the paragliders that take off from Doussard (and other spots), which is an activity for adrenaline-fueled view hunters looking for the best lake-backed selfies in Annecy.
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Read the original article on Islands.
