Annecy really has it all: a postcard setting with its crystal-clear lake set with a beautiful string of mountains, old districts with emblematic heritage crisscrossed with small canals and alleys inviting to stroll, a rich gastronomy and chefs renowned starred stars… It's hard not to fall under the mad charm of the capital of Haute-Savoie, affectionately nicknamed the Venice of the Alps and the first of the cities in France where life is good.
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The arrival
To reach Annecy from Paris, we opt without hesitation for the TGV which connects the two destinations directly in 3h40 and several times a day.
The station is located in the city center, ideal for blending into the atmosphere of your getaway.
Starting point for various destinations by coach, bus or taxi, this multimodal hub also offers urban bicycle rental services (Vélonecy).
What to do now
WHAT TO DO: zoom in on the animation cinema at the Musée-Château
On the menu: the first exhibition dedicated to director Michel Ocelot, Kirikou's “dad”.
@Vidalie
While the International Animation Film Festival, a true reference in the field, celebrates its 60th anniversary in June 2021, the Musée-Château is hosting the first major exhibition dedicated to Michel Ocelot.
This French director is mainly known for his trilogy of feature films devoted to the tiny Kirikou, this particularly lively child who lives in an imaginary African village.
The presentation discusses the artist's journey through a selection of works taken from his personal archives, most of which are presented to the public for the first time.
The Château-Museum also houses, in its courtyard, “Hello animation”, an exhibition from the National Center for Cinema and Animated Image (CNC) which retraces, in 12 key dates, 60 years of animation.
Michel Ocelot, artificer of the imagination
, until October 11, 2021;
Hello animation,
until October 31st.
Hours: until July 1, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. From July 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (museum closed on Tuesdays). Adult admission: € 5.50, Child: € 3. Free for children under 12.
THE RIGHT TABLE
La Rotonde des Trésoms, one Michelin star
The restaurant run by chef Éric Prowalski also offers a breathtaking setting.
Studio K Les Tresoms
The Michelin guide has dedicated it this year, granting it a much-deserved star and for good reason: the chef of the restaurant Le Rotonde des Trésoms, Éric Prowalski, 44, is an "
excellent technician who unrolls a light and flattering score, where creativity never encroaches on pleasure, a tasty "dialogue" between his adopted land and his region of origin (the southwest)
”.
Its gourmet cuisine highlights local products from sustainable agriculture.
We particularly like the half-cooked féra du lac, Agastache butter and piquillos, potato mousseline, scent of undergrowth and reduced chicken jus or this pike with seaweed, samphire and cockles.
Without forgetting for dessert, the famous rice pudding from his childhood.
We feast in the breathtaking setting of a beautiful rotunda overlooking the lake and its surrounding massifs, for a real pleasure for the eyes and the taste buds.
Restaurant La Rotonde des Trésoms, 15 boulevard de la Corniche.
Open Tuesday to Friday and Sunday for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., last order.
And from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., last order.
Menus from 37 euros (lunch).
Phone.
: 04 50 51 43 84.
THE HOTEL IN SIGHT
Rivage hotel & spa Annecy 4 *
Scheduled opening July 1, 2021 for this establishment located near the lake, facing Albigny beach, and which has 123 rooms.
Press photo
It is the last born of the Annecy hotels. A stone's throw from the lake, the 4 * Rivage Hotel & Spa is defined above all as an experience to be lived, a place combining chic and cool, the art of living and relaxation. Its three floors, each dedicated to a natural element, house 123 truly spacious rooms, including two
penthouses
with a panoramic terrace and a superb view of the lake
.
The new establishment also has a vast spa & fitness area, the largest in Annecy with its 1000 m² and its beautiful 16 m indoor swimming pool. It has its own concierge service which suggests a number of activities and has even created the “By Rivage” offer to enjoy special moments in peace (
sunset
aperitif
,
paragliding in the setting sun ...) There is no doubt that this new complex, which also includes very beautiful bar and restaurant areas, will quickly become an essential address for enjoying an invigorating break for a weekend, taking care of of oneself and discover, at your own pace, all the charms of the “Venice of the Alps”.
Rivage Hotel & spa Annecy, 33 avenue du Petit Port.
Opening July 1, 2021. From € 130 per room.
Phone: 04 50 23 07 90.
DAY 1: THE GREAT CLASSICS
Morning: on foot on the old Annecy side
The picturesque old town of Annecy, with the Thiou canal.
Keitma
Nestled at the foot of the castle, this picturesque district collects the assets: emblematic monuments, a charming canal (the
Thiou
), beautiful old houses, vaulted arcades where shops, bars and other restaurants are housed, three famous weekly markets (Tuesday , Friday, Sunday)… To grasp its essence, you have to start early to discover it.
After an essential photo break at the
Palais de l'Île,
we favor the
impasse du Trippoz
and its good climb overlooked by the
castle
to reach this former residence of the Counts of Geneva in the 12th century. We linger on the
Chemin des Remparts
, which hides a mini-public garden, we enjoy a beautiful view over the roofs of the old quarters by branching
off the Saint Maurice coast
… Then we reach the
Porte Sainte Claire
below and the eponymous street , central artery of old Annecy.
A break is then in order at
Café Curt
, an old bistro with a listed façade, or a few meters further on, at the
Buvette du marché
, a real local institution.
You are then free to stroll
rue Sainte Claire
,
quai de l'Évêché
(lock),
rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(cathedral) ...
You can also spice up your discovery with a treasure hunt (City Game, Les Mystères du Lac, 23 rue Sommeiller. 10 € for the booklet "Le grand tour", for about two hours) or opt for one of the thematic tours offered on request by the tourist office: "Annecy and Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "In the footsteps of Saint-François-de-Sales" ... (Monday to Saturday: € 125 per guide for 2 hours. Sunday and public holidays: 175 €) or for a classic visit.
Lunch break: Racines, on the banks of the Thiou
The will of Lake Annecy is obviously à la carte, at Racines.
Facebook / Roots
After having worked in London and Barcelona and learned his skills with starred chef Stéphane Dattrino (L'Esquisse * restaurant, Annecy), John opened his restaurant in 2019 with his partner Eva.
An intimate place with 16 seats at Place des Cordeliers, with creative dishes prepared with local seasonal products.
Remember to save a small place for dessert ...
Racines, 8 passage des Bains - Place des Cordeliers.
Phone: 04 50 09 12 43
Afternoon: on foot on the lake side
It's a postcard in the middle of the city - the lake and its mountains - that we never tire of. From the
pier of the Compagnie des Bateaux
on the Napoleon III quay side to the
Imperial Palace
****
hotel
, you will be amazed. This walk, very popular with Annecy residents, is punctuated by crossing the
gardens of
Europe
, an English-style park planted in 1863, the
Pont des amours
which allows you to cross the
Vassé canal
and its beautiful vault of plane trees, the vast
Pâquier esplanade
and its orientation table,
Charles Bosson park
and its aviary… You can then take the promenade to the Petit port along the beach for a taste of the
Reine des Prés
at Carine Veyrat, the daughter of the famous chef with a hat… A treat between sponge cake with blueberries and cakes.
Where to have a drink?
The cave
It is the historic meeting point for wine lovers from Annecy.
Well hidden in the heart of the Passage des Échoppes, La Cave offers a fine menu of more than 400 references and some forty wines by the glass to savor on the outdoor terrace or in the cozy atmosphere of the vaulted interior room.
To accompany its tasting, nothing better than an aperitif board mixing cured meats and regional cheeses.
A friendly place where we like to linger.
The Cellar
.
Open Monday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Access by 8, rue du Paquier.
The French Salon
An English boudoir version, cozy and warm, thought "
in the French gourmet spirit
" by former skier Anthony Milesi.
On the menu, a selection of the best artisans in France and local specialties to pair with a fine wine list.
The French Salon
.
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight.
26, rue Royale, Annecy.
Phone.
04 56 72 62 73.
The cock of the rooster
An intimate cocktail bar hidden in the small courtyard of the Pré Carré, in the city center.
Discreet but worth the detour with its original, dense and regularly updated menu.
The Cock of the Rooster.
Tuesday to Saturday 6 p.m. / 1:30 a.m.
10 Vaugelas Street.
Phone.
09 81 26 95 00.
Where to dine?
A stone's throw from the 5-star hotel and 3-star restaurant in the Clos des Sens Michelin guide, we find ourselves in a village atmosphere around the church of the capital of Annecy-le-Vieux, far from the Annecy effervescence which is only a few minutes away. Two restaurants are inseparable from the place,
Le Café (culinary) Brunet
and
Le Clocher
. They are both located in old buildings full of charm where you can have lunch outside under the chestnut or lime trees in fine weather.
Mathieu Fortin, at the helm of the first, offers very bistro cuisine, sharing dishes such as this veal shank confit for seven hours.
The chef of the second, Bruno Wlodarczyk, takes particular pleasure in updating traditional dishes such as this yellow chicken from Dombes stuffed with tarragon.
Café Brunet, 18 place Gabriel Fauré.
Open Tuesday to Saturday and Sundays in July and August.
Phone.
04 50 27 65 65
Le Clocher bar-restaurant, 20 place Gabriel Fauré.
Open 7 days a week - Tel.
04 50 23 09 90.
DAY 2: CAPTURE THE LAKE
In the morning: according to the waves
Talloires, on the shores of Lake Annecy.
ERIK SAMPERS / Le Figaro Magazine
We embark on a "lake safari", a private ride on Lake Annecy stamped "purest in Europe".
A guide and a very comfortable boat just for you, to admire in peace the farandole of surrounding mountains, the beautiful villas, the sublime
bay of Talloires
, discover two nature reserves but also the remains of the underwater lake houses, the cave smugglers, accessible only by the waves.
All this punctuated for the (very) courageous by a dip in the crystalline waters which flirt with 24 ° in summer but… only around 8 ° in March.
It is also possible to have breakfast, an aperitif or even a fondue on board.
Water Taxi
.
From € 290 (four people, two hours).
Phone.
: 06 12 43 10 87.
Read also: Castle, beaches and cycling: what to do around Lake Annecy
Lunch break
The terraces of the lake
After strolling on the lake, we take a little height to discover it from a different perspective from the Terrasses du Lac.
It is an institution that we never tire of;
a confidential address nestled in the heart of the Semnoz forest which has many surprises in store.
First of all, its setting: located five minutes by car or taxi from the center of Annecy, this restaurant offers a breathtaking view of the lake it overlooks.
Then of course his card.
At the helm of the establishment since 2016, chef Hervé Getenet enjoys working with perch fillets and other feras from neighboring Lake Geneva.
He also treats his guests with an emulsion of potatoes / snails in parsley, one of his “signature” dishes.
Les Terrasses du lac
, 7 route du Semnoz, Annecy.
Phone.
04 50 45 34 86.
Afternoon: off the beaten track
We head for
La FabriC
, about ten minutes walk from the station.
The former workshop of Georges Salomon, founder of the eponymous skis, now houses an exhibition space of over 200m² orchestrated by the Claudine and Jean-Marc Salomon Foundation for Contemporary Art.
La FabriC is also on the open-air street art route
“La Virée”
, initiated by the artist collective Art By Friends and marked out (for the moment) with a dozen works produced on existing urban planning. .
A route can be downloaded from the ViAnnecy application.
La FabriC, 34 avenue de Loverchy.
Phone.
04 50 02 87 52.
Art By Friends Gallery, 14 avenue du Rhône.
Read also: Lake Annecy, our selection of beaches
Address Book
GOOD TABLES
At lunchtime, the Bar Roux d'Heure et la Brune offers a vegetarian option.
Facebook / Bar Roux d'Heure et la Brune
The Palettes.
Inspired by its Parisian cousins Colette and Merci, this multi-brand boutique also houses a café and a small restaurant with a lovely terrace in fine weather.
On the plate, fresh seasonal products.
Les Palettes, square de l'Évêché, Annecy.
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (6 p.m. for the bar).
Phone.
04 50 27 77 17.
The Bar Roux d'Heure and the Brune.
Here, a large part of the decor, furniture, crockery is mottled, resulting in an atypical and warm atmosphere that we love.
Bar, restaurant, brunch, based on organic and local products.
The Bar Roux d'Heure and the Brune.
6-8 rue de la Filaterie.
Annecy.
Phone.
06 87 26 13 77. Open Tuesday from 12 noon to 10:30 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Fréti
.
An essential place for fans of Savoyard specialties made from cheese.
On the menu (among others), about fifteen different fondues!
The Fréti.
12 rue Sainte Claire.
Annecy.
Phone.
04 50 51 29 52. Open 7 days a week in the evening and from Thursday to Sunday at noon.
The Sketch.
An intimate restaurant with a star, located in the city center.
At the helm, Stéphane Dattrino, former assistant to the three-star chef Laurent Petit.
Unmissable for its dishes based on fish from the lakes and for its “Tout choc” on the dessert side!
The Sketch.
21 rue Royale.
Phone.
04 50 44 80 59. Open every day except Sunday and Monday.
OR SLEEP?
The charming Boutik Hotel is ideally located in the heart of Annecy.
Press photo
Imperial Palace
This imposing 4-star hotel, designed in the Belle Epoque spirit, houses 90 rooms and suites facing the lake, including the elegant 160m2 duplex Imperial Suite with terraces in the middle of slate roofs and exceptional views.
Strong point, the beautiful spa with its indoor swimming pool and the beautiful terrace on the lake and garden side.
Imperial Palace.
Allée de l'Impérial, 74000 Annecy.
Phone.
04 50 09 30 00
Les Tresoms Lake & Spa Resort
This 4-star hotel with 52 rooms, quietly located on the edge of the Semnoz forest in a beautiful Savoyard building, offers a plunging and breathtaking view of the lake.
The Tresoms.
15 boulevard de la Corniche (5 minutes from the city center by car), Annecy.
Phone.
04 50 51 43 84
The Boutik Hotel
Ideally located at the entrance to the old town of Annecy, in front of the lake, this private mansion from the last century, with its walled garden, houses a dozen rooms with varied personalities and tasteful decoration.
We love its confidentiality, its concept store focused on decoration ... and its hut at the bottom of the garden!
The Boutik Hotel.
2 rue des Marquisats.
Phone.
04 50 440 440
Read also: The Black Bass Hotel on Lake Annecy, the expert opinion of
Le Figaro
OUR TERROIR SHOPPING ADDRESSES
Tommes, reblochon and other buckshot ...
The cheese maker Pierre Gay, best worker in France, in his Annecy shop.
ARNAUD ROBIN / Le Figaro Magazine
Fromagerie Gay (Pierre Gay, best worker in France): an Annecy institution run by the same family for several generations.
Store with a view… on the maturing cellar!
47 rue Carnot.
Phone: 04 50 45 07 29
Crémerie du Lac (Alain Michel): cheese maker from father to son for four generations.
3 rue du Lac.
Phone: 04 50 45 19 31
Chocolate
Annecy is also known for the Roseaux du Lac, these chocolate sticks, historically infused with coffee, created by a confectioner in 1924 rue du Lac.
It is here (among others) at number 6, that Christophe Arechavala continues the tradition.
Pastry
As for the Savoy cake, several bakeries are neck and neck among Annecy lovers of this typical light biscuit.
We are still hesitating between the one signed Rouge (3, rue du Lac) or Marmillon (11, rue sainte Claire).