1 Day In Annecy: The Little Venice Of The Alps - Tourist Attractions
Annecy is one of those places you imagine when you read children's books: cobbled streets, beautiful and flowery houses, water channels, crystalline lakes, green and snowy mountains, color everywhere.
In our trip to Lyon we decided to go on a day trip to Annecy and we convinced ourselves that this was the best decision. Annecy is charming and it has fascinated us with its fairytale atmosphere. During the time we traveled we also caught the Christmas Market open, which amplified the well-being feeling.
Annecy is an alpine town in the south-east of France, with a population of over 50,000 inhabitants. It is located on the border with Switzerland, and is at a distance of 40 km from Geneva, in Switzerland, 140 km from Lyon and 560 km from Paris.
The city is crossed by the Le Thiou river, which flows directly into Lake Annecy.
It is a tourist city and can be a perfect destination for a day trip, whether you leave from Lyon, Geneva or spend more time in the Alps area. We chose to organize this one-day trip related to the Lyon vacation. You can read about our short vacation in Lyon here: City Break In Lyon, France – What To Do 3 Days In Lyon, Tourist Attractions.
How do you get to Annecy
Depending on the starting point, there are several possibilities to reach Annency. If you leave from Lyon, you can choose from the following options: Lyon, poti alege din urmatoarele variante:
- by train - a round trip ticket costs around 60 euros. Trains run approximately every hour, and a trip takes around 2 hours. You can buy train tickets directly from the station, or from the SNCF application
- by bus - a round trip with FlixBus or BlaBlaCar Bus is cheaper than the train, and takes around 2 hours. The recommendation is to buy the tickets online, directly from the companies' applications
- with a rented car
If you leave from Geneva, the cheapest option is with Flixbus or BlaBlaCar Bus, and a round trip costs 10 euros.
We traveled with FlixBus from Lyon, we bought the tickets at the station counter in Lyon (Lyon-Perrache station), and we paid 45 euros for a return ticket. We left from Lyon at 10 in the morning, arrived at lunchtime in Annecy, and at 6 pm we had the return bus. With bus we arrived directly at the train station in Annecy, very close to the city center.
In Annecy there is no need to use public transport, because the distances between the attractions are very short, all the places to visit are located in a fairly small area.
What to do in Annecy - Tourist attractions
Old Town (Vieille Ville)
Annecy has a superb historic center, and is crossed by numerous canals and pedestrian streets. That is why the city is also called "Little Venice of the Alps".
The old city (Vieille Ville) is a charming labyrinth of pedestrian, cobbled streets, among arches and graceful, colorful and beautifully ornamented buildings. The flowers in the pots that adorn the walkways on the canals and the window sills of the houses give a feeling of elegance, and make you feel like you are in a story.
If you arrive in Annecy on Tuesday, Friday or Sunday morning, you will pass through the street market, where local sellers sell their products in improvised stalls on the small streets of the city. We also found the market open when we visited Annecy, and studied the merchandise displayed for sale: clothes, vegetables, cheese, street food, sweets, etc.
In the old center you will find most cafes and restaurants in the city, as well as souvenir shops. Traditionally here is the raclette cheese, we ate some at the Christmas market, and it was extraordinary. Also at the Christmas market, it was the first time when we drank mulled apple juice: the same recipe as mulled wine, with cinnamon and nutmeg, only that instead of wine, we had natural apple juice. It tasted incredibly good, we hope these drinks will also appear at the Christmas markets in our country.
Palais de l'Ile (Old Prison)
Palais de l’Ile is the most photographed place in Annecy, and represents the emblematic image of the city: the famous building, surrounded on both sides by the two canals.
The building served at first as a prison, until the 14th century, then as a minting workshop, the residence of the Dukes of Savoy, and in the 16th century it was transformed into the Palace of Justice. Today it is the host of a small museum that displays exhibitions of regional architecture.
Annecy Lake (Lac d'Annecy)
Annecy Lake (Lac d’Annecy in French) attracts visitors with its alpine beauty and the translucent lake water, reflecting the mountains that surround it. It is considered the cleanest lake in Europe, thanks to its crystal clear water. The landscape is gorgeous: the blue-green lake, same as in Côte d'Azur, and the snow-covered mountain peaks provide the perfect ground for a walk on the shore.
The lake area offers a multitude of recreational activities: walking, cycling, beach and swimming during the summer, various water sports or boat rides.
Pont des Amours (Bridge of Lovers)
Another popular place on social media applications is represented by the Pont des Amours, or Lovers' Bridge. It is a bridge that spans over the canal Le Vasse, which flows from Lake Annecy. It is an arched bridge, made of iron, that inspires romance through its charming lakeside landscape.
Château d'Annecy (Castle of Annecy)
The Castle of Annecy (Château d’Annecy) is close to the old center, located on a hill just a few hundred meters away. From the height of the castle courtyard, you have a wonderful panorama above the old town, the lake and the mountains behind.
The castle was built over several centuries, starting with the 12th century. Today it is a museum and covers a wide range of disciplines: regional history, medieval sculpture, regional art or contemporary art.
The museum can be visited daily, and a ticket costs 5.6 euros per person.
These are the main tourist attractions that we visited on a day trip from Lyon. Annecy is a small but extremely beautiful town, and it is worth giving it at least one day to discover its beauty and authenticity.
