If your soul screams to discover Europe’s more picturesque, cute places, you’ll be happy to know that you’re just about to find out about one of Europe’s most magical little towns! If you’ve been on Instagram recently, you must have seen a picture or two from the colourful town of Annecy France. Nested right on the French Lake, not surprisingly called Annecy, the town is the perfect day trip if you’re travelling around France or the French part of Switzerland.
Before I visited Annecy I only had a vague idea of what to expect. I knew about the gorgeous lake, the mountain views, the colourful houses in the Old Town but when I arrived in Annecy France, I was pretty surprised. I got dropped off at the bus station and that whole area could not have been less exciting! Busy roads, many people, traffic everywhere you turn your eyes to. But only a few meters down the road and I finally got to the Annecy I was so thrilled about.
How to get to Annecy from Geneva
I was travelling to Annecy France as part of my solo trip to Switzerland. On my last day in Switzerland, I went to Geneva which was the excellent base for exploring the nearing border with France, including Annecy. I was touring through Switzerland with the Swiss train pass so I didn’t have a car which would have been the quickest and easiest option to get to Annecy. Luckily though, I was able to book an early morning trip (way before the first bus) with Blablacar and joined a lovely local on his drive to Annecy.
To my surprise, there were actually many people doing the Geneva – Annecy route pretty much daily for work so finding a ride was pretty easy. In fact, I even had a wide range of time slots to choose from which was just ideal since I really wanted to get to the magic town of tulips as early as possible. On the way back, however, I took the Flixbus back to Geneva for just 5 GBP which took only 1 hour. The car drive also took just under an hour so no excuse not to visit Annecy if you’re ever in Geneva 😛 .
Insider Tip: My Blablacar journey cost me 7 GBP whereas the early morning Flixbus was around £15 GBP so definitely check Blablacar if you’re travelling from Geneva. It can be a stellar money saver!
How to get around within Annecy France
After 3 days of hopping on and off trains, buses and boats as I was exploring the best secluded villages around Interlaken, I was pretty happy that in Annecy all I needed were my two feet to walk around everywhere! Really, you need no buses, no cars, no trains! Maybe just a boat if you fancy a trip along the lake 🙂 .
How long to spend in Annecy
Contrary to what I expected, Annecy France is actually not a very small town. But as with most places, the majority of it is residential. In fact, the true beauty of Annecy is hidden in the Old Town and the relaxing pathways around the lake which are actually right next to each other. I can testify that you can easily spend hours and hours just walking around but unless you’re planning on a stellar French cheese and wine indulgence, a day trip would be sufficient to explore (without rushing) the best of Annecy.
Things to do in Annecy
When I got to Annecy, it was about 8 o’clock on Monday morning in late April. It wasn’t particularly sunny and apart from the lorries restocking the local businesses, the Old Town was really quiet. None of the cafes, shops or restaurants were open and it kind of gave me the ghost town feeling. I even thought there won’t be much to do in Annecy for a whole day. I was actually pretty shocked because at that hour and in that chilled weather, everything looked somewhat ordinary.
Even remember texting my best friend saying how overrated Annecy was 😀 . I must admit that I clearly jumped into conclusions pretty quickly Oooops. It’s incredible how much the sun, the awaken liveliness of the Old Town and countless colours of the tulips hanging over the canals completely transformed the town. This is when I discovered that actually there is a lot to do in Annecy France!
Stroll along the Old Town without a purpose
The first thing I did as soon as the sun came out was head over to the Old Town. Without a question, this is the most scenic, most colourful part of Annecy and idling around its many little streets is the best way to start the day. Don’t just stroll along the obvious streets though. Go up all the stairs you can find and proper explore the cobbled streets with independent restaurants, beautifully painted houses and local pastry shops seducing with the aroma of their freshly baked croissants. Honestly, the sheer amount of different saturated colours you will find in the Old Town is simply incredible. It’s like this part of town was made specifically to wow all travel photographers and trap them so tightly that they would never want to leave 😀 .
Get yourself into prison
Not literally, please 😀 ! But did you know that right at the heart of the Old Town, there used to be an active prison? Yes, right in the middle of it! Luckly, today Palais de l’Isle houses a local history museum with the only “prisoners” you can find in there being the history geeks who fancy reading about the past in this 12th century castle. One would wonder why the French used their castle as a prison but hey, we can’t argue with history right:D . Not only does Palais de l’Isle have a pretty interesting history but it also has a pretty unique location. If you stand right in front of it, it looks as if a ship is splitting up the river to head towards the lake. It really is quite spectacular.
Discover the “Venice” street
Until you’ve gone up and down this street a few times at least, it’s as if you haven’t learnt how to love Annecy the right way. I call it the ”Venice” street because it literally brought me back to the charming narrow alleys of Venice, travelling along the many canals of the Italian floating city. I only discovered this street after a few hours of wandering around. Although right in the middle of the Old town, Palais de l’Isle is concealing this street so nicely that I ended up leaving it for dessert.
Known officially as Quai de l’Éveché, this street is home to a large family of tulips and gracious swans. Just like a traditional alley on the picturesque Italian Riviera, the street is covered with cute restaurant settings waiting for customers to have a seat and enjoy the canal and the flower pots screaming for attention. If you fancy a proper treat, this is the spot to pick a restaurant and enjoy!
Find Château d’Annecy and the views from the top
Once the residence of the Counts of Geneva, Château d’Annecy is now a castle home to yet another museum. If you have the history bug, satiate your curiosity and have a look around. It costs 5.50 EUR to get in. I’m personally not crazy about museum hopping so when I was told that there is no terrace inside to see better town views from, I decided to skip the actual museum and head outside to take in the views from the hill. To be honest it really isn’t much of a hill but compared to the rest of the Old Town which is pretty flat, this part of Annecy is slightly more elevated and is the best spot for looking at the town from above. So if not for the museum, head up to Château d’Annecy for the walk and the views.
Wander around the lake
If you hover over the map, you’ll immediately realise how huge Lake Annecy is. Surrounded by not one but five of the French mountains, the view of the lake with the hills at the backdrop is simply incredible. If you can, have a slow walk along the lake at sunset or sunrise. The mix of colour and their reflexion in the crystal clear water provides the most relaxing atmosphere you can imagine. Whether you’re winding down from your tour or just jetting off to explore, filling up your eyes with the views will charge you up for hours!
In the morning when I arrived, I bumped into joggers and locals walking their dogs along the lake and everything seemed too idealistic. The many little boats were waiting for their first adventure for the day and not a single movement could be spotted on the lake. One thing is sure, it definitely was the perfect spot to have my morning pastry!
Treat yourself to the best ice cream in town
In a place, so relaxing as Annecy and on a nice day, there is little that can beat a yummy scoop of ice cream whilst chilling by the lake or the park. As with anything in Annecy, even ice cream isn’t cheap but if you want a treat, head over to Le Glacier des Alpes. Standing at the bridge in front of Palais de l’Isle, turn left and you’ll see the huge choice of flavours right at the end of the cute medieval street. Pick your favourites and enjoy a baby scoop on the house! How cute is that?! My two scoops cost whooping 4 EUR but it was the second best ice cream I’ve had, after my yummy delight in Florence! Aaaw, dreams full of ice cream 😀 !
Challenge yourself to take a photo of all the tulips
I’m a pathetic lover of all things colour! So when I went to Annecy, my heart melted when I saw how overflowing with colourful tulips the whole of the Old Town was. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the many flowers spreading joy and aroma from the one end of the canals to the other, Annecy would not be as majestic and eye-popping as it actually is!
Insider Tip: Visit Annecy France when the tulips are blossoming. Otherwise, you’ll only tickle your wanderlust so to get the full Annecy experience, go between April and September.
Get closer to the mountains by taking a boat trip
At one point during your visit to Annecy France, you’re bound to just stand on the marina, stare at the water and horizon hoping to trace the lake as it turns to hide behind the mountains. If the appetite of your curiosity is so insatiable that a look from the shore doesn’t cut it, take a boat trip. As soon as you get to the lake, you’ll see enough companies offering boat trips so shop for the deal that works best for you and enjoy! And don’t forget your suncream 😛 !
Chill in Annecy park
If you’ve done all the fun things above, it’s time to grab a coffee and some packed lunch and head over to the park. There are not many places where you can be at the park but also steps from the lake, overlooking the mountains. So if you wonder whether a restaurant or a seat on the freshly cut grass in the park is the option you should go for, I’d vote for a picnic any day.
I got the best seat by a pretty row of tulips, listened to my music, admired the lake and just relaxed until it was time to head back to Geneva. Little moments like that are what transform just another tour into a truly memorable experience!
If you’re planning a trip to Annecy France, I’m totally with you! It’s a beautiful, charming, peaceful place and if you pick a less popular time to visit such as late April, you’ll thoroughly enjoy it! If you only have a day to spare, don’t you cry your eyes out 😛 ! A day is totally fine to see the whole of Annecy, relax and scenery watch for hours.
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out some of my best posts below.
- The best things to do in Interlaken for a guaranteed awesome time
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