April 8, 2025, 10:21 a.m. | Reading time: 5 minutes
Do you love Venice and France? Then we have a lovely travel destination that is still considered an insider tip: Annecy in the east of France. The picturesque Alpine town is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the Alps” and for good reasons. Sunnytrips introduces the French city of Annecy.
This small town seems to be picture-perfect with its labyrinth of cobblestone streets and canals, its partly pastel-colored and otherwise colorful old town houses and its sparkling lake against the ever-impressive Alpine backdrop. Annecy, in the French East and not far from the borders with Switzerland and Italy, is a wonderful place for anyone with a sense of beauty and romance or simply a love of France. Or Venice – Annecy was declared the “Venice of the Alps” by “Vogue” a few years ago. And it shouldn't just be pretty, it should also be far more relaxed than the original or the charming French capital.
An old town almost like Venice – without the crowds
Sights in AnnecyPalais de l’ÎleChâteau d’AnnecyLac d’Annecy
Palais de l'Île
Chateau d'Annecy
Lake Annecy
How to get to Annecy?
Annecy – an insider tip with a brutal past
An old town almost like Venice – without the crowds
With narrow canals that wind through the pretty, colorful old town of Annecy and under bridges decorated with flowers, the comparison to Italy's romantic canal city is more than obvious. Although the canal labyrinth in Annecy is very limited compared to Venice, the similarity is hard to miss. The sight of the Thiou in the morning or evening light always creates romantic moments. And the sunset over the glittering Lac d’Annecy is hardly inferior to that on the Grand Canal.
In addition to the water worlds, it is particularly the cobbled old town streets of the Vieille Ville in Annecy that delight its residents and visitors. The labyrinth of narrow and wider streets and bridges that lead over the waterways is peppered with cafes and restaurants on many corners. They have placed many of their tables outside and offer delicious Savoyard specialties as well as all sorts of other food and drinks. There are also numerous boutiques, shops and stalls as well as the ever-present view of the snow-covered Alps in the background of the city.
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Attractions in Annecy
Palais de l'Île
The medieval Palais de l’Île is Annecy’s ultimate photo opportunity. The house stands in the middle of the Thiou River and can be reached via footbridges from the bank. The Palais de l'Île used to be a prison, a courthouse and an administrative center, and it also briefly functioned as a retirement home in the 19th century. It has been a listed building since 1900. Currently, according to the city's Lac Annecy tourist site, the building is used as a drawing school for stonemasons and carpenters, as well as a gymnasium and accommodation, but is also open to visitors at various times.
Chateau d'Annecy
Not only do the gigantic mountains tower over the city, but also, a little closer, the Château d’Annecy. The Counts of Geneva and Dukes of Genevois-Nemours once resided there. The Lac Annecy tourism site describes the château as a “synthesis of medieval defensive architecture and elegance, inspired by the style of the castles of the Île de France”. After several centuries as a residential building, this function was finally given up in the 17th century and the castle was used as a military barracks until 1947. It has been a listed building since 1959.
Today, the Château d'Annecy is home to a museum that shows its visitors changing exhibitions as well as collections on regional cultural heritage, maritime archaeology, medieval sculpture, landscape paintings, contemporary art and animated cinema, as can be read on the information page.
Lake Annecy
The lake of the same name is Annecy's lifeline and a sight in itself. The alpine lake was formed more than 15,000 years ago and is 27.59 square kilometers in size. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the clear lake glitters in the sun and is a source of peace and relaxation for residents and visitors alike. The Bridge of Love, the Pont des Amours, promises a particularly beautiful view of the city and the lake. By the way: According to legend, anyone who kisses on the bridge stays together for life.
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How to get to Annecy?
Annecy is located around 42 kilometers south of Geneva. From there, buses and cars travel to Annecy within 50 minutes; a train journey takes about an hour and a half. Annecy can be reached from Paris in just under four hours by train. Drivers from Germany need around four and a half hours from Freiburg im Breisgau to reach the French city.
Annecy – an insider tip with a brutal past
A clear advantage of Annecy, in addition to all the above-mentioned places worth seeing, is the absence of the crowds. Annecy is not yet a mass travel destination and you can sometimes travel around the city in a very relaxed manner. If you want that, you should hurry up a little, as such pretty insider tips often only have a short lifespan.
Did you already know Annecy for other reasons before reading this article? Unfortunately, more than ten years ago, Annecy became the scene of an extremely brutal quadruple murder that made headlines in the media. If you want to know more about it, here is the Sunnytrips podcast on the Annecy murders.
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