Visiting Annecy

If you move to Geneva you will find incredibly necessary to take day trips and venture out because otherwise your days will become far too monotonous. But you are in luck as Geneva is situated in the heart of Europe therefore it makes it easy to travel around. Whether it’s the rest of Switzerland, France, Italy or Germany you should definitely plan a day out exploring.

My friend came to visit me for the weekend so after spending a day exploring Geneva, we decided to go and discover somewhere different. I had heard so many beautiful things about Annecy and my friends had actually visited it the previous week and said it was a must. So we looked at BlaBlaCar and saw some very cheap prices for Annecy (4 Euros per head) so we booked it and headed over for the day. It took approximately one hour and a half, and we arrived around 14:00.

As we walked to the first café we could see we were mesmerized by it’s beauty. The Annecy Lake is surrounded by gigantic green mountains and there is a river passing through the little village separating the most beautiful buildings. The town is bursting with color, life and history.

History of Annecy:

Annecy has a lot of history due to its position between Geneva and Italy. In 1 A. D. this was a Roman colony. Throughout the middle ages it was part of the holy Roman Germanic empire. In 1400 it became part of Savoy territory, who rebuilt this town after a devastating fire. In 1860 it became french territory due to a treaty signed between Napoleon III and Camillo Benso (count of Cavour). Due to its historical past, Annecy now has a medieval touch to its beautiful architecture, which makes it a very special town. It almost gives a fairytale impression.

What to visit in Annecy:

Lake Annecy

Walking around the lake, sitting in the European Gardens is a must. Just sit and take in this spectacular view. Also do not forget to see the city town hall Hotel de Ville if you are there. It is a very impressive building that was built in 1855. If it is a beautiful warm day you can rent a bicycle for a nice tour along the lake or instead a paddleboat for a tour across the lake.

Pont des Amours

We went for a walk towards the lake and the Pont Des Amours. The Pont des Amours is a very well known bridge known for its myth that if two lovers kiss on the bridge then they will stay together forever. This is a real sweet concept but the bridge itself is a beautiful thing to see purely for its view over the lake and the mountains in the background.

Palais de L’isle

One of the first things you will see as you enter Annecy center is the Palais de L’isle. It is one of the oldest buildings in Annecy, built in 1132. Now it is a local museum but In its history, this building is known to have been the home to the Lord of Annecy, a prison, a courthouse and the administrative quarters of the Counts of Geneva. It is a very symbolic landmark of Annecy worth to be seen.

Chateaux D'annecy

Our first stop in Annecy was to go and see the famous Chateaux D'Annecy, where you will be treated to an incredible view over this town. Now the chateaux has been bought by the town and turned into a museum, which now contains an art exhibition, a permanent furniture exhibition and an armory room. Furthermore there was a second exhibition that contained the history of fishing and of aquatic life in Annecy Lake, which I found a lot more interesting due to its uniqueness and its interactivity.

St. Peters Cathedral.

On your way down to the center, you must not forget to see St. Peters Cathedral, which was build in the 16th century. This used to be a temple but became a Roman Catholic cathedral in 1822. This is another important landmark of Annecy that must be visited.

Walk down the River

We then took a stroll back down to the center of the village crossing the little bridges and exploring small back streets. Annecy is also called the "Venice of the Alps" due to its similarities to the one and only Venezia. As you walk down the river, you are surrounded by beautiful pastel colored houses and sweet little cafés. In fact we started feeling slightly peckish around 16:00 so we found a cute crêperie called Bar La Sapiniere, we sat outside (the fur throws attracted us) and decided to have a crepe break. I had bananas and honey on mine whilst my friend went for the more classic nutella. If you are looking for a place to sit down and just admire the surroundings, I recommend this place as the pricing is very adequate and the crêpes were divine.

Basilica of the Visitation

After the crêpe we thought it would be a good idea to discover a couple of more historical things before returning to Geneva. So we walked towards the Basilica of the Visitation. This is an impressive church built between the end of 1800’s and the beginning of 1900’s. It is a spectacular, gothic styled church.

St. Francois Church

This church on the other hand is a very interesting building that was built as early as 1614, and during the French Revolution it served the purpose of being used as barracks and later as a workshop. However in the nineteenth century it was converted into an Italian Church.

After visiting all these beautiful monuments and architectural gems, we took some beautiful pictures and headed back towards the station where we were to catch the coach back to Geneva. The coach is also a very quick and efficient way of transport if you have the option, but unfortunately there aren’t many options within actual Geneva.

We used Flixbus: Website

All in all, I was very impressed with Annecy, as were many people I know who have been there, so if you do find you have a spare day, I would highly recommend you take the day out and explore this beauty.

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