While most travellers chasing a French holiday tend to head for Paris, Provence or the Riviera, I\u2019ve swapped the classic tourist hotspots for a quieter and cheaper alternative: a storybook lakeside town in the heart of the French Alps where it\u2019s possible to experience the very best of French culture without Eiffel Tower crowds or Cote d\u2019Azur prices.<\/p>\n
Old town of Annec. Photo \/ Monica Dalmasso<\/p>\n
Lake Annecy sits in the southeast of France in the picturesque Tarentaise Valley. At the lake\u2019s northern end lies the city of Annecy, home to the region\u2019s greatest concentration of shops, restaurants, hotels and must-see sites. Yet, it\u2019s the shimmering lake before me, with six quintessential French villages dotted around its shores, that plays the role of leading lady in Annecy\u2019s enchanting tale. The 38km, mainly flat trail around the lake\u2019s edge is easily conquered by all abilities on an electric bike and feels more quotidian than touristy; I pass dog walkers and joggers, and am mesmerised by rhythmic rowing crews. The lake\u2019s sandy bottom is visible through crystal clear water and in warmer weather I can imagine diving in at one of its many beaches only to re-emerge 10 years younger.<\/p>\n
Lake Annecy bike path. Photo \/ Gilles Piel<\/p>\n
The scene is typical of France, old and beautiful. Pastel-coloured houses line narrow roads with productive plot gardens, aged wooden shutters and attic-style roofs, while stately residences hide behind high stone walls.<\/p>\n
Perched on a rocky outcrop above the lake, the Chateau de Menthon-Saint-Bernard rises in a dramatic cluster of towers and spires said to have inspired Walt Disney\u2019s Sleeping Beauty.<\/p>\n
Le Chateau de Menthon Saint Bernard. Photo \/ Gilles Piel<\/p>\n
Reached by a leg-testing detour through pencil pines, the 11th-century castle has remained in the same family for 23 generations. Today it hosts seasonal events \u2013 and even overnight stays, promising the deepest of sleeps.<\/p>\n
Exploring higher into the mountains reveals a smorgasbord of nature-based activity. Serious bikers and hikers fill daypacks with fresh baguettes and cheese to fuel endless trails, rewarded with incredible views. Paragliding, rafting, climbing and canyoning are more daring options, but through the winter (and much of spring), when the valley is blanketed in snow, it\u2019s most famous for the world-class skiing.<\/p>\n
Resorts such as Val d\u2019Isere, Meribel and Chamonix line the ridges, with Annecy positioned as an ideal launching pad. For a charming and budget-friendly ski experience, Mount Semnoz is an easy day trip.<\/p>\n
A short stroll along the lakefront from my hotel leads me into the old town, now hungry and curious. Nicknamed the Venice of the Alps, the town feels intimate and unhurried. Pedestrians drift along medieval canals and through quiet cobbled lanes, lingering beneath arcades and ducking into independent boutiques.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t resist boulangerie windows stacked high with flaky pastries, while fromageries demand closer inspection with their gloriously gooey displays.<\/p>\n
Above market chatter, I hear church bells toll and the gentle murmur of the Thion river. One impassioned local insists I try the local Savoyard cuisine, which is shaped by mountain pastures.<\/p>\n
Thion river canals. Photo \/ Gilles Piel<\/p>\n
At L\u2019Etage, heady local cheeses rise from the region\u2019s signature dishes \u2013 I see bubbling tartiflette and molten raclette but settle on a decadent fondue and barely make a dent.<\/p>\n
Blissful and beaten, I retreat to the cosy, timber-lined bar downstairs for a final glass of Gamay. Here I linger over tomorrow\u2019s possibilities, marvelling at travel unburdened by hassle.<\/p>\n
Ready for sleep, I return to my hotel. Ornate and enormous, the all-white Edwardian facade of the Imperial Palace invites travellers to step back in time.<\/p>\n
Opened in 1913, the hotel remains iconic for its beauty, stature and lakefront position nestled in parkland. I revel in its spacious well-appointed rooms, decadent terrace breakfasts and unforgettable views.<\/p>\n
In the morning, I fling open those same French doors once more. The lake is glassy, the mountains unchanged, the air as bracing as before. <\/p>\n
Annecy offers everything that draws travellers to France \u2013 beauty, history, food \u2013 but without the crowds or the hurry. <\/p>\n
I step back onto the balconette, arms wide, and take another unencumbered breath. <\/p>\n
Sunset over Lake Annecy. Photo \/ Annabel Urquhart<\/p>\n
DETAILS <\/p>\n
Annecy is 40 minutes by car from Geneva or three and a half hours by high-speed train from Paris. <\/p>\n
Many hotels offer e-bikes to rent or rental shops are easily found around Annecy\u2019s Old Town. <\/p>\n
The writer travelled as a guest of the Imperial Palace Hotel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While most travellers chasing a French holiday tend to head for Paris, Provence or the Riviera, I\u2019ve swapped…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[50,15084,15090,15082,15087,15085,8467,15083,15088,5680,2543,11159,28,1408,9329,1063,15091,15086,15089],"class_list":{"0":"post-23626","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-alps","8":"tag-alps","9":"tag-alternative","10":"tag-annabel","11":"tag-annecy","12":"tag-chaos","13":"tag-fairytale","14":"tag-french","15":"tag-guide","16":"tag-hightail","17":"tag-lake","18":"tag-paris","19":"tag-quiet","20":"tag-the","21":"tag-to","22":"tag-town","23":"tag-travel","24":"tag-urquhart","25":"tag-without","26":"tag-writes"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}