Introduction

Annecy is one of the most visited resort towns of the french Alps. Built around the river Thiou, Annecy has been called the Venice of the Alps because of the canals that cut through the old part of town, Vieil Annecy. You can explore the winding streets of the old town, where Jean-Jacques Rousseau arrived in 1728.

Information

The tourist office is situated in Rue Jean Jaurés.

Getting Around

Getting around in Annecy on foot is fairly easy but bikes and rollerblades can be hired. For information about the local bus services go to the SIBRA office in the Centre Banlieu. Taxis are reasonably priced but have to be ordered by phone as you are not generally supposed to hail them. There are many sports activites on offer in Annecy with even the possibility of paragliding. You can also hire boats to take you around the lake at 2 Place aux Bois.

Eating and Drinking

If you like to eat out the place to head for is the old town or the Canal du Thiou. You will find these places packed with some of the best cafes of the region. For those who are cooking for themselves, don't miss the food market held at Rue Sante Claire on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 6am to 12:30 pm. For a drink in the evening there are a whole range of bars to choose from. In the old town, you'll find an assortment of bars, cafes, pubs, and in the sumer, street dances, fairs and even carnivals. You should try Le Roi Arthur a young trendy bar, a traditional Irish pub called Le Captain Pub, 11 rue Pont-Morenc where you will find a selection of dark ales on tap and Le Vieux Necy, 3 rue Filaterie attracts a lively crowd. We suggest you try "Le Munich" as it sells 130 different types of beer with 13 of those on draught. Among dance clubs, the lively Le Pop Plage, 30 av. d'Albigny, pulls in an older, more sophisticated crowd than Le Garage, rue Sommellier where the entrance fee generally buys the first drink and the chance to dance the night away. Both places are bastions of techno and rock and can charge a cover of as much as 100 F on Fridays and Saturdays. Le Pop Plage is open in summer only. Check out "Le Garage" too as it is well known for its lively atmosphere, you will find it at 36 rue Sommeiller in Annecy city centre. A calmer alternative is an evening of theater or dance at the Théâtre d'Annecy, 1 rue Jean-Jaurès or the best piano bar in town- Le Duo, 104 av. de Genève an ideal spot for quiet conversations. For the most elegant evening on the town, head for the swank Casino de l'Impérial, 32 av. d'Albigny part of the belle époque Impérial Palace hotel on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Annecy. Entrance requires the presentation of a passport. It's open daily from 8:30pm to 2am (till 4am on Friday and Saturday). The area reserved for slot machines (where admission is free) is open daily 24 hours.

Don't Miss

If you want to do some sight-seeing we strongly recommend you visit the Alpine museum, it has small scale models of many aspects of Alpine life. For example you can see a model of a box of chocolates as small as your thumb nail. You have to see it to believe it! Another interesting museum is the Museum of the Bell, here you can see some of the largest bells in the world. There is also a slide show showing the fascinating way in which a bell is made. Don't leave without taking a cruise on the ice-blue lake for which the town is famous. Tours run from Easter to the end of September and usually last 1 to 2 hours. A tour that makes stops at every significant village around the lake's edge lasts 1 3/4 hours. During July and August, there are three boat tours daily, allowing you to get off at whatever port you want, explore the town and pick up the next boat for a return before nightfall to Annecy.