Discovering Haute-Savoie: a practical guide
Haute-Savoie brings together Lake Annecy, the Mont Blanc massif, gorges and waterfalls, high-altitude lakes and castles. In a single day you can go from a lakeside to a glacier, which makes it a very popular destination all year round.
This practical guide helps you choose your stops and organise your trip. Underlined site names link to their detailed pages.
Understanding Haute-Savoie in a few minutes
The département is organised around three hubs: Annecy and its lake, the Arve valley with Chamonix and Mont Blanc, and the Chablais and Giffre valleys, with Sixt Fer à Cheval. In the north, the Lake Geneva region and Château de Ripaille complete the picture.
Distances are short, but roads are busy in summer and winter. Choose two bases, for example Annecy and the Chamonix valley.
- Avoid Saturdays for trips to the resorts in winter.
- Pack warm clothes, even in summer.
- Check the weather before going up to altitude.
Annecy
Nicknamed the "Venice of the Alps" for its canals lined with colourful houses, this Savoyard prefecture overlooks the clear waters of its lake.
Lac d'Annecy
Lake Annecy, sometimes nicknamed the "blue lake", is a lake in France located in the Alps, in Haute-Savoie.
Sixt Fer à Cheval
The village surrounds an old abbey whose buildings visible today date from the seventeenth century, but which was founded in 1144 by the Augustinian monks of Abondance, one of the most important religious communities of the northern Alps in the Middle Ages.
L'Aiguille du Midi
At 3,842 m, in the heart of the massif, you rub shoulders with Mont Blanc. An exceptional viewing area, partly carved into the rock, the product of an insane technological feat.
Culture, history and heritage
Annecy is a city of canals, often called the Venice of the Alps. The Château d'Annecy and the Palais de l'Isle are landmarks. Castles are numerous in the département: Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Château de Thorens, Château de Faverges, Château de Montrottier, Château de Beauregard, Château de Ripaille, Château-Vieux d'Allinges, Château de Bonneville, Château de Larringes.
The Chartreuse du Reposoir is a monastic site in the mountains. High-altitude trains, such as the Tramway du Mont-Blanc and the Le Chemin de Fer du Montenvers, are a way of discovering heritage and landscape together.
- Castles are often open in summer only.
- In Annecy, park on the outskirts.
- Book the Montenvers train in advance in summer.
Château d'Annecy
It was built in successive stages from the twelfth to the end of the sixteenth century, then left to decay in the seventeenth and served as barracks until 1947.
Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard
The present castle is the result of a long history that runs from the twelfth century to the First World War.
Château de Thorens
Inhabited by the de Sales family since 1602, the castle is built on the old fort of 1060.
Le Chemin de Fer du Montenvers
No need to introduce the little Montenvers rack railway that takes us to the edge of the equally famous Mer de Glace glacier.
Food and local produce
Savoyard cooking is comforting: tartiflette, raclette, fondue, diots, croziflette and bilberry tarts. The cheeses are famous: Reblochon, Abondance, tomme, chevrotin and Beaufort. Lake Annecy also offers fish, notably Arctic char and féra.
Alpine farms let you taste cheeses on the spot, with a view. For wines, Savoie crus such as Roussette de Savoie or Chignin go well with these dishes.
- Taste farm-made Reblochon at an alpine farm.
- Book in advance in high season.
- For lake fish, ask for the dish of the day.
Annecy
Nicknamed the "Venice of the Alps" for its canals lined with colourful houses, this Savoyard prefecture overlooks the clear waters of its lake.
Ferme du Petit Mont
At the Ferme du Petit Mont, in Bellevaux, children will be introduced to the secrets of cheesemaking, can even try their hand at milking, and you will taste the farm's products: cheeses, sausages, jams.
Les Jardins Secrets
Les Jardins Secrets, an unusual and poetic site in Haute-Savoie.
Nature and wide open spaces
Nature is exceptional: Lac d'Annecy, Le Lac vert (Passy), Lac Blanc (Aiguilles Rouges), Lapiaz du désert de Platé. Gorges and waterfalls are numerous: Les Gorges du Fier, Cascade du Rouget, La cascade de Bérard, Cascade du Dard, Les gorges de la diosaz, Les gorges du pont du diable, la cascade d'Arpenaz, Grotte et Cascade de Seythenex.
Cable cars such as Le téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, Téléphérique du Brévent and Téléphérique du Salève give access to beautiful panoramas. For children, Parc animalier de Merlet and Tropicaland are popular outings.
- For the Aiguille du Midi, book and start early, because the weather changes quickly.
- On high-mountain trails, start early.
- Respect the protected areas around the lakes.
Les Gorges du Fier
The Lovagny region, with its famous Gorges du Fier, offers tourists attractions that contrast strangely with the luminous splendours of the shores of Lake Annecy.
Le Lac vert (Passy)
Lac Vert, in the commune of Passy in Haute-Savoie, is a natural lake of exceptional colour.
L'Aiguille du Midi
At 3,842 m, in the heart of the massif, you rub shoulders with Mont Blanc. An exceptional viewing area, partly carved into the rock, the product of an insane technological feat.
Parc animalier de Merlet
Merlet is a place called at 1,563 m altitude, on the heights of the commune of Les Houches (Haute-Savoie), in the Aiguilles Rouges massif.
When to go and how to plan
Summer is the best time for hiking and the lake. Winter is ski season, with many resorts. Autumn is quiet, with beautiful colours. Spring is a transition period: waterfalls are at their peak, but some access routes are closed.
A car is useful, but traffic jams are common at peak times. Annecy is well served by train. A four-day trip can combine Annecy and its lake, the gorges and waterfalls, then the Chamonix valley.
- Book accommodation in advance, especially in summer and winter.
- Leave some slack for the weather.
- Park outside the town centres.
Château de Ripaille
Ripaille, between Thonon and Évian on the edge of Lake Geneva, is one of the most remarkable places of history, nature and beauty in Haute-Savoie.
Sentier de la corraterie
The Corraterie path follows a narrow ledge at the foot of the Salève cliffs, in Haute-Savoie, offering an airy route with views of the Geneva basin and the Jura.
Les cascades de Saubaudy et du Déchargeux
The Déchargeux and Saubaudy waterfalls, a few metres from each other, can be found on the waterfall trail from Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, in Haute-Savoie, not far from the famous Rouget waterfall.
Going further
Explore the départements of this area: