Photo : Roman Boed / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Annecy
Annecy is the prefecture of Haute-Savoie, in the heart of the Northern Alps. It occupies a cluse, a passage carved between Lake Annecy and the Prealps. Since 2017 and the merger with five neighbouring communes, including Annecy-le-Vieux and Meythet, it has about 132,000 inhabitants.
The town was the residence of the counts of Geneva and then of Savoy. After the Protestant Reformation of 1536 in Geneva, it became a bastion of Catholicism and housed the bishop of Geneva. It was attached to France by the Treaty of Turin in 1860.
Its old town is crossed by canals, notably the Thiou and the Vassé, in which the medieval façades are reflected, which is why it is compared to Venice. It is nicknamed the pearl of the Alps. The setting, between lake and mountains, makes it a major tourist destination of the Alps.
Annecy also has a cultural life marked by two major events: the International Animation Film Festival and the Fête du lac, which each attract about 100,000 visitors. The terraces of the historic centre, the lake shores and the surrounding paths are easily explored on foot.
