Photo : Krzysztof Golik / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Thonon-les-Bains
The former capital of the duchy of Chablais and a favourite residence of the dukes of Savoy before the French annexation, Thonon-les-Bains, in the Haute-Savoie, enjoys a remarkable setting on the shores of Lake Geneva, facing the Swiss shore, visible on clear days.
The gardens of the town hall, laid out as terraces above the harbour, offer a wide view of the lake and its sailing boats, and a funicular links the upper town to the marina and its lively quays. A well-known spa town in the 19th century thanks to mineral springs, like nearby Évian, it has kept a Belle Époque heritage of grand villas and the Neo-Gothic Basilica of Saint-François-de-Sales, making it a pleasant stop on the lake road.
