Around Annecy, board sports and fine foods

Considered the 'Venice of the Alps', Annecy has managed to preserve the charm of its old town. Its beautiful streets covered by archways still hold a wonderful food market every Tuesday and Friday. Between the cold cuts and cheeses produced in the surrounding mountains, you'll discover delicious local products. This traditional market reminds travelers that Annecy has been a city of commerce and trade since the Middle Ages.

Every evening in June, as soon as night falls, open-air movies are projected on giant screens at locations such as the square in front of the Town Hall, Vignières Pommaries park, and the Annecy Stud Farm. During the famous Animated Film Festival, you can also(re)discover the great classics of the animated genre, be they from Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Ghibli or independent films--so many masterpieces to be shared by young and old alike...

The second largest glacial lake in France, Lake Annecy has lots on offer for fans of water sports: waterskiing, wakeboarding and speedboating (with or without a licence), not forgetting the stunning Roc de Chère Nature Reserve. Fans of paddle boarding can give themselves a solitary treat on the lake's waters at Le Pâquier. Such a sweet sense of detachment beneath the perched villas and the mountains in the distance...

Started in 1312 and always held in the village's central square, the market in Thônes hosts salted meat and cheese producers every Saturday morning. Hardly surprising when you think that Thones is considered the capital of Reblochon...

As an artisan ripener, Joseph Paccard patiently selects and 'nurtures' each cheese in his cellar. In this mysterious, hidden-away world of Slow Food, hygrometry and temperature appear to be the masters of time. The visit continues with the tasting of Manigodine, Reblochon, and Tome de Savoie cheeses accompanied by a delicious Savoy wine. You'll find it impossible to leave empty-handed...

Who hasn't dreamt of skiing in the middle of the night ? 2013 saw the tenth anniversary of the Full Moon Party in La Clusaz. Imagine skiing to the beat of a DJ set while the clock strikes midnight under the disco lights! With a mulled wine, music and skiing, this makes the evening a formidable combination and guaranteed to intoxicate ...

Le Palais de Megève is home to one of only three curling rinks in the Alps. The local club, home to a French championship-winning team, offers a chance to try the sport using its equipment. Played as a team on ice, curling consists of sliding a stone towards a target located 146 feet away. Assisting the ‘thrower,’ teammates brush the ice around the stone to help it accelerate, slow down, or change direction. This Olympic sport, often misunderstood, requires real skill, strategy and precision.