©
Around Annecy, board sports and fine foods
4 stops
5 nights
27 miles
Lake Annecy is a magnet. You can water ski, wakeboard, kite surf, row, or just let yourself be mesmerized by its silvery waves or sky bursting with fireworks. The city is celebrated as much for its pyrotechnic arts as for its superb animated film festival. As far as La Clusaz, this region gives pride of place to nature and the spirit of celebration. In winter, you can descend the slopes on a snowboard, a traditional sled called a “paret” or by skijoring, in which you are pulled along by horses. You can even dance to the rhythm of the DJs while savoring mulled wine...
01
Departure
Recommended duration : 1 night
Annecy
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
©
Discover the traditional Old Town market
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.
During your stay
©
Philippe Rigollot pastry shops, Annecy
Philippe Rigollot is as famous in Annecy as the Tour Eiffel is in Paris. Anne-Sophie Pic's former head pastry chef set up shop on the edge of the lake with his wife to the sheer delight of the city's inhabitants. A Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Pastry world Champion, Philippe makes pastries, chocolates and macaroons that are utterly beautiful, very slightly sweetened, really showing off the products used.
1, place Georges Volland, Annecy
02
4 milesCar
Recommended duration : 1 night
Veyrier du Lac
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
©
See films in the open air (Annecy International Animated Film Festival)
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...
During your stay
©
Lake Annecy Festival
Considered one of Europe's best fireworks festivals, every year on the first Saturday of August, Lake Annecy Festival draws several thousand spectators all along the shores. A must-see for locals and tourists alike, the show begins at dusk. An hour and a quarter of water jets, fireworks and music in succession provides scenes that will wow you even more than the last one.
03
5 milesCar
Recommended duration : 1 night
Talloires
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
©
Water Sports on Lake Annecy
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...
On the road
©
The market in Thones
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...
On the road
©
Visit a ripening cellar at Joseph & Fils (Manigod)
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...
On the road
©
Reblochon cheeses from the Ferme du Picard
In the midst of the Aravis mountain range during the summer grazing men have continued the traditional Reblochon production, morning and evening. Run by Nicolas Veyrat, this farm produces farmhouse reblochon and goat cheeses. You find the scent of the grass and the perfume of the flowers in his alpine pasture cheeses. The summer pastures are grazed above Croix Fry. It is produced and sold on site. You can find in La Clusaz on winter.
04
19 milesCar
Recommended duration : 2 nights
La Clusaz
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
©
Full Moon Party, La Clusaz
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 ...
During your stay
©
Learning to use the paret, Manigod's traditional sled
For more than a century now, both the children and adults of Manigod have been taking out their parets as soon as the first snows cover the slopes of the village. This small wooden sled, made with a board to sit on and a handle to steer, has the particularity of being equipped with only one runner. Extremely fun to use, the paret provides wonderful sledding for those who risk it...
Itinerary suggestions