Annecy, France, also referred to as the Venice of the Alps, looks like a literal fairy tale. It’s beautiful, colorful, and charming, the cobblestone roads winding around houses in muted orange, yellow, pink, and green, some hundreds of years old. Because of it’s close proximity to Switzerland and Italy, it’s a delightful combination of all three countries.
The Thiou River runs through the oldest part of Annecy, a clear, shallow river that splits around the 11th Century Palais de l’Isle before meeting the picturesque Lake Annecy, with the Semnoz mountains overlooking the area. The Palais de l’Isle is one of the first Instagram spots we’ve stopped that truly lives up to the hype.
The lake is equally as beautiful. There is literally no bad view. You can walk along the water or rent paddle boats.
We took the train from Lyon for the day, €60 per person round trip, and it took two hours. The train was nice and it wasn’t too full, making it a comfortable ride. And a beautiful one! We saw mountains, fields of flowers, and lakes so lovely that I wished we could get off the train and enjoy them. Lac du Bourget at Aix-les-Bains looked so refreshing and picturesque.
We absolutely want to return to Annecy in the future and stay for a few days. It’s the kind of place where even the most type-A people will want to relax, sit on a park bench, and enjoy the scenery.
Adding Annecy to your bucket list? Cheers to that!
Or use my virtual tip jar!