Unterwegs

Sights The lake

Lake Annecy is one of the cleanest lakes in the world. It is also the second-largest lake in France after Lake Bourget in Savoie. A glacial lake dating back 18,000 years, it was formed when the Alpine glaciers melted. Several rivers flowing down from the surrounding mountains feed into it: the Laudon, the Bornette, the Ire, the Eau Morte and the Biolon. The Boubioz, a major spring situated beneath the lake, completes the picture. At the other end, the Thiou, which winds its way through Annecy’s old town, acts as an outlet and flows into the Fier, which runs through the Gorges du Fier before finally emptying into the Rhône. Every year, in early August, the Annecy Lake Festival hosts Europe’s largest fireworks display.

The Annecy Lake Festival has its origins in the lavish nautical and fireworks displays held as far back as the 16th century, notably the sumptuous Venetian festival organised in 1860 for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. This event made such an impression on the people of Annecy that they wished to keep its spirit alive. In 1924, the festival became a full-scale spectacle, then officially took the name ‘Fête du Lac’ in 1925, with the aim of making it an exceptional fireworks display. Even today, despite its European scope, it remains a deeply popular and local festival, a moment that brings people of all ages together and fosters a sense of community.

Built: 12th to 16th centuries.

Style: medieval.

History: overlooking the town, the castle was the former residence of the Counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, a junior branch of the House of Savoy, and was built between the 12th and 16th centuries. The castle was burnt down several times and was left to fall into disrepair in the 17th century. It was repurposed as barracks until 1947 before being acquired in 1953 by the town of Annecy, which restored it with the assistance of the Historic Monuments department.

Features: the castle occupies a polygonal area measuring 55 x 125 metres, hugging the contours of the rock. It once surrounded a rectangular keep, which has now been demolished. Access to the castle was controlled by a drawbridge spanning the moat, which has now been filled in. Surrounding the courtyard are a number of buildings, the oldest of which, to the south, is a 12th-century square keep known as Tour de la Reine. The parapet walk at the top of the curtain wall was rebuilt in the 16th century. As for the portcullis gate, it is a 19th-century restoration. To the north, the towers of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul (13th century) flank the Vieux Logis, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Also to the north, Logis Neuf and Logis Nemours are 16th-century constructions.

Current use: it now houses the Annecy Museum of Contemporary and Regional Art and, since 1993, the Tower and Logis Perrière have also been home to the Regional Office for the Alpine Lakes.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1959.

Opened: 1956

History: following the municipality’s purchase of Annecy Castle in 1952, the idea arose to transfer the museum’s collections there. In 1956, the museum’s collections were permanently housed in Annecy Castle. In the early 1970s, under the impetus of curator Jean-Pierre Courent, the castle museum became an institution at the heart of Annecy’s cultural life. Within ten years, annual visitor numbers rose from 30,000 to 85,000. During the 1990s and 2000s, curators William Saadé and Brigitte Liabeuf promoted the inclusion of contemporary art within the museum-château. They acquired works and collaborated with artists. Since 2019, the Annecy Museum-Castle has sought to respond to the increase in visitor numbers (now exceeding 100,000 visitors each year) and has overhauled its cultural programme.

Designation: Musée de France.

Built in the 12th century.

History: it was built in the 12th century in the middle of the Thiou Canal. It is currently a museum but has served a wide variety of purposes in the past. As the palace of the castellan of Annecy in the 12th century, it became an administrative building when the Count of Geneva settled in the town. It also served as the seat of the judiciary and the Mint from the reign of Amadeus III of Geneva (around 1356), and as a prison before being listed as a historic monument.

Characteristics: Palais de l’Île takes the form of a spindle-shaped enclosure that follows the contours of the island. Its oldest core is a tower-house dating from the late 12th or early 13th century, approximately 12 metres on each side, built of fine, regular ashlar. It is accessed via two bridges; previously, two gates blocked entry. Today, the remains of the southern gate can still be seen, whilst the northern gate remains intact.

Current use: Museum of Local Heritage and Architecture.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1900.

Construction: 20th century.

Style: Neo-Romanesque.

History: the Basilica of the Visitation, standing on Crêt du Maure, the first foothill of the Semnoz massif, overlooks Annecy and can be seen for kilometres around. Built between 1909 and 1930 to plans by Grenoble-based architect and Prix de Rome winner Alfred-Henri Recoura, it was consecrated in 1949 by Cardinal Tedeschini. It stands adjacent to the mother house of the Order of the Visitation, founded in 1610 by Francis de Sales and Jeanne de Chantal. The remains of the two saints rest at the head of the two side aisles, in two gilded bronze sarcophagi. They were laid to rest there on 2 August 1911, escorted by a huge crowd of Annecy residents, who have a special devotion to Francis de Sales, whose work from 1602 to 1622 as Bishop of Geneva, whilst in exile in Annecy, brought unprecedented splendour to the town.

The Bauges massif is one of the best known for the richness of its natural habitats. This mountain range boasts great biological diversity: 1,600 plant species, 150 species of breeding birds and 9 species of amphibians. Nature in the Bauges is characterised by species such as cyclamen, Dauphiné cinquefoil, Alpine rose and golden eagle. The rural architecture takes on forms specific to these small regions: ‘sartôs’ or ‘celliers’ (cellars) in the Combe de Savoie, ‘columned’ or ‘slatted’ granaries in the heart of the Bauges, ‘tavalans’ drying sheds in the village of La Compôte, and wattle-and-daub barns (with alder wattle cladding) in the Entrevernes Valley. Fortified sites, religious buildings, the small-scale built heritage of the villages – such as bread ovens, water basins and wayside shrines – and the ingenious techniques of the old sawmills all constitute a wealth of cultural heritage.

Sights Saint-Jacques Collegiate Church

Founded: built in the 17th century.

Style: Baroque and Neoclassical.

History: the former church was elevated to the status of a collegiate church by Pope Clement VII on 2 December 1389. The present church was rebuilt in 1688, following a fire that destroyed the previous one in 1669.

Features: a former collegiate church housing a wealth of treasures: gold and silverware, relics and master paintings, not to mention a rich collection of furnishings and a remarkable organ. It underwent a complete renovation between 1991 and 2000.

Listing: listed as Historic Monument in 1986.

Construction: 14th century.

History: built in the 14th century as a fortified house, Château des Rubins was spared during the Revolution and by the fire of 19 April 1840 which ravaged Sallanches. In the 16th century, it served as a residence for the nobles of Loche, the bailiffs of Faucigny. Its massive façades are brightened by large Renaissance-style mullioned windows. Its square tower is topped by a hipped roof resting on a crenelated wall. Its iron-clad pointed arch doorway leads to a beautiful spiral staircase. Converted into flats in the 19th century, it was subsequently purchased by the town in 1978.

Current use: in 1985, the Centre de la Nature Montagnarde (CNM) took over the premises to establish an interpretation centre for Alpine natural heritage, featuring displays on biodiversity, educational activities and events, exhibitions and lectures. The renovation of the building’s lower structure and the various extensions carried out in 1997 appeared outdated and out of keeping with the château’s heritage identity, and a major restoration project was undertaken to enhance the interiors and access points. After two years of work, Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes opened its doors in July 2021, boasting an innovative exhibition layout comprising around fifty interactive modules spread across four floors and covering as many themes.

Built in the 13th century.

History: a former defensive tower built just behind the town’s church; a period arrow slit can still be seen on its north façade, evidence of its military purpose. Originally featuring a monumental four-sided roof before the 15th century, it served over the centuries as the residence of the Judge Mage, and more recently as a wool-drying room during the period when the Henry family operated the wool mills in Sallanches (in the 19th century). This building, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in Sallanches, was one of the few not to be destroyed in the fire of 1840. The Disonche Tower (also known as Château Pissard or Château d’Isonche) remained a holiday home throughout the 20th century.

Trivia: in 2013, the tower was put up for sale on second-hand website leboncoin.fr