Places to see

Castle

Overlooking the city, the castle of Annecy is the old residence lf the counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, a branch of the House of Savoy. Built between the 12th and 16th centuries, the castle was burnt down several times and was abandoned in the 17th century before being turned into barracks until 1947. It was then bought by the municipality of Annecy in 1953 and restored with the help of the Historic Monuments Service.  It now houses the Museum of modern and regional arts and a regional office of Alpine lakes.

Palais de l'Isle 

The palace was built in the 12th century in the middle of the Canal du Thiou. Now a museum it had several functions in the course of history. The palace of the lords of Annecy in the 12th century, it became an administrative building when the Counts of Geneva settled in the city.
It also served as monetary office and a prison.

St Francis de Sales church

Edified in 1614 and consecrated 40 years later, the church is definitely Baroque but with a strong Lombard inspiration. The remains of St Francis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal used to rest there before being transferred to the basilica. Turned into barracks by the Revolution, then into a manufacture, it was again open to cult in 1923.   

St Maurice church

An old 15th century Dominican church, it is typical of the late Gothic style in Savoy. Chapels dedicated to the noble families of Annecy were built on each side of the nave. Turned into a grain barn and a stable after the Revolution it was returned to the church in 1804.

Annecy Lake

12-kms long and 800 metres to 3.2-km wide, the lake of Annecy lies at the bottom of an old glacier valley at 448 metres of altitude. Not extremely deep – 41.5 metres average depth -, it is fuelled by several streams while its waters are evacuated by the Thiou and the Vasse canal, themselves flowing into the Fier, a subsidiary of the Rhone. Le Pont des Amours (Bridge of Love) is the most famous site on the lake.