Cyclists by Lake Annecy. Tobias Joon-Ho Persson/Shutterstock
An utterly charming town in the Haute-Savoie region of southeastern France, Annecy is crisscrossed by canals lined with flower boxes and filled with families on bicycles exploring its narrow streets. Forming one border of the historic town is a glittering, same-named alpine lake, its shorelines best admired from the bow of a boat.
Guided by French friends with a family home here, I explored every medieval castle, beach, boat, restaurant, hotel, cafe and curio shop I could squeeze into a long summer weekend. Now, I can’t wait to return to Annecy.
When to arrive: If you’re traveling from overseas, book a Thursday-night flight to nearby Geneva (GVA) to arrive early Friday morning. Delta, United and Swiss offer nonstop flights to GVA from US hubs.
When to travel: Annecy is delightful all year long. Cycling, lake swimming and boat trips are best from late spring to early autumn (even if summer weekends can be very busy). In winter, the Vieille Ville (old town) turns into a magical winter tableau.
How to get from the airport: The fastest way into town is either by rental car (a 45-minute drive from GVA) or low-cost shuttle bus. FlixBus offers direct shuttle services from Geneva Airport to Annecy for under US$25.
Getting around town: Almost everyone cycles along the flat shoreline. And so can visitors, for Lake Annecy is lined with friendly bike shops that rent out e-bikes, cargo bikes and classic road bikes (baskets and bells included). With in-town car parking difficult, cycling might be the optimal way to get in and around Annecy.
Where to stay: Airbnb rentals are popular, and they make it easy to feel like a local with your own fridge and washing machine. For a mid-tier hotel, the Black Bass has a prime lakeside position with a hip vibe. On the higher end, Le Palace de Menthon feels just like a...palace – and has a full-service spa and glass-encased rooftop restaurant.
What to pack: In summer, pack bathing suits and beachwear, along with comfortable sneakers, hiking boots and athleisure to make the most of the alpine trails. Annecy is also home to nine Michelin-starred restaurants, which require smart-casual evening wear for dinner (think summer dresses, light blazers and linen).
Friday
Lattes, lake excursions and 8 courses for dinner
Morning: Start your morning like a true Annécienne: with really good coffee. Head into the historic old town and stroll down the charming, cobblestone rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau to find Cafe Bunna. Even though it calls itself the “smallest coffee shop in Annecy” (it’s literally a hole in the wall), there’s a heap of goodies to enjoy here: some of the town’s best lattes, croissants and baguettes, served warm and laden with fresh local goat and cow cheese.
How to spend the day: A wide, 42km bike path traces the entire perimeter of Lake Annecy. Indeed, the world revolves around cycling here, regardless of skill level. I recommend Cyclable rentals, which has two separate locations and a robust inventory. On the bike path, you’ll pass signage designed to lure you to a lakeside lunch spot. Let it.
Generally speaking, these waterfront restaurants are casual affairs, often facing their own pier or patch of beach. A great spot for lunch is Le Poisson Rouge, where the staff is attentive but chill, the fare is local (think filets de perche served with crisp pomme frites), and the Aperol spritz cocktails flow freely. You could easily while away the entire afternoon here if you had no agenda. But we’ve only got 72 hours – so get ye to the boat, young sailor!
Lake Annecy brims with French teenagers renting paddleboats to passersby at rates from 14 euros to €24 – and a jaunt in one of them is carefree and cute. Yet if you want a more luxurious experience, cycle to The Boat (book ahead online) and spend the afternoon sailing on a catamaran with a born-and-bred Annécien, Captain Arnaud Depee. Even in the summer months, the bright turquoise water stays cool thanks to Alpine snowmelt, making for a fantastically refreshing swim. Make friends with Captain Arnaud, and he’ll tell you the town’s secrets, including the best places to wine and dine. For tonight’s dinner, he’s recommended restaurant Vincent Favre Félix, which seats only nine tables and serves a tightly orchestrated, prix-fixe gastronomic escapade.
Dinner: The coolest thing about this dinner is that Chef Félix personally greets you alongside his French-and-English-speaking waitstaff, then prepares several dishes for you right next to your table. The one I am still craving is a riff on le petit déjeuner (breakfast), based on the chef’s childhood memories of his uncle dipping toast in coffee. A small bowl of Beaufort cheese mousse cradles a lightly cooked egg yolk, gingerly topped with small squares of Roquefort and croutons, seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s soft and deeply creamy, yet when you dip your spoon into the bottom of the bowl, a dusting of coffee grounds gives the whole dish shape and texture. It’s so simple, but creates a strong internal response that I can only call tenderness.
Pro tip: Go for the eight-course “Essential” (€119) menu over the 10-course “Audace” (€175) menu, which is more food than most people can consume in one sitting.
Saturday
Shopping, a château and chef-curated delights
Morning: Get ready to shop, fueled by a light, healthy breakfast at the hip beach cafe Pura Vida. After Friday night’s indulgences, I opt for a purple acai smoothie to go. Since most retail shops in Annecy aren’t open on Sunday, getting an early start on shopping on Saturday is a good idea.
Two stores stand out for their made-in-France craftsmanship. Paul Marius sells vintage leather goods designed in Normandy – a colorful collection of handbags, backpacks, duffle bags, wallets and sneakers. Next, head back over to rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau and get lost in the homeware reverie that is Le Tetras, a savoyard shop filled floor to ceiling with pottery hand-painted by local artisans. I loved admiring the whimsical egg cups, coffee mugs, flower vases, water pitchers, salad bowls and cherry-red fondue sets for that perfect French farmhouse tablescape. If you give in to temptation, the shopkeeper will bubble-wrap your purchases tight as a drum (assuming you’ve got space in your suitcase).
How to spend the day: A visit to Château de Menthon-Saint Bernard is an absolute must. This stunning medieval castle on a hill is said (perhaps apocryphally) to have inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Take a 45-minute guided tour for the full backstory, which includes a primer on the life of Count François de Menthon (1900–84), a WWII French Liberation fighter and professor who, despite being wounded and captured by members of the Vichy regime, later became the attorney general of France. It’s a fascinating true story, one you’ll need a bit of time to process.
Within walking distance is the public Plage de Menthon Saint Bernard. Here, you can shelter in the shade and swim to your heart’s content. Bring your own lunch or patronize the simple, reasonable beach cafe (which sells ice cream, sandwiches, snacks and drinks). To be honest, you’ll probably want to take it easy on lunch, for tonight’s dinner promises another knockout epicurean experience.
Dinner: If I could only have one meal in (or near) Annecy, it would be at Chef Jean Sulpice’s Michelin-starred restaurant at Auberge du Père Bise, in the chic town of Talloires, 13km from the Vieille Ville. From a table on the outdoor terrace, you can look out at Lake Annecy and the mountains beyond, as you sit among fragrant mulberry trees.
Service is an elegant, well-choreographed dance, with dish following remarkable dish from the six- or eight-course menu. Here again, opt for the lighter menu – and take your time. Weeks later, the dish I still crave is the Cueillette d'Été, a perfect circle of summer vegetables that form a sort of laurel crown to be filled with emulsified cream sauce. It’s a celebration of the season in one bowl. The meal’s grand finale: a massive wheel of local Beaufort cheese, “in the spirit of an alpine pasture,“ sliced paper-thin on your plate, and finished perfectly with a sip of caramel-colored Roussillon wine. Heavenly.
Sunday
A hike and a farewell lunch with a view
Morning: In any season, Sunday morning is best spent sipping coffee and tucking into avocado toast at boho-chic Dip Honest Food, an all-day cafe populated by locals who seem to be perpetually sipping noisettes with nowhere to go.
How to spend the day: Pack a backpack with a water bottle and a change of fresh clothes, lace up your hiking boots, and head directly to Roc de Chère, a protected nature reserve spanning 168 acres of dense forests, sandstone ridges and dramatic limestone cliffs. The trails range from easy to moderate, making the experience accessible even to wannabe hikers like me. After a hike of up to 90 minutes to the summit, your reward is breathtaking views of the lake, the surrounding Mont Veyrier mountains and the postcard-picture village of Talloires below.
On a clear morning, you’ll spot dozens of people paragliding through the pure mountain air. Most take off from Col de la Forclaz, home to such paragliding schools as Les Passagers du Vent and Annecy Aventure. If you want to give it a go, you’ll need to book your slot ahead of time (prices range from €85 to €170), drive to the parking lot, then walk further up to the takeoff site.
To end your weekend with a soft landing, I suggest a languorous, late lunch at the elegant restaurant inside Le Cottage hotel. You’ll look out through a panoramic bay window, watching the lake achieve a range of colors – from turquoise to green to azure – as sunbeams dance across its surface.
Raise a glass of Chablis, and savor the last few tender bites of lobster cassoulet and apricot gelato with wild thyme. As they say, you can’t take it with you.