Annecy

A city (with about 130,000 inhabitants) located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, at the northern end of Lake Annecy (Lac d'Annecy), 42 km south of Geneva , 146 km northeast of Lyon , 51 km from Chambéry , the historic capital of Savoy (➤ map)(➤ map). It is the largest city and the seat of the prefecture of the Haute-Savoie department, as well as, since the end of the 19th century, a popular tourist destination, famous for its beautiful location and picturesque buildings of the historic center.

The areas occupied by today's Annecy were already inhabited in Antiquity. In the Middle Ages, Annecy originally, from the 11th century, belonged to the Counts of Geneva, later, at the beginning of the 15th century, it passed into the hands of the Counts of Savoy. In the 16th century, Annecy became an important center of the Counter-Reformation. From 1568 Annecy was the permanent residence of the bishops of Geneva, including, in the years 1602-1622, Francis de Sales, later a saint of the Catholic Church, co-founder of the Order of Visitation. During the French Revolution, Annecy, along with all of Savoy, found itself within the borders of Napoleonic France. After the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty in 1815, Savoy was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia, and in 1822 the Catholic diocese of Annecy was restored (defunct in 1801). In 1860, when Savoy was annexed to France by the Treaty of Turin, Annecy became the capital of the then created Haute-Savoie department.

The historic center of Annecy - often called "Venice of the Alps" (or "Venice of Savoy") - lies at an altitude of 396 meters above sea level, on Lake Annecy , the short river Le Thiou , and canals (hence the aforementioned name). The most important sights of the city include: (1) located on a small island in the Thiou River, a 12th-century castle called Palais de l'Isle functioning for a long time as a courthouse and prison, today housing a regional history museum, (2) restored former castle of the Counts of Geneva (known as Château d'Annecy), dating back to the 12th century, owned by the city since 1953 and today housing, among others, two museums (the art museum - Musée d'art contemporain et d'art régional d'Annecy, and the natural museum - Observatoire régional des lacs alpins). From the terrace of the castle, located on a rock spur at an altitude of 470 m above sea level, there is an interesting view of Annecy, the Thiou River and the surrounding area.

The marker stands for the neoclassical town hall (Hôtel de Ville), built in the 19th century, beyond which, to the east, towards Lake Annecy, there is a park known as Jardins de l'Europe. The place is one of the best vantage points on the waterfront promenade; near this place there is a statue of Claude-Louis Berthollet (1748-1822), born in the town of Talloires near Annecy. The marker means a cast-iron pedestrian bridge constructed at the beginning of the 20th century over a small canal (Canal du Vassé), commonly called Pont des Amours (official name: Passerelle du Jardin public), connecting Jardins de l'Europe with a large recreational area known as Le Pâquier d'Annecy offering beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

The most important religious monuments of Annecy are considered to be: the Catholic Cathedral of St. (La cathédrale Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens d'Annecy) from the 16th century, the 15th-century Gothic church of St. Maurice (Église Saint-Maurice), the oldest church in Annecy, originally serving as the chapel of the Dominican order, and the baroque church of St. Francis de Sales , former sanctuary of the first Visitation monastery, deconsecrated during the French Revolution, restored to worship in 1923. A little further from the centre, on a hill, stands the Basilica of the Visitation (La basilique de la Visitation d'Annecy), built in the first half of the 20th century century, with the tombs of the founders of the Visitation monastery, Francis de Sales and Jeanne de Chantal, moved here from the aforementioned church of St. Francis de Sales. Views of Annecy and the surrounding area can be enjoyed from various locations around the basilica.

• Since the early 1960s, Annecy has been home to the International Animated Film Festival (Festival International du Film d'Animation d'Annecy); the marker on the map above shows the Museum of Animated Film (Musée du Film d'animation) operating in Annecy.
• It is worth knowing that the Annecy area is one of the most important places for paragliding in the world. Of course, you can also practice all kinds of water sports here, and in winter, thanks to the proximity of the mountains, skiing, mainly cross-country skiing, but also alpine skiing (although the nearest larger ski resort, La Clusaz - Lake Annecy Ski Resort, is located more than 20 km east of Annecy).