For this post, we are heading back to my home country: France. More precisely, we are going to a charming city famous for its lake surrounded by mountains. Be ready to fall in love with Annecy!

If you are wondering how to get to Annecy, it takes less than 4h to get there from Paris by high-speed train (called TGV in France). You can easily buy tickets from Trainline or from SNCF (the French national train company).

OUR ITINERARY

• DAY 1: Cruise on the lake & visit of Annecy town center
• DAY 2: Hiking near Talloires & visit of the Menthon-Saint-Bernard Castle

DAY 1: ANNECY’S LAKE & TOWN CENTER

For our first day in Annecy, we dedicated our time to visiting the city and to activities directly

Starting off the day with a cruise

In this photo: A view from the cruise

After a nice breakfast at our hotel, we started our day with a cruise on Annecy’s lake. You can buy tickets directly in town on the Quai de la Tournelle from which the boats depart. We chose to do the Evasion Cruise organized by the Compagnie des Bateaux d’Annecy (click here to see their website). Tickets are 21€ per adult.

In this photo: View on Duingt Castle from the cruise

The cruise lasts 1H30min during which you will go all around the lake and will get comments on the different places you will see. It is a great way to discover all the beautiful villages around the lake!

Back on land to visit Annecy’s town center

In this photo: Alongside river Le Thiou

Annecy’s town center is an absolutely charming place. Here are a few thing to consider doing there:

• Have a nice promenade along the banks of the lake: Start by visiting the Jardin de l’Europe (public park with stunning views on the lake). Continue onto Promenade Jacquet up to the Parc Charles Boisson and to the Jardins de l’Impérial.
• Discover the streets along the river Le Thiou and observe the former prison called Le Palais de l’Île in its middle
• Climb up to the Basilique de la Visitation to see the lake from more height.
• Go to the beach Plage des Marquisats: Stop by for a nice break on one of the beaches along the lake.
• Continue walking alongside the lake past Plage des Marquisats in direction of La Puya. You will find a more quiet path as you go further away from Annecy.

DAY 2: DISCOVERING NEIGHBOURING VILLAGES

Let’s go beyond Annecy and discover hidden gems in its neighbouring villages around the lake!

Starting the day strong with a hike

In this photo: A view from the hike

One of my favorite activities on holidays is hiking. Being in such a beautiful region as that of Annecy, it was thus a must to include some hiking in the itinerary. We chose to do a circular route going from the village of Menthon-Saint-Bernard to Talloires before closing the loop and getting back to Menthon-Saint-Bernard.

To reach Menthon-Saint-Bernard from Annecy, you can just take the public bus n°61. One-way tickets cost 2 € per person and can be bought when getting on the bus.

The hike we followed was the following one on Helloways: https://www.helloways.com/hike/de-menthon-a-talloires-par-le-roc-de-chere-menthon-saint-bernard It is 10km in total.

Most of the first half of the hike is in the forest which is perfect for hot days. The only tricky part of the hike is the big descent to arrive in the village of Talloires. It is a narrow and steep path right next to the edge of the cliff so it can be a little bit scary if you have vertigo or if you are not comfortable in steep downhills. The rest of the hike is very accessible for all and fairly easy.

In this photo: View when arriving to Talloires

The most beautiful part of the hike is the village of Talloires itself. It is really beautiful and looks very much like it has just come out of a fairytale. I recommend doing a pause in the middle of your hike there and enjoy a refreshing drink on the terrace in front of the Abbaye de Talloires.

During the 2nd part of the hike, to return to Menthon, you will pass by a golf and a place where you will be able to see many paragliders. As you can see, it really is a hiking trail with lots of surprises.

Visiting a castle which inspired Walt Disney

In this photo: One of the castle’s rooms

Once back in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, the best option for the afternoon is to go visit its beautiful castle. Be ready to climb up as the castle is located on top of a hill!

To visit the Castle of Menthon Saint-Bernard, you will have to a join a guided visit for a total cost of 11€. It is very much worth it as the place is stunning and it is even said to have inspired Walt Disney for the Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

In this photo: View from the castle’s garden

After this visit, we headed back to Annecy to catch our train back to Paris. I hope this post is inspiring you to go discover the wonderful lake of Annecy! If you have already been, feel free to comment on your favorite places around the lake!