I mentioned in my last post that last fall I visited Fort du Saint-Eynard in the Chartreuse mountains above Grenoble. It is a fortress built in the 19th century as defence against a potential Italian invasion. It is accessible by car but there are also multiple hiking trails to get there. It offers a great view on Grenoble and the surrounding mountains.
When I visited the Château des Sires de Faucigny in Bonneville last summer, I also took the opportunity to walk around the town and crossed the Arve river a couple of times.
The Château des Sires de Faucigny is a medieval castle in Bonneville, Haute-Savoie. I went there after visiting the Tour des Comtes de Genève in La Roche-sur-Foron nearby. It was built in the 13th century to serve as the seat of the Lords of Faucigny. The castle then passed under the control of the house of Savoie and became a jail until the 20th century. It was recently renovated and opened to the public for the first time this year. The two large towers, the rampart between them and the courtyard can be visited. Entrance is free.
The Tour des Comtes de Genève (Tower of the Counts of Geneva) is a medieval tower located in La Roche-sur-Foron, near Annecy. The tower is built at the top of the large rock (roche in French) that gave its name to the town. During medieval times, it was actually the keep of a castle belonging to the Counts of Geneva, who had made the town their capital, before they moved it to Annecy. The castle was destroyed a long time ago but nowadays, the tower remains and can be visited at a cost of €2. There is a great view at the top.
I saw this squirrel today in Parc des Raisses in Annecy-le-Vieux. Not sure what specy it was but it was squeaking pretty loud. It was my first time seeing a squirrel in the city, although I saw some in the forest near Cluses and above Thônes.
At the beginning of summer, I went to Chamonix to visit Aiguille du Midi, a mountain next to Mont Blanc and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area: It can easily be accessed by cable car from the valley and, with the highest viewing platform located at the 3842m summit, it offers the best view on the Mont Blanc, the surrounding glaciers and the Chamonix valley.
The Fontaine des Éléphants (Fountain of the Elephants) is a 18m-high fountain in Chambéry and one of its most famous landmarks. It was sculpted in 1838 in honour of Benoît de Boigne, a native of the city who made his fortune working as a general of the Maratha Empire in India. After coming back to Chambéry at the end of the 18th century, de Boigne bestowed some of his wealth on the town and was honoured posthumously with this monument.
Earlier this summer, I went on a guided tour of the Château des Ducs de Savoie (Castle of the Dukes of Savoie) in Chambéry. The construction of the castle was started in the 13th century to serve as the seat of the Counts (and later, Dukes) of Savoie but there has been many additions and demolitions over the years since. It now serves as the seat of the Préfecture of Savoie, so, apart from a small room near the entrance, the guided tour is the only way to visit the castle. The version of the tour I went on (called Château, Ruelles et Confidences) also included a visit of the old town of Chambéry.) nearby, which allowed access to some areas not normally open to the public. Some versions of the tour skip that part and visit the Tour Demi-Ronde (Half-Round Tower) in the castle instead.
“Annecy Paysages” is a yearly open-air festival featuring artistic and live plant installations by landscape architects, visual artists and architects who reinterpret the city’s open spaces. Just like the first edition last year, it takes place in the center of Annecy until the end of summer. Here is a map of all the artworks and the PDF brochure.
The Église Saint-Michel (aka Abbatiale Saint-Michel) is a church in Nantua which got its start as a monastery during medieval times and was improved over the centuries. Some of the older elements remain but most of the church dates back from the early 19th century.