Bonneville
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.
Château des Sires de Faucigny (Bonneville)
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.
Tour des Comtes de Genève (La Roche-sur-Foron)
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.
Hike to Route de la Soif: From Col des Aravis to Ugine
At the beginning of summer, I went on a hike to Route de la Soif (Road of Thirst), a dirt road along the foot of the Aravis mountains that goes from Col des Aravis to Col de l’Arpettaz, and reached Ugine at the end of the day.
Squirrel in Annecy
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.
Chapelle Anglaise de Chamonix
The Chapelle Anglaise de Chamonix (English Chapel) is a protestant church in Chamonix (just across the street from the train station). It was originally built in 1860 for the religious needs of the English tourists and alpinists, who were numerous in that era. Next to the church is a small cemetery with tombs of English alpinists who died in the mountains. These days, the chapel belongs to the parish of Arve Mont-Blanc in the Reformed Church of France and is officially called Église protestante de Chamonix (Chamonix protestant church).
Hike to Lac Bleu & Grand Balcon Nord: From Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers
After getting down to Plan de l’Aiguille from Aiguille du Midi, instead of going back down to Chamonix directly, I went to Lac Bleu then hiked the Grand Balcon Nord (Great North Balcony) to Montenvers above the Mer de Glace glacier.
Aiguille du Midi
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.
