The Église Saint-François de Sales is a catholic church built in the 17th century and located in the old town of Annecy, near the Thiou canal. It is consecrated to Saint Francis de Sales, who grew up in Annecy. The church used to host his shrine but the tomb is now located in the Basilique de la Visitation.
Starting at the Petit Port in Annecy-le-Vieux, I walked along the north shore of Lake Annecy until the Port des Marquisats.
The Réserve Naturelle du Bout du Lac is a nature reserve located south of Lake Annecy. It is a marshland where the Ire and Eau Morte rivers flow into the lake. I was there a few years ago, in a rush since it was raining heavily. This time, there was a really nice weather and I could take my time.
The Église Notre-Dame-de-Liesse is a catholic church located in the old town of Annecy, Haute-Savoie. A church was present on the site in the 14th century but the current building dates from the mid-19th century.
The Old Town of Annecy (le Vieil Annecy) is the most visited part of the city. It is located at the mouth of the Thiou river, an effluent of Lake Annecy on the way to the Fier River. It mostly developed starting in the 13th century when Annecy became the capital of the County of Geneva. Its most famous sights are the Castle, the Palais de l’Ile (which served as a court and a jail) and the canals. It is a pedestrian-only area and is host to many restaurants and shops, as well as a large market every Sunday morning.
During the summer, I took my bike on the SIBRA summer shuttle to the top of the Semnoz. My goal was go down to Lake Annecy using the paved road (there are tracks for downhill mountain bikes as well): It is an almost uninterrupted downward slope until the lake with relatively little car traffic. Before going down, I spent some time on the plateau, which serves as cross country skiing tracks during winter. I also went to the summit (Crêt de Châtillon). There was a good view on the Mont Blanc from up there. Finally, I took the road to Leschaux, then went down the Route du Col de Leschaux until I reached the lake at Sévrier.
The Mandallaz is a small mountain located at the north-west of Lac d’Annecy, between Annecy and Geneva. This page has an itinerary (although not the one that I followed) that starts in the village of Balme de Sillingy. It gives a good view of the fault mirror at the base of the mountain.
After looking at the Lac d’Annecy from all angles from the surrounding mountains or the shore, I decided to go on a cruise. I went for the 2 hour cruise, which goes to all the way to Doussard, at the south of the lake, and back. It makes a few stops on the way so it is possible to hop off and on later, but I just stayed on board for the whole loop.
The Chalets de l’Eau Froide are huts in the Bauges mountains. They are rumoured to have one of the best views on the Lac d’Annecy from the southern direction. However, there was a thick fog when I arrived there so I could not verify it… I basically followed these directions, with the map here (except at the end, where I continued a bit further).
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