Top 10 Reasons to Visit Annecy

Don’t wait. Visit Annecy. I will tell you why you should! Simply check out my Top 10 Reasons to visit the lake town and go! 

I will tell you this. It was worth waiting. It took me almost 3 years to go out from Lyon to visit Annecy – the very beautiful town just 1.5 hours away from Lyon. So why have I been waiting so long? It was probably because I wanted to find the ideal timing for this visit and really appreciate this trip around Lyon but for sure – I have been waiting for the ideal weather for a lake town. So, I have been very lucky indeed: it was sunny, warm but not very hot with a blue, clear sky to give me a great view of mountains. Can you ask for more? Well, Annecy offers much more but if I want to stay reasonable (and make you actually read my post and look at the photos ;-). I will tell you about only 10 top reasons to visit Annecy.  Because trust me, I could tell you about many more reasons 😉 But anyway …read the top 10 reasons to visit Annecy and you will not wait 3 years to realize you should do it as soon as possible!

1. 1. Because it is near Lyon! And it is so easy and convenient to get to. By car with a free parking, by train which gets you straight to the Annecy town center and there is always a bus/coach for the cheapest tickets. It’s 146 km from Lyon and only 46 km from Geneva, it’s 106 km from Grenoble and 52 km from Chambery. You can check for more details here. So easily you can book your train here and get your cheap bus ticket here.
   2. Because it has a lake, amazing view and a park for a relaxing walk. Can you ask for more? If so, check reason nr 3! But before, I wanted to say that the super thing about Annecy Lake is the fact that you can get many different views of the Alps. There are many points around the lake for this. When you move by car it might take a long time to go around the lake to see most of them. There are 4 top panoramas mountains around lake recommended by the real fans of Annecy here and by the Annecy Tourism Office here. If you don’t have too much time but would love to see as many as you can I would recommend the boat cruise. It takes around 1 hour and you are sure to see the beauty of lake and Alps. You can see the cruises themes and ideas here. But you don’t need to book in advance for a general one hour trip. You can buy a ticket once you are there.  
   3. Because it has an amazing historical part to discover. It was a very nice surprise for me. I was going to Annecy having in mind that this is only a lake town so I didn’t expect to see such a beautiful town center. There are such a beautiful & colorful buildings, small bridges, cozy coffee places, many welcoming & unique and local restaurants. From the moment you enter the old town, you will also understand why it is called ‘Venice of the Alps’ I love it! There are many historical things to discover and visit as presented here but for me just being in Annecy town center is already magical!
   4. Because of the ice cream! There are so many homemade, artisanal ice cream places to get your dessert that you can feel lost! But do not worry I promise all are good! Have a look here before you go and get excited about the ice cream choice in Annecy. You can already choose an ice cream shop to visit in Annecy!
   5. Because there is apparently a lake… Yes! I can confirm that there is a LAKE written in big letters. As it is a beautiful lake. What makes it so special. The quality indeed. Thanks to the conservation efforts for over 50 years, Annecy lake has become one of the purest lakes in Europe. And the size! Annecy Lake is the third largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu. You can find all the details about the lake here.
   6. Because of love! It is such a romantic place with the Pont des Amour! But not only. Because as pretty the little love bridge is, it is all it offers – the view, the billboard and good spot for a photo. But Annecy offers you more romantic experiences than that: romantic walk by the lake, romantic boat cruise, romantic dinner in the old town…just to name few.
   7. Because of the freebies: free entries to churches, free toilets, free parking (winner). So really, for such a touristic place, I have been nicely surprised that they give you a free parking and free toilets! So without any time pressure, you can stay in Annecy….to enjoy the town and to spend more money on local food, activities, and souvenirs…so shopping! I will not complain…
   8. Because of shopping ( a reasonable one). Why? Because it is a small town so in general, it does not have huge shopping area but for the shopping area provided there are so many good clothes/shoes/handbags shops, boutiques, souvenirs shops and local specialties places. All are very welcoming. So how to not get distracted? Grab a hand of a friend/partner/parent, close your eyes and walk quickly!
   9. Because of the lunch time! As firstly,  it gives you the reason to eat! And secondly, it gives you the opportunity to taste the local food which you can get in a lovely restaurant (unfortunately usually a bit expensive and crowded) or in a takeaway resto/bistro so you can grab it, sit down in a park and do yourself a picnic. Not only you save money and time but also get a free amazing view of lake and Alps!
   10. Not exactly because of the Chateau d’Annecy which was a bit disappointing for me. Yes, it is a reason to visit Annecy as the castle has been transformed into the museum and presents the history of Annecy and most importantly the lake and it’s fauna and flora. On top of that, you can benefit from the contemporary expos and a great view as it is located on a hill. So if not an Annecy Castle..then Reason Nr 10 is… because of the outdoors activities, you can do here: cycling, sailing, diving, kayaking, walking, boat cruises, lake velos, water & mountains sports (hiking, biking, canyoning, paragliding). ..oh la la…lastly my favorite outdoor activity…ice cream testing=tasting!  Which one would be your best?

Do you agree with my top 10 reasons to visit this beautiful lake town? Maybe you have some other experiences and pieces of advice about visiting Annecy? Please share here and let’s make visiting France, enjoying trips around Lyon even more interesting. Thanks for your contributions in advance!