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Annecy

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A cyclist’s winter refuge

When the Alpine passes freeze, Annecy transforms into a low‑key haven for road cyclists seeking mileage without the high‑altitude strain of nearby cols. The lake’s flat, traffic‑calmed promenade offers a smooth 14‑kilometre loop, while the winding streets of the Vieille Ville provide short, technical challenges perfect for sharpening cornering skills. Early mornings in January bring a crisp, clear air that rivals the summer’s sunshine, and the town’s modest hotel rates drop dramatically, allowing riders to extend their stay without breaking the budget. After a long day in the saddle, refuel at a family‑run bistrot serving tartiflette—an Alpine staple that refuels muscles and satisfies the palate in equal measure.

Culinary map beyond the lake

Annecy’s gastronomic reputation extends past the cliché of fondue; the city’s market on Rue du Pré offers a sensory tour of Savoyard terroir. Look for the seasonal cheese curds from local farms, still wrapped in straw, and the charcuterie stalls where jamón serrano shares space with Reblochon truffles. A short tram ride to the neighbourhood of Seynod uncovers a micro‑brewery that ages its ales in former wooden wine barrels, imparting a faint nuttiness reminiscent of the region’s walnut groves. Pairing these brews with a plate of perch fillet, freshly caught from the lake’s clear waters, creates a distinct culinary narrative that most guidebooks overlook.

The rhythm of the lake’s nightlife

While day‑time visitors flock to the lake’s fountains and promenades, the nocturnal pulse of Annecy is worth the extra hour. In summer, the Quai Napoléon becomes an impromptu stage for local jazz ensembles, their melodies echoing off the water’s still surface. The surrounding cafés, operating past midnight, switch from coffee service to serving a modest selection of craft cocktails infused with alpine herbs such as gentian and artemisia. On cooler evenings, the illuminated Palais de l'Isle hosts a low‑key cinema series featuring classic French films, offering a cultural window into French cinema without the tourist crowds of Paris. This duality of relaxed daytime leisure and intimate night culture gives Annecy a nuanced character that defies the simple “lake town” label.

Introduction

Prefecture of Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Not to be confused with Ancy. For the film festival, see Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Prefecture and commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, FranceAnnecy È(n)neci (Arpitan)Annesì (Italian)Prefecture and commune Clockwise from top: Lake Annecy seen from the Pont des Amours, Château d'Annecy, Passage de l'Île, Haute-Savoie prefecture building FlagCoat of armsLocation of AnnecyAnnecyShow map of FranceAnnecyShow map of Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesCoordinates: 45°54′58″N 6°07′59″E / 45.916°N 6.133°E / 45.916; 6.133CountryFranceRegionAuvergne-Rhône-AlpesDepartmentHaute-SavoieArrondissementAnnecyCantonAnnecy-1, 2, Annecy-3 and 4IntercommunalityCA du Grand AnnecyGovernment • Mayor (2026–32) Antoine ArmandArea166.94 km2 (25.85 sq mi) • Urban (2022)227.0 km2 (87.6 sq mi) • Metro1,199.2 km2 (463.0 sq mi)Population (2023)132,117 • Rank29th in France • Density1,974/km2 (5,112/sq mi) • Urban (2022)184,530 • Urban density812.9/km2 (2,105/sq mi) • Metro (2022)300,251 • Metro density250.38/km2 (648.47/sq mi)Demonym(s)Annécien (masculine)Annécienne (feminine)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code74010 /74000Dialling codes0450Elevation396–1,153 m (1,299–3,783 ft)Websitewww.annecy.fr1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. Annecy (US: /ˌænəˈsiː, ɑːnˈsiː/ AN-ə-SEE, ahn-SEE, French: [an(ə)si] ⓘ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed the "Pearl of the French Alps" in Raoul Blanchard's monograph describing its location between lake and mountains, the town controls the northern entrance to the lake gorge. Due to a lack of available building land between the lake and the protected Semnoz mountain, its population has remained stable, around 50,000 inhabitants, since 1950. However, the 2017 merger with several ex-communes extended the population of the city to 128,199 inhabitants and that of the urban area to 177,622, placing Annecy seventh in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Switching from the counts of Geneva's dwelling in the 13th century, to the counts of Savoy's in the 14th century, the city became Savoy's capital in 1434 during the Genevois-Nemours prerogative until 1659.[citation needed] Its role increased in 1536, during the Calvinist Reformation in Geneva, while the bishop took refuge in Annecy. Saint Francis de Sales gave Annecy its advanced Catholic citadel role known as Counter-Reformation. The annexation of Savoy merged the city to France in 1860. Sometimes called "Venice of the Alps",[citation needed] this idyllic and touristic representation comes from the three canals and the Thiou river, which passes through the old city. The city experienced an industrial development in the 19th century with silk manufacturing.[citation needed] Some of its industrial legacy remains today with the headquarters of NTN-SNR bearings, Salomon and Dassault Aviation. From the end of the 20th century, Annecy developed tourism around its lake summer facilities, winter resorts proximity and cultural attraction with its castle renovation and fine art museum opening in 1956 and the Animated Film Festival since 1963, hosted in Bonlieu's cultural centre. The municipal environmental policy managed to keep 40.3% of green spaces,[citation needed] and the city was awarded the "Golden Flower" in 2015, given to the nine most-flowered French cities.

History

[edit] Early history[edit] The Hôtel de Ville 1914 map, French edition Le vieil Annecy ("Old Annecy"; not to be confused with Annecy-le-Vieux, formerly a neighboring town but now merged into Annecy), was a settlement from the time of the Romans. Annecy was the court of the counts of Geneva or Genevois from the 10th century. It passed to the counts of Savoy in 1401. In 1444, it became the regional capital of the provinces of Genevois, Faucigny and Beaufortain. Counter-Reformation[edit] With the advance of Calvinism, Annecy became a centre for the Counter-Reformation, the old Bishopric of Geneva being transferred to it in 1535. Francis of Sales was born in Sales, France in 1567 and served as bishop of Annecy from 1602 to 1622; his relics are preserved in the cathedral. During the French Revolution, the Savoy region was conquered by France. Annecy became attached to the department of Mont Blanc, whose capital was Chambéry. The Catholic diocese was suppressed in 1801. 1815–present[edit] After the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, Annecy was returned to the King of Sardinia and the Catholic diocese restored in 1822. The Hôtel de Ville (city hall) was completed in 1851. When Savoy was annexed to France in 1860 with the Treaty of Turin, it became the capital of the new department of Haute-Savoie. Annecy was the site of the second round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks in 1949. In 2012, a multiple murder occurred in the Annecy area. A panoramic image from the southern bank of the Thiou in the city centre as of July 2018 A new municipality was established on 1 January 2017 with the merger of the former communes of Annecy-le-Vieux, Cran-Gevrier, Meythet, Pringy and Seynod.

Geography

[edit] Annecy city centre, 2019 The Fier forms part of the commune's northwestern border. The surrounding mountains are Mont Veyrier, Mont Semnoz, La Tournette and Parmelan. Climate[edit] Annecy has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) despite its relatively far inland position. Influenced by its elevation, summers are rather moderate on average, although they can be highly variable with extreme heat spikes. Winters see occasional freezing temperatures, but temperatures most often stay in the single-digits centigrade during the daytime with frequent cold rain. Air frosts are normal during the night and snowfall is not uncommon. Climate data for Annecy (Meythet), elevation 455 m (1,493 ft), (1992–2020 normals, extremes 1970–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 18.7(65.7) 20.3(68.5) 24.3(75.7) 27.7(81.9) 32.6(90.7) 35.1(95.2) 38.0(100.4) 38.5(101.3) 31.9(89.4) 27.5(81.5) 22.3(72.1) 19.9(67.8) 38.5(101.3) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.6(42.1) 7.6(45.7) 12.3(54.1) 16.3(61.3) 20.3(68.5) 24.2(75.6) 26.5(79.7) 26.1(79.0) 21.3(70.3) 16.3(61.3) 10.0(50.0) 6.3(43.3) 16.1(61.0) Daily mean °C (°F) 2.1(35.8) 3.3(37.9) 7.0(44.6) 10.6(51.1) 14.7(58.5) 18.5(65.3) 20.5(68.9) 20.1(68.2) 16.0(60.8) 11.8(53.2) 6.2(43.2) 2.8(37.0) 11.1(52.0) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.4(29.5) −1.0(30.2) 1.7(35.1) 5.0(41.0) 9.2(48.6) 12.7(54.9) 14.4(57.9) 14.2(57.6) 10.7(51.3) 7.2(45.0) 2.5(36.5) −0.6(30.9) 6.2(43.2) Record low °C (°F) −23.0(−9.4) −15.5(4.1) −15.0(5.0) −5.0(23.0) −2.0(28.4) 1.0(33.8) 3.0(37.4) 4.0(39.2) −2.5(27.5) −5.0(23.0) −11.5(11.3) −16.0(3.2) −23.0(−9.4) Average precipitation mm (inches) 94.2(3.71) 78.9(3.11) 89.9(3.54) 96.1(3.78) 109.2(4.30) 95.1(3.74) 101.1(3.98) 106.4(4.19) 108.3(4.26) 109.8(4.32) 109.7(4.32) 112.5(4.43) 1,211.2(47.69) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.4 9.0 9.8 9.8 11.7 9.6 9.6 9.4 8.7 10.8 11.0 11.3 122.2 Mean monthly sunshine hours 88.2 113.1 173.9 191.0 220.0 255.8 273.8 249.1 194.7 141.0 90.6 78.2 2,069.2 Source: Meteociel

Sport

[edit] On 23 July 2009, Annecy played host to Stage 18 of the Tour de France, as the start/finish point for an individual time trial around Lake Annecy. It was also the start town for stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France on 17 July 2018. Annecy launched a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics but lost to Pyeongchang. If they had been chosen, Annecy would have been the fourth French city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992). Ligue 1 former team Évian Thonon Gaillard F.C. played their home matches in Annecy. The club was founded in 2007, they grew up to reach Ligue 1, and stayed for four years in the division, thanks to their emblematic manager Pascal Dupraz. The Annecy basin is one of the world's leading locations for the sport of paragliding, an activity of some economic importance to the region. The area regularly hosts major competitions, most recently a leg of the Paragliding World Cup in 2012. Due to its proximity with the lake and the mountains, Annecy is also popular for watersports (sailing, rowing, wakeboarding, water skiing) and wintersports (alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing). Le Semnoz, a relatively small ski resort, is 35 minutes away from Annecy. Other bigger ski resorts, La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand, are only 40 minutes away. Annecy is also very popular among trail runners and many races are organized year round, such as the World Trail Running Championships in 2015.

Population

[edit] Historical populationYearPop.±% p.a.1793 4,440—    1800 5,130+2.09%1806 5,467+1.07%1822 5,724+0.29%1838 8,252+2.31%1848 8,547+0.35%1858 10,374+1.96%1861 9,370−3.34%1866 11,554+4.28%1872 11,581+0.04%1876 10,976−1.33%1881 11,334+0.64%1886 11,817+0.84%1891 11,947+0.22%1896 12,894+1.54%1901 13,611+1.09%1906 14,351+1.06%YearPop.±% p.a.1911 15,622+1.71%1921 15,004−0.40%1926 17,233+2.81%1931 20,289+3.32%1936 23,293+2.80%1946 26,722+1.38%1954 33,114+2.72%1962 43,255+3.40%1968 54,484+3.92%1975 53,262−0.32%1982 49,965−0.91%1990 49,644−0.08%1999 50,348+0.16%2007 51,119+0.19%2012 50,943−0.07%2017* 126,924+20.03%2023 132,117+0.67%*Annecy was merged with four neighbouring communes in 2017.Source: EHESS (1793–1999) and INSEE

Notable people

[edit] Francis de Sales in Annecy Jean-Jacques Rousseau Bernard Accoyer (born 1945), politician, President of the National Assembly 2007 to 2012 and Mayor of Annecy-le-Vieux. Bernard Bosson (1948–2017), politician, Govt. minister & Mayor of Annecy Jules Bouyer (born 2002), diver Eustace Chapuys (c. 1490–1556), Imperial ambassador to the English Court of Henry VIII Francis de Sales (1567–1622), bishop of Geneva / Annecy and Catholic Saint. André Dussollier (born 1946), actor Emmanuel Leducq-Barôme (born 1971), conductor, works in Russia Jacques Leveugle (born 1946), retired teacher charged with 89 cases of pedophilia and 2 murders Bernard Miège (born 1941), a media theorist and academic administrator. Guillaume Perret (born 1980), jazz musician and composer Emmanuel Tarpin (born 1992), contemporary jewelry designer Cécile Vogt-Mugnier (1875–1962), brain researcher Sport[edit] Louis Lachenal (1921–1955), alpinist, one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters. Bernard Collomb (1930–2011), racing driver Vincent Vittoz (born 1975), cross-country skier Johan Clarey (born 1981), alpine skier, silver medallist at the 2022 Winter Olympics Thomas Fanara (born 1981), alpine skier, competed in three Winter Olympics Bernard Grosfilley (1949–2020), alpine skier, competed at the Alpine Ski World Cup David Poisson (born 1982), alpine skier, competed in two Winter Olympics Steve Missillier (born 1984), alpine skier, silver medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics Jonathan Midol (born 1988), freestyle skier, bronze medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics Christophe Lemaitre (born 1990), sprinter, bronze medallist at the 2016 Summer Olympics Côme Ledogar (born 1991), racing driver Axelle Mollaret (born 1992), physiotherapist, skyrunner and ski mountaineer Hugo Lapalus (born 1998), cross-country skier, team bronze medallist at the 2022 Winter Olympics Sacha Fenestraz (born 1999), French-Argentine racing driver Loana Lecomte (born 1999), cross-country mountain bike cyclist Sébastien Baud (born 2000), racing driver Associated with the city[edit] Jane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641), Holy of the Catholic Church, founded in Annecy the Order of Salesian Sisters Jean Coppier, of the Coppier family, notary in Annecy in 1396. Claude Favre de Vaugelas (1585–1650), man of letters, philologist and grammarian. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), writer and philosopher, spent some time in Annecy. Claude Louis Berthollet (1748–1822), physician and chemist, began medical studies locally in 1760. Eugène Sue (1804–1857), writer, spent his last years in exile in Annecy and died there.