I am now travelling with my friend and colleague, Jill, who is quite the experienced traveller as well (having explored Belgium and southern France while I was navigating northern France). After a long double train ride down from Dijon, I met up with Jill at our Airbnb, and we headed out for dinner and a grocery stock-up.
We found the cutest (mostly) vegetarian restaurant not too far from where we were staying called Dip Honest Food, and I had a delicious eggplant schnitzel, tabbouleh, and sweet potato fries. We then wandered through Annecy's canal streets at night, which offered equally picturesque views. We reached the Jardins de l'Europe and enjoyed a moonlight view of the lake and an amazing street musician performing in the park.
Lac d’Annecy
The next morning was a slow start, as both of us had been pretty go-go-go during our trips so far. After a rather eventful kettle malfunction and a leisurely homemade breakfast, we gathered our belongings and headed to the lake for a Lake Day.
Lac d’Annecy (Lake Annecy) is incredibly clear and clean, nestled in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps. The surrounding mountains feed it, and strict environmental laws in the 1960s have often earned it the title of “Europe’s cleanest lake.”
We walked to the closest beach, Plage des Marquisats, which was absolutely teeming with visitors. France has already had two major heatwaves this summer, and we were right in the middle of one during the last week and a half of our trip. The water was incredibly refreshing, and I went in for two separate dips. They had a fun waterslide which both children and the young-at-heart, like me, thoroughly enjoyed. The shore was very rocky with pebbles, which resulted in some pretty hilarious entry and exit manoeuvres (I wished I had brought water shoes!).
We moseyed back home to refresh and had dinner at Sushi Long for some yummy gyoza and salmon rolls. After we were full, we wanted a drink at one of the many cafes in the old town. We settled on Café Curt, with its cute curbside tables, perfect for people-watching and dog admiration (there are SO many dogs in France, and Jill and I being dog lovers, we absolutely adored it).
Hiking Le Semnoz
The next day was hiking day. Jill is an avid hiker, and I am an avid saunterer. That’s another reason why I love travelling with her; it exposes me to experiences I probably wouldn’t have tried on my own! I definitely would not have hiked in the pre-Alps, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity. Jill graciously picked a route with not too much steep elevation for this beginner hiker, as we were able to take a bus to drop us off near the summit point.
Rising just above Annecy, Le Semnoz feels like the Alps’ private balcony. In winter, it serves as a ski hill, and in summer, as a network of hiking trails. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mont Blanc; on our hazy summer day, we could just barely make it out.
The hills weren’t as lush as I had hoped, as the summer heat seemed to have scorched them quite thoroughly, but the cows didn’t seem to mind! They were often found grazing along the trail, their giant cowbells echoing across the ridge like wind chimes. I was eager to get up close to the cows until I very quickly realised that there’s a reason I live in the city—being surrounded by cows and bulls with very loud bells can be slightly terrifying. No, thank you.
The sun was bearing down on us, and we had a quick picnic lunch in a tiny patch of shade, after a restaurant owner became very upset with us for sitting under a tree too close to his restaurant (Chalets de Gruffy was not the most welcoming spot, it seemed). After hiking about 7 km, we opted for a gondola ride down to the "Summer Fun" area of Semnoz for a ride on the
Summer Luge.
The luge was an absolute blast! I had been on the one in Calgary during a family trip as a teenager, but hadn’t been on one since. I highly recommend them! A little rollercoaster-style mechanism hooks onto your plastic luge and pulls you up a hill, where you then speed down a twisty route (with a brake to accelerate or slow down if needed). Best use of €4 and a 25-minute queue ever.
Talloires
This heatwave had dissuaded us from another hike, so after exploring the morning street market in Annecy, we took a city bus to a different village along the lake and settled on Talloires.
We had expected more to see in the village, but with the Benedictine abbey boarded up for renovations and many shops closed for August holidays (a recurring theme in these towns, it seems), we headed straight to Plage Municipale de Talloires.
This beach was a bit different. It had the same grassy/dusty spots in the shade to sit and lay out your towels, but instead of a gradual walk into the water, you jumped right in off the edge! There were a few floating rafts to swim to and another slide (the other one was better, I think), and I had a lot of fun jumping in. Jill swam too, though I think she preferred the more relaxing downtime.
We had really wanted to have a drink at Café des Arts, but after waiting and hoping someone would leave, we resigned ourselves to the fact it wasn’t going to happen that evening. After a quick wander, we settled on a cute little wine bar (LE 2020 Bar à vin), where we enjoyed a glass of sangria and compared Kir (cassis with wine) to Kir Royal (cassis with champagne). I think the Kir Royal is the winner there!
Annecy is absolutely stunning. With its crystal-clear lake, charming streets, delicious dining, and easy access to the Alps and hiking trails, it’s a place I wholeheartedly recommend visiting! Next up is Grenoble—also nestled among mountains, but with a very different energy and vibe.
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