Annecy Hotels

Annecy in the North of the French Alps, is the Venice of Savoie a well deserved title. The medieval town centre built around a 14th Century Chateau is dissected by small canals and streams running out of Lac Annecy, which is clean, fresh and a wonderful azure colour. Annecy is also the prefecture of the département of Haute-Savoie. Chic Haute-Savoie capital Annecy is perfect for a good old mosey. Nestled around the northwestern end of Lake Annecy against a pretty backdrop of Alpine peaks, the town is crisscrossed by ancient canals, geranium-covered bridges, medieval houses and arched alleyways perfect for meandering. A cycling path snakes along the lake's southwestern shore and pedalos, canoes and cruise-boats pepper its water in summer. This is the hot spot to kick back and relax after the high-altitude and attitude-fuelled Alpine resorts – except in summer when bumper-to-bumper traffic makes it a tad taxing. In the old part of the town, you can explore the inner yards of the castle as well as the old prisons dating from the Middle Ages. Modern shops have found their way to the city (and offer excellent possibilities to hire gear when you want to indulge in any sorts of (water)sports) as well as plenty off restaurants, cafes and big companies such as Alcatel Vacuum Technology, Salomon and Dassault. You can either opt for a hotel in town or for one of the holiday resorts along the lake. The traditional Old Town festival takes place in July and is followed quite soon by the preparations for the famous Lake Festival that takes place every August. Annecy is also the location where the annual Animated Film Festival takes place