|
Annecy By Arnie Greenberg, ultours@gmail.com Picture a medieval town with pastel colored buildings in clusters almost glued together on both sides of a gentle canal that flows to a pristine lake. Picture gentle white swans floating gracefully on the near-still waters. Close your eyes and imagine flowers hanging from canal-side fences and old-world lamp posts casting a golden, almost subdued light. Listen to the laughter, the clinking of wine glasses, restaurant buffs and children delighting in a busy yet peaceful setting, surrounded by tall snow-capped mountains, Swiss-style chalets and tour boats dwarfed by a valley of peaks. This is old Annecy, on the northern tip of a freshwater lake, south of Geneva in France's Haute Savoie, a 30-minute drive from Geneva. That multi-armed Thiou Canal boasts flower-covered bridges that are a painter's delight, with the Chateau d'Annecy looking down from its perch. The twelfth-century Palais de l'Isle, once a formidable prison, is in the middle of the canal. It is a scene second to none in this popular corner of Alpine France.
(Annecy, like the region in which it is located, is a scenic paradise) The whole region is a photographer's or painter's paradise. But you'd have to be there early in the morning before the teeming throngs settle in the narrow pathways and pedestrian streets of the old city. There are buskers, street magicians, and hawkers offering souvenir crafts. There is a new, bustling section of the town, too. But while it has broad streets, fashionable shops for the wealthy, and a nice beach, it is Old Annecy that I like to visit, especially in summer. Surrounded by majestic peaks, there are usually hang-gliders wafted by gentle breezes, like mythical birds making lazy circles in a cloudless sky. But if boat tours and gliding are not for you, there's kayaking, canoeing, cycling, hiking or recreational swimming. The shops, especially in the old quarter, have something for every taste, and the restaurants greet you with aromas of delicious fondues and Swiss raclettes at affordable prices. This is a Mecca for Swiss tourists who are here all year for the special quality that only Annecy offers. In winter you can take a short drive towards Albertville or Chamonix and walk in the Mer des Glaces or ski to your heart's content around Megeve. The Olympic facilities are still there to make your visit more enjoyable. Even a drive around Lake Annecy offers vistas and charm. The small town of Talloires on the eastern shore where St. Bernard was born, was traditionally the choice of nobility. It offers quiet hotels at various prices. The view across the lake at the Chateau de Duingt is a sketcher's dream. You can climb Semnoz Mountain or the Cret de Chatillon, behind the Annecy Chateau, for a spectacular view of the Alps and majestic Mont Blanc. I've traveled into almost every corner of France, but after a number of visits, I realize that this is one place I could settle permanently. There is activity, culture, and beauty. It is a stone's throw from Geneva, Lac Leman facing Switzerland, and the 'spring waters' at Evian or the Evian-les-Bains hotel on Lake Geneva, an exclusive, turn-of-the-century hotel with a choice of six restaurants. Just to the southwest near Grenoble, in the city of Stendhal, you can visit spas dating back to Roman times and the modern casino of Aix-Les-Bains. This town on Lac Le Bourget would be my second choice for an overnight stay, a seasonal holiday or a lingering holiday. But Aix, the city of poet Lamartine, demands an article for itself. I'll tackle that job soon. This region has so many vistas and places to discover, we'll have to come back again and again. By the way, don't leave Annecy without trying the fondue. After all, this is Savoy (Savoie) and that's one of its specialties. You'll have no trouble finding it on most menus. Bon Voyage! From Paris, Annecy is under $90 by train. Contact Rail Europe for schedules at www.raileurope.com. Arnie Greenberg welcomes your questions or comments. Email him at: ultours@gmail.com.
| ||
 |
