The dreamy landscape of Annecy is well known for its shimmering lake and the Alpine peaks that surround it, and now the Villes et Villages où il fait bon vivre assocation has ranked Annecy number one in a list of the best places to live in France. With a diverse terrain and so much going on, it would be hard to get bored of life in Annecy. There are events to attend, fun activities to try, shops to peruse and all the amenities to keep life admin under control. In addition to all this activity, the incredible amount of space to breathe and beauty to admire can also help residents with their wellbeing and work/life balance.
LAKESIDE LIVING
With a surface area of 26.53km2, there is a lot of the Lac d’Annecy to gaze at, while a professional diver would need to submerge 65m at the lake’s deepest point to reach the lakebed. The lake’s shoreline is 40km long, with a few small towns settled between the water and Haute-Savoie’s mountain ranges, but it is at the north-west corner where you will find the small River Thiou around which Annecy town grew. The canal-like river and the bridges that cross it garnered Annecy’s ‘old town’ the nickname ‘the Venice of the Alps’. Forever docked like a ship in the river is the Palais de l’Île – a building that dates from the 12th century and has served over time as a prison, a courthouse and a mint. Classified as a historic monument since 1900, the building is open for visitors throughout the year.
This story is from the April 2020 edition of Living France.
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This story is from the April 2020 edition of Living France.
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