Annecy

view of the Old Prison of Annecy

At the foot of the Alps, many refer to Annecy as "the Venice of France," and in many ways this is true: not only is it a city built on water, but it is also a city maintained primarily by tourists. However, while Venice has a very romantic Italian vibe, Annecy truly fits the small town French atmosphere: tiny boutiques packing every street and overflowing with handmade products and artisan pastries. The flowers which accompanied every bridge seemed to boast a colorful and friendly invite to come explore the tiny town. And we did.

Kenan and I arrived!

lovely side streets/canals lined with flowers

Kenan and I arrived in Annecy Saturday morning and began our day walking around the old town, filing in and out of each of the boutiques, and awing over each cathedral. The cathedrals in Annecy are like gems that just pop up as you are walking through town. They are not highly advertised, but inside they are just as spectacular as any other gothic cathedral.

Cathédrale Notre Dame

inside Cathédrale Notre Dame

Kenan and me in front of JJ Humblot--a florist where the shop literally has flowers, dolls and toys decorating the building's side in a whimsical manner that takes you back to your childhood. 

cafes lining the river

altar at Cathédrale Saint-Pierre

 After the cathedrals, Kenan and I visited the chateau--a medieval castle on a hill that overlooks the entire city and lake. There was a small museum inside the castle, which had exhibits ranging from nautical artifacts to Renaissance art to an aquarium. The museum itself would not rank as one of my favorite museums, but the view from the hill was magnificent.

The Chateau

view of Lac Annecy and the Alps

Me atop the chateau hill

For lunch Kenan and I visited a small creperie in the city center. I can say without doubt that these were the best savory crepes I have ever had. I had a crepe filled with warm chèvre (goat's milk cheese), parma ham, mixed greens, and walnut. The atmosphere was perfect and the food was extraordinary--I really could not have been happier with this lunch.

Kenan and me at the creperie

best crepe ever

 We then made our way towards the lake, where we stumbled upon tents selling candies and pastries, street performers, and plenty more side streets and boutiques.

View of the mountains at the end of the rivers

Me in front of the Old Prison

River boats decorated in the colors of Annecy's coat of arms: red and white

 We walked along the edge of the lake for a while once we finally reached it. Even though Lake Geneva and all other lakes are like this, I still find it intriguing to see mountains encircling a lake. Annecy was having it's annual lake festival that night, so there were speakers and ramps on the lake in preparation. Most of the town was beginning to get blocked off and was even more flooded with tourists than usual. It was definitely a good thing that we arrived early. After walking along the lake for a sufficient amount of time, we finally reached a "beach" where I was able to cool off, take a dip in the chilly lake, and relax in the sun before heading back to catch the bus to Geneva.

Annecy definitely had beautiful views and was the perfect place to just go into the old town and wander. I had such a lovely relaxing time with one of the best lunches I had eaten here; my only regret is not buying anything from one of the boutiques. Situated only a bit over an hour outside of Geneva, I guess I may have to visit again!

Lake Annecy

A beautiful side canal leading lined with gorgeous wooden boats