It has its character not just because of its location but because of its rich history. It used to be the capital of the county of Geneva (no wonder Geneva still feels like a village!!!) until it became part of the House of Savoy. Catholic bishops moved their seat to Annecy after Geneva became taken over by Calvinism too.
I've been to France a couple of times before but it was always just Paris. Yup, yes, I wrote it. Just Paris. And I never became fond of Paris. But visiting Annecy made me realize and appreciate that there's more to France than Paris. To experience France, you must see its different regions, to taste the local cuisine, learn its history, and experience what you see in the movies - the way of life - a quality way of life.
We visited Annecy at a time it wasn't sure whether summer was taking over or spring just wanted to stay a few weeks longer. But despite the weather, I finally understood why Genevois always say, go to Annecy. So here are my few suggestions on what to do:
1. Go there by bus because of the view
If you're coming from Geneva, Annecy could be just about 40 minutes away. But if you take the bus from Gare Routiere, there's a longer trip that lasts about an hour and a half. Depart by 10am and you would have had the best introduction to leaving the city en route to the countryside. The time you spend on the bus is worth it because of the view. Plenty of times I just wanted to stop, appreciate, and yes, also take pictures. Mountains and ridges as far as your eyes can see. Bridges over deep ravines. And plenty of little French cottages between urban areas, which make you want to retire and just spend your mornings at the market. Of course you can always drive through this route and make the stops I wanted to do.
2. Visit the Sunday market
We didn't plan it but when we walked from the bus station to the Vieille Ville (Old Town), we were stalled by lots of people. And tents and umbrellas. Apparently, these were mostly residents shopping their local fare. Imagine all those gourmet products you see at your neighborhood delicatessen or your average supermarket but in Annecy, it's the real deal. You see farmers and families selling their produce. You could easily buy for several courses by walking through the city streets. My favorites were the artisan honey, sausages (of plenty varities!!!), and the Reblochon cheese. I've lived in and visited Europe a couple of times but it was that visit to Annecy that made me realize I don't know shit about cheese. And the good part? you can keep on tasting to find out what you like!
3. Stroll through the Old Town
Now if you are not a foodie, there is still a lot for you to enjoy in Annecy. If you love history, you can visit the Castle, the former prison, the city hall, and its countless churches. I've never seen a place that had more churches than Prague. The facade and windows of houses and buildings will just make you stop and stare so bring lots of memory card space, a selfie stick if you're alone or even a tripod if you're a group. There are plenty of tourists so take note though.
4. Spend time at Lac d'Annecy
Whether you just go there for a stroll (like we did), take a pause with your ice cream and sit on one of its plenty of benches looking out to the rest of the lake, the mountains and clear skies, have a picnic on its surrounding park, swim or do water sports on one of Europe's clearest waters, you have to stay at the lake for awhile. If you have more time, you can take a cruise and see the neighboring towns then return after an hour or so.
If you didn't eat from the market (unlike us), out of respect for Annecy, you should (yes, it is a must!) dine or have a drink at one of its cafes. Everything is definitely cheaper than Geneva and most definitely more authentic too. We made sure we didn't miss the tartiflette, layers of potatoes, lardon and Reblochon. Oh heaven! you don't need lots of it because it is quite heavy but it's good to have when it's still a little nippy. And for just about 12 to 20 CHF, you can have a platter of charcuterie to share too. Of course, there's no need to mention good wine. It's a given.
So that's it! If I were a sporty lady, then I would suggest hiking up the mountains, visiting chateaus with better views, and come back in winter when it's all covered with snow. My 5-pointer is good enough for a Sunday afternoon. Return on any other day and you'll be stalled by hardcore shopping - the type you cannot do in Geneva.
No comments:
Post a Comment