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Beautiful Annecy and the Alps was a part of our 10-day road trip itinerary in France. The city of Annecy is the capital of the Haute-Savoie district. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, only 22 miles from Geneve in Switzerland. I have heard of Annecy and how charming it was, and I wasn’t disappointed. The landscape was so beautiful with the clear waters of the lake in the foreground and French Alps in the background, no wonder the city is nicknamed “Pearl of French Alps” by French geographers. So let me tell you right away – 2 days in Annecy during the summer season is NOT enough. But if that is what you have then 2 days is better than nill days.

View of the Lake Annecy and the Alps
Coming from the heat of Paris to Lake Annecy’s beautiful “cool” weather was a relief. Lake’s water held +25C and was perfectly clear and warm. We were sure glad we stayed here and cooled off before we continued to Lavender fields and Aix-en-Provence, where it was hot, hot, hot.

The see-through water of Lake Annecy
Annecy itinerary for 2 days stay
There are tons of things to do around Lake Annecy, and we planned for at least one hike while staying here. We also found a small plane company which does flights over the lake and the French Alps that we booked for one evening. The first day we drove up to the Le Col de la Forclaz by Talloires just on the other side of the lake, to check out the views and go paragliding if you are up to it. You should check out this viewpoint if you are ever in the area. The view of the lake Annecy from the viewpoint was stunning. Activities in the city of Annecy and around Lac Annecy (French name) are diverse. They are suitable for families with kids, couples, and groups of friends.
There are several things to do in Annecy in the summer. You can do physical activities such as cycling, hiking, rafting, climbing or you can visit several chateau and museums. And one of the easiest ways to see a lot in a short time and learn some history is a Segway tour. We tend to do it when we are in a new place for the first time.
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Or how about Foodie experience with local organic products and wine.
The city of Annecy holds several exhibitions of a different kind during the year. Check out Lac Annecy’s official tourism site for dates and activities.
But did you know that you can do many winter activities around Lake Annecy? You can go skiing, glacier walking, heliski or ice climbing?
We are very laid back and chill, we love to spend some days by the pool or on the beach, but we also like to explore nature or a city. Since we had the beach at our doorstep at the hotel, we went exploring the landscape.

View of the Lake Annecy
At the viewpoint, there were two paragliding platforms and many paragliders in the air. Our 12-year-old was bragging about how tough he was who wasn’t afraid to do the paragliding. We are just like the next pair of parents – wanted to teach him a lesson. The next day we drove back, and he had to do it! And I’ll tell you he was tough even though he was nervous.

Paragliding over Lake Annecy

Getting ready for paragliding over the Lake Annecy

Off over the Lake Annecy
Neither my husband nor I did the paragliding since we were going to fly over the Alps later that day. Because you know – we are ain’t millionaires 💸 But, guess what?? As we were waiting for Aleks to land and get back up to the viewing point, we got a phone call from the plane company that canceled our trip due to terrible weather conditions later in the evening 😬
I have to say that the guys who organized paragliding and instructors were great. They had a GoPro and took a lot of shots and video while flying. The instructor spoke English well, and Aleks could steer the sail. Overall we felt very safe. If you want to try it look up Airmax Parapente.
Ok, so back to the planned hikes – I had my tights and my Nikes on and was ready to go, straight after junior came back from his paragliding. We were walking down to meet our son and guess what – my husband’s leg injury kicked in. So here I was in the beautiful French Alps, in lovely weather, and was not going to hike, paraglide, or on a plane trip over the mountains.
I still had one thing I planned for – explore Annecy, which I heard so many beautiful things. The first evening we had in Annecy it was pouring rain, so I thought “hey, a new day tomorrow.” The next evening we went to Annecy it was more than pouring. It was thunder and lightning, and traffic jam in and out of the city. So we managed to turn half the way, stop at McDonald’s to get some “food” for Aleks, and drove back to the hotel. I don’t do good without food or sleep (that’s the worst case) so luckily for everybody the restaurant at our hotel had an available table for us.
Where to stay in Annecy
Our accommodation for the stay was Le Clos Marcel hotel in the village called Duingt, just a 10-15 min drive from Annecy. We were very excited about what room and service we would get, as I have heard that I shouldn’t expect too much from hotels when I book through a third-party provider. Well, let me tell you one thing – this was the third time I used Booking.com or Hotels.com, and I couldn’t complain at all. We got a great room and excellent service – every time!
Le Clos Marcel Hotel
Hotel Le Clos Marcel is located ideally on the banks of Lake Annecy in a little village called Duingt, 15 minutes outside Annecy (by car). It is a 4-star hotel with only 14 rooms. Le Clos Marcel has a private beach on Lake Annecy, a 5-star restaurant, free parking, an outside hot tub, excellent service, and beautiful rooms with gorgeous views! I was so lucky to find and book it – as they had only one room left.

View of the lake Annecy

Our room with an annex
Our room had a balcony and was located on the second floor. There are seven rooms located on the ground floor with belonging patios and seven rooms on the second floor with belonging balconies. Our room had an annex with a double bed, and another double bed, and massive glass doors to the balcony with a beautiful view on the entrance floor. The bathroom was also located on the entrance floor, and it was decorated with dark tiles which gave you a spa feeling. The free amenities in the bathroom were from L’Occitane, which I loved.

The view
The hotel has a 5-star restaurant with beautiful French cuisine – the prices are accordingly 🙂 At the time of our stay, the restaurant had a waiting list on weekends, and I recommend you book a table even if you are a guest at the hotel.
Hotel Le Clos Marcel is located a 10-15 min car drive to Annecy and 20 min to the hiking trails on the other side of the lake.
Hotel’s beachfront, as seen from the lakeside. You can relax on sunbeds or have a drink and snack under the trees. The hotel offers complimentary towels for you to use on the beach.

Hotel’s beachfront as seen from the lakeside

Lake Annecy by the hotel
The water in Lake Annecy held +25C and was crystal clear.
Nearby the hotel you will find Chateau de Duingt. The Chateau sits beautifully on the edge of the lake and will take you 10-15 min to drive to get there.

Chateau de Duingt from above – a drone shot

Hotel Le Clos Marcel
There are many campsites around Lake Annecy. Some have pools, some are right on the beach, and most of them have incredible views of the Lake. If you travel with family or a group of friends you can also rent a mountain hut. But if you want to stay close to the lake, city and the mountains, I suggest you find accommodation either in Annecy or small villages around the Lake.
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Famous French Cuisine – Annecy specialties
French cuisine is known for its elegance, extravagance, quality, and innovation. We have all heard about Bœuf Bourguignon, Coq au vin, Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée, and Mousse au Chocolat. But every district in France has its specialty. According to Wikipedia, these are the most famous French dishes in this area:
- Andouillette (a kind of sausage with tripe)
- Fondue savoyarde (fondue made with cheese and white wine into which cubes of bread are dipped)
- Gratin dauphinoise (a traditional regional French dish based on potatoes and crème fraîche)
- Quenelle (flour, butter, eggs, milk, and fish, traditionally pike, mixed and poached)
- Raclette (the cheese is melted and served with potatoes, ham and often dried beef)
- Soupe à l’oignon (onion soup based on meat stock, often served gratinéed with cheese on top)
- Tartiflette (a Savoyard gratin with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, cream, and pork)
- Gratin de crozets Savoyard (A Savoyard dish with square buckwheat pasta “les crozets de Savoie“, cheese and ham)
There are a few good restaurants in Annecy and villages around the lake, but there are also a few tourist magnets. The restaurant at our hotel – Le Comptoir du Lac – was amazing and although we stayed in the hotel, we had to make reservations for popular evenings since they booked up rather quickly.
Annecy has at least one restaurant in Michelin Guide (do not confuse it with a Michelin star) – Restaurant 1er Mets – which gets excellent reviews.
Since you have been reading this far I assume you love food so here are 7 best cities in France for foodies
Lake Annecy’s location to the mountains makes it a destination with diverse seasonal activities. The beauty of the Lake is difficult to describe, and you can’t go wrong with French cuisine and wine. This place is the perfect destination for your next long weekend trip. And if you have a drone, this place is ideal for filming and shooting from above.
Now that we were leaving for Lavender Fields on Valensole Plateau I was ready to let go of the missed hikes and a flight over the Alps. But it turned out my hopes were living their own life. Lavender fields on Valensole Plateau turned out to be a surprise too.

French Alps

The amazing Lake Annecy

The ever beautiful and charming Annecy – I love the guy in the picture 🙂

We were ready for hiking 🙂
Annecy was a part of the road trip through France and our next stop was Aix-en-Provence.
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32 comments
These photos are amazing! You were so lucky with the room view – I’d happily sit there all day with a book and a bottle of wine.
I know 🙂 I could do that too in a heart beat – it was absolutely amazing 🙂
There’s still so much of France left to explore for me!! Love your photos!
Absolutely! I will go back for more too 🙂
I honestly never heard of Annecy before reading your post. Your pictures are lovely and the place looks amazing! Always wanted to try paragliding as well. You must have had an amazing view paragliding. I’ve just started to explore the world and I love finding out new places like this so thank you for sharing.
It is super charming and so diverse when it comes to things to do! I can highly recommend it 🙂
You, for sure, had a great time. and WOW, the view from your room definitely looks like a pleasant vacation. I also see how pretty that drone shot is – excellent castle view! Which drone is that?..
I love drone photography – it gives you much more options 🙂 We have a DJI Phantom4 – great camera quality and air stability, but it is a little bit big as you have to bring it in its own bag.
Weirdly I’ve never heard about Annecy but this really is a gem of a place! The views from the top are amazing and paragliding will surely be one of those things I’ll probably do!! Sad your plans were spoiled but with a ray if sunshine that you’ll go back for a longer stay now!
Annecy is super beautiful and I would have gone paragliding if it wasn’t for the plane tour we booked that eventually was cancelled 🙂 I would definitely like to go back for some hiking 🙂
Annecy is such a gem! I have been to Mégeve but never Annecy. Would love to go. PS:Your son looks like he had a lovely time!
I haven’t heard of Megeve – is it somewhere in the same area? He was very nervous, but he loved it 🙂
Wow – heartbreakingly beautiful! I am yet to venture into Europe, but with all this reading I am doing I can hardly wait! Great post 🙂
You should definitely come to Europe – it’s so diverse – the landscapes, the historic sites, the architecture, the food and cultures. You will love it 🙂
I love your positive attitude… Atleat the stunning views made up for the things you missed. The place lookslike a dream. ?
It was so beautiful there so it’s totally fine. It gives the reason to go back 🙂
Annecy was a destination that I was unaware of!
However, it looks very interesting! I’m so happy I get to read inspiring posts…
By the way, I’m sorry it didn’t go as planned, but this is what makes adventures different and never boring!
And it surely is a reason more to go back 😉
Annecy is super beautiful 🙂 I love to plan, but the best experience I have had are those that come unexpected 🙂 I would definitely love to go back and do some hiking 🙂
What a beautiful place! Sorry your plane got cancelled. Did your son enjoy the paragliding? I don’t think I have the courage to do that. The plane sounds more my speed.
He was very nervous, but he loved it 🙂 I would love to try it one day too 🙂
I hope you will have the chance to go back there and explore everything. By the way, the Swiss alps are even better than the French Alps 😛
So do I 🙂 If not, I will come to Switzerland and you can be our guide 🙂
I’ve only ever been to Paris! I need to explore France more!
Paris is gorgeous – I love it! But so i the rest of the France 🙂
It looks like such an amazing time! I’m planning a France road trip so I’ll be coming back for more tips ?
Oh, can I come with you as your guide? :):) Let me know if I can be of any help!
What an amazing trip! I want to go there & skydive but I’m nervous. Things don’t always go to plan but it can bring out a better adventure. 🙂
Overall it was amazing – so screw the plans 🙂
Annecy is gorgeous isn’t it! I used to live in France and loved visiting there
I loved France 🙂 and will have to go back to Annecy as we haven’t seen it at all due to really poor weather conditions during our evenings there 🙁
hotels.com is the way to go!
I have certainly found it out! I love it 🙂