The 9 essential things to do in Annecy

Annecy's old town fits into a tight triangle between the castle, the lake and the station: Rue Sainte-Claire with its arcades, Rue de l'Isle, Quai de l'Évêché and Place Sainte-Claire where the market is held. The Thiou crosses it in several branches spanned by small bridges, with the Palais de l'Isle standing mid-stream. Many of the ochre, pink and pale green façades date from the 16th to 18th centuries; Saint-Pierre cathedral (16th century) and Saint-Maurice church (15th) are a stone's throw apart.

People come here to wander rather than to visit: the terraces of Quai Perrière, the cheese and Savoyard charcuterie shops, the passages under the arcades that open onto a canal. The farmers' market fills the old town on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. In ten minutes on foot you go from the lanes to the Pâquier and the lakeshore.

Set in the middle of the Thiou like the prow of a ship, the Palais de l'Isle is the most photographed monument in Annecy. Built from the 12th century, it served in turn as a fortified house, the mint of the Counts of Geneva, a courthouse and a prison, right up to the 20th century. Restored and listed as a historic monument, it now houses the CIAP (Heritage and Architecture Interpretation Centre) of the conurbation, tracing the town's urban and architectural history (the local-history collections are shown at the Castle).

The natural outlet of the lake, the Thiou flows through the old town and forms the canals that earn Annecy its nickname of the 'Venice of the Alps'. Over barely 3.5 km it once drove mills and workshops, including the mint in the Palais de l'Isle. Today its flower-lined banks, little footbridges and the Pont Perrière, right in front of the Palais de l'Isle, make up Annecy's classic postcard. Not to be confused with the Pont des Amours (c.1906), which spans the Vassé canal at the lake's edge.

Perched on a rocky spur above the old town, the Castle of Annecy was the residence of the Counts of Geneva and then of the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, a branch of the House of Savoy. Built from the 12th century and rebuilt several times after the fires of 1340 and 1412, it dominates the town with its massive silhouette. Bought by the town in 1953, it became a museum: it holds the collections of the conurbation's museums (fine arts, regional art, history) and the Regional Observatory of Alpine Lakes, devoted to lake wildlife and habitats.

The greenway starts at the Marquisats, south of the centre of Annecy, and follows the western shore of the lake on a car-free path laid on the old Annecy-Albertville railway: Sevrier, Saint-Jorioz, Duingt and its castle on a small peninsula, then Doussard at the end of the lake. Flat and separated from traffic, it suits families and rental bikes; you meet as many skaters and runners as cyclists. Access points to the lake line the route for an impromptu swim.

To complete the full loop of the lake, about 40 km according to the tourist office, you return along the eastern shore (Talloires, Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Veyrier-du-Lac) on shared roads, with the climb at Talloires as the only real difficulty. Allow two to three hours without stops, half a day with swimming and terrace breaks.

The Pâquier is the great lawn between the old town and the lake: a medieval fairground turned favourite promenade of Annecy's residents, bordered by the Jardins de l'Europe and their century-old plane trees. The Compagnie des Bateaux boats leave from here (pier at Place aux Bois) and this is where you rent pedalos and small electric boats. The view runs the whole length of the lake, to the Tournette and the Dents de Lanfon.

At the corner of the Pâquier, the Pont des Amours, an iron footbridge built around 1906, spans the Vassé canal where it enters the lake. It links the Jardins de l'Europe to the Pâquier and gives the classic Annecy photo: rowing boats moored in the canal, the lake and the mountains behind. Not to be confused with the Pont Perrière, which crosses the Thiou in front of the Palais de l'Isle.

Mont Veyrier (1,291 m) is the mountain that closes the lake to the north-east, right above Veyrier-du-Lac and Annecy-le-Vieux. Its ridge gives the most complete panorama of the lake: the Petit and Grand Lac, the town below, the Semnoz opposite, the Tournette and the Bauges in the distance. The classic trail starts from the Col des Contrebandiers or the village of Veyrier-du-Lac and climbs through forest before reaching the ridges; allow 2.5 to 3 hours return from Veyrier, with about 800 m of ascent.

This is the hike to do if you only do one: reachable by Sibra bus from the centre, no special gear needed, but steep and exposed along the ridge. For an easier summit, the Semnoz to the south-west is reached by car and walked on the flat across its pastures.

Marquisats beach is the public beach closest to the centre of Annecy: ten minutes on foot from the Palais de l'Isle, along Rue des Marquisats. Over about 200 m, lawn and pebbles slope down to water of rare clarity for an inhabited lake, with Mont Veyrier opposite. Access is free all year round; showers, toilets, a snack bar, picnic areas and water-sports clubs (sailing, kayaking, rowing) are on site.

Swimming is supervised from 11 am to 7 pm from the start of the summer school holidays to 31 August; the beach is also a benchmark for accessibility, with amphibious wheelchairs and dedicated staff in high season. For more quiet, the beaches of Albigny in Annecy-le-Vieux, Sevrier or Angon in Talloires are reachable by bus, bike or boat.

Standing on the Visitation hill southwest of the old town, this 20th-century basilica holds the tombs of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, founders of the Order of the Visitation. Its bell tower houses a major carillon. But what draws visitors above all is the panorama: from the forecourt, the view takes in Annecy, the lake and the surrounding mountains.