Annecy-a not to be missed town

I first heard of Annecy, an Alpine resort, briefly mentioned in a Mary Stewart book, Nine Coaches Waiting. Her descriptions of location have been one of my guiding lights when it comes to travel. And once we were in planning mode for this trip, one of our neighbors spoke about Annecy as a not to be missed place to see in France. So with those two signs from the Universe, how could we not go?

Annecy (pronounced Ahn-si), the Venice of France, is situated on Lake Annecy about a 30 minute drive from Geneva, Switzerland. It is of course, quaint, and quintessentially French. Cobbled together with passages and bridges over the canals,Old Town is filled with unique shops, cafes, and many restaurants which specialize in traditional Savoyard cuisine. A short walk takes you from the center of old town to the lake where there is a large park with public access to boat rides, running paths, cycling and hiking paths, playgrounds, and a Boule (or Petanque) court, a gathering place with families picnicking on blankets and folks out walking their dogs.

Annecy is in the Savoie region of France or more precisely Haute Savoie (hote savwah) in the French Alps. The architecture here has a more Swiss chalet feel than the sun drenched ochre of the south. Surrounding the lake are a few traditional Savoyard A frames-protected architecture for its historical significance. We took a ride in a wooden boat tour--I would highly recommend for its fun factor, the views of the area, and for the information shared. According to our boat captain across the lake are homes owned by the Dannon family of yogurt fame and the Salomons of ski boot fame. Also, Annecy and surrounding towns have several Michelin star restaurants. And naturally, it is France after all, a privately owned castle which can be rented as a wedding venue. On this beautiful May day, the water is aquamarine and stunningly clear.

The other side of the lake, from the boat

Traditional Savoyard cuisine is cheese, cheese, bread, potatoes, and more cheese. In particular Savoyard cuisine often uses the aptly named, Beaufort. Our favorite French cheese since we had a first nibble in Paris 20 or so years ago. We've never seen this delectable cheese outside of France, however Google assures me that it can be found in specialty cheese shops in the US. Beaufort, which originates in the town of Beaufort literally translates as beautiful (beau) and strong (fort). It is a blend of strong and sweet, milder than Camembert and stronger than a Chevre, flavorful but not stinky.

Here in Haute Savoie, Beaufort and its blends are used extensively for fondue and raclette, Savoyard favorites. These dishes are everywhere! Melted cheese served with bread, boiled potatoes, small pickles, and other veggies. Fondue is generally either melted at your table in a fondue pot for more than one person, or the smaller, baked version-served in a crockery dish. Raclette is a cheese and dish of Swiss origin. It is definitely for hearty appetites or a group of people!

In the restaurant where we tried traditional dishes, Dana and I curiously watch a couple next to us as they try raclette. The server brings an appliance to the table with a huge hunk of cheese mounted on it and various foods to dip into the cheese. The appliance has levers on both sides to melt your cheese. When it is sufficiently melted, you lift up the burner and scrape the melted bits off into a dish and dip!

Click here to learn more about raclette

In lake towns near Annecy, there are several Michelin star restaurants and all require an Uber or a rental car. However we chose a restaurant high up on a 'hill', Les Terasses du Lac which was highly recommended by a server the first night in Annecy. Food and wine amazing, view spectacular!