Active Pursuits in Annecy

Annecy for Kids: The Lure of the Hills

The Office de Tourisme distributes free pamphlets that describe about a dozen easy, family-oriented hiking and biking excursions in the forests around Annecy. More experienced hikers may wish to pick up a free map with a detailed set of challenging walks.

Walks in both categories last 2 to 6 hours. Some begin in the center of Annecy; others require a trip by car or bus from one of several towns in the area — such as Saint-Jorioz or Sevrier, to the west, or Talloires, to the east -- to the trailhead. A travel agency in Annecy, Trans Dev Haute Savoie, pl. de la Gare (www.transdevhautesavoie.com; tel. 04-50-51-74-62), sells bus tickets to the destinations around Annecy and Lac d’Annecy and Lac Léman. It also arranges minibus excursions to panoramic sites in July and August.