538km (334 miles) SE of Paris; 56km (35 miles) SE of Geneva; 140km (87 miles) E of Lyon
Lac d’Annecy is the jewel of the Savoy Alps. The resort city of Annecy, which is the region’s capital, makes the best base for touring the Haute-Savoie. Once a Gallo-Roman town, the seat of the comtes de Genève until the 15th century, Annecy opens onto one of the best views of lakes and mountains in the French Alps. Since the 1980s, Annecy has become a booming urban center that has managed to preserve its natural setting. Annecy’s lakeside beaches are among about a dozen scattered around the lake, all of which come into their own during the summer months.
