Annecy

Annecy's old town, lake shore and Voie Verte cycle path in two days

Two days work well in Annecy. Spend the first in the Vieille Ville, at the Palais de l'Isle and the Château d'Annecy, then walk to the Pâquier and swim at Plage d'Albigny. On the second, cycle the Voie Verte along the western shore to Sévrier or Duingt, or fly a tandem paraglide from the Col de la Forclaz.

Morning. Be in the Vieille Ville by eight. The Quai de l'Île and Rue Perrière are empty then, and the light hits the Palais de l'Isle square on, so you can photograph the stone prison without a crowd on the bridge. Climb the short ramps to the Château d'Annecy for the museum's Savoyard furniture and the view over the roofs to the lake. On a Tuesday, Friday or Sunday, finish the morning at the produce market along Rue Sainte-Claire.

Afternoon. Walk out past the Jardins de l'Europe and over the Pont des Amours to the Pâquier, a broad lawn on the water with the Tournette and Dents de Lanfon across the lake. Keep going along the shore to Plage d'Albigny for a swim, or hire a pedalo from the town quays.

Second day. Rent a bike and ride the Voie Verte down the western shore, stopping at Sévrier or Duingt for lunch by the water. Experienced riders can loop round by the eastern shore through Talloires; others can put the bike on a lake boat back to town. If the forecast is clear, swap the ride for a tandem paraglide from the Col de la Forclaz, which drops you on the beach at Doussard. Evening belongs to cheese, back in the old town.

Tartiflette, féra from the lake and Savoyard cheeses

Annecy serves Savoyard food all year: tartiflette with reblochon, fondue savoyarde, raclette, diots sausages and croziflette. The lake adds féra, a whitefish served at shore restaurants in Talloires and Sévrier with a Savoie white such as Apremont. In town, restaurants line Rue Sainte-Claire and the canal quays.

Savoyard cooking is built for cold evenings and long hikes, and Annecy's restaurants stick to it all year. Tartiflette layers potatoes, lardons and onions under a whole melting reblochon, the soft washed-rind cheese of the Aravis valleys just east of town. Fondue savoyarde blends Beaufort, Comté and Emmental with white wine, and raclette arrives as a half wheel under a grill. Look also for diots, small pork sausages cooked in white wine, and croziflette, made with the square buckwheat pasta called crozets.

The lake has its own dish. Féra, a whitefish, is served pan-fried or poached at shore restaurants in Talloires and Sévrier, often with a glass of Savoie white such as Apremont. Order it at lunch, when the terraces are open.

In the Vieille Ville, restaurants line Rue Sainte-Claire and the canal quays; the ones facing the Palais de l'Isle trade on the view, and a street back usually serves the same food with less fuss. Between meals, follow locals to the ice-cream counters along Rue Perrière, where queues form even in October. Cheese shops in the old town will vacuum-pack a reblochon or tomme for the trip home.

Animation festival, Fête du Lac and when the lake is warm enough to swim

The best time to swim in Lake Annecy is late June to early September, when July highs reach about 27°C; for fewer crowds aim for the first half of June or September. June brings the International Animation Film Festival, early August the Fête du Lac fireworks, and October the Retour des Alpages.

Rain is spread evenly through the year: every month gets roughly 80 to 110 mm, and in summer most of it falls in short afternoon thunderstorms off the mountains. July is the warmest month at about 27°C, with nights near 14°C, which is why the lake reaches comfortable swimming temperatures from late June into early September. Winter in town is damp and cold, with highs around 6°C from December to January and frost at night, while the snow lies an hour or less away in the Aravis resorts of La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand.

June brings the International Animation Film Festival, the oldest and biggest event of its kind, which fills hotels and cinemas with industry visitors for a week. In early August the Fête du Lac stages a large fireworks show over the water; tickets for the lakeside stands go fast, and the town is packed. In October, the Retour des Alpages sees herders bring cattle in bells and flowers through the old town, with craft and cheese stalls along the route.

For a quieter stay, aim for the first half of June or September, when the water is still warm, boats keep a full timetable and the canal quays are easier to walk.