Located on the edge of the Lake Annecy in eth Alps is the town of Annecy. It is the regional capital and a beautiful tourist town. The town is popularly known as the ‘Venice of Savoie” as the Thiou canal which floes is in fact the River Annecy, that shows such charm that it brings to mind a walk along the Venice River banks. Moreover, the river has played an important role in the Middle Ages. The town is increasingly becoming a hot favorite among tourist and during the months of July and August, it is packed with tourists making it impossible to find rooms. Thus the best time to visit this town is early summer or in the autumn, when it becomes a quiet, and pretty place. The towns unique charm, excellent sunshine and long, beautiful slopes, draws tourists to the place in summers and winters as well.
The origin of the city goes back to 3000 BC and its geographical location at the foot of the Alps has resulted in turbulent times for the town. The city suffered many invasions over the centuries and through marriages, inheritances and sales over the time, found itself under various rules. Today the city has become a focus for tourists looking for some outdoor fun and adventure. Being located on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, it serves as a good base for anyone up for water sports, or activities such as hiking, cycling, and gliding. Out of the many sports, Annecy paragliding has become very popular, which takes place in September to take advantage of the smooth, large gentle thermals, and un-crowed airspace.
Annecy has today become famous for its Lake Annecy, which is the cleanest Lake in Europe. The lake is surrounded by mountains, appeared 18,000 years ago, and covering 10.5 square miles. This cleanest lake in the world is home to a wide range of wildlife, which never ends to delight the fishermen. At one time, all the dirty water was dumped in to the Lake from the surrounding cities. This resulted in extreme high level of pollution and a threat to the health of the people. Efforts to get rid of the waste in the Lake were started and a huge investment of labor and capital made the Lake what it is today. Now, it just receives only rain and spring water, and the people are happy to drink it. This remarkable success story of the purification of the lake is an example for others all over the world. Not only this, but Lake Annecy is a very popular diving site.
The turbulent history of Annecy has definitely left its mark but the regional capital has been kept intact. The city’s highlight is its striking 12th century castle-museum and is major attraction for tourists to visit during their stay. Once a biggest cotton-manufacturing center in the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia is a tourist city. The exceptional beauty of the city and the surroundings attracts a huge number of tourists, with most the city wealth coming mainly from tourism. The city has a rich wealth of historical monuments but the “Palais de l’Ile” (or Palace on the Island) is worth mentioning. This monument was built in the year 1132 right in the center of the Thiou, the famous canal in Annecy. One of the unique monuments in the city is not to be missed attraction during a visit to this city. The monument today houses a very popular museum of history, after having being declared as a Historical Monument in 1900 and one of the most photographed monuments in France. If visiting the city during the month of June, then one can be a part of Annecy’s annual International Cartoon Festival, which has been enjoying ever-growing success for more than forty years. |
