Magical Annecy, is often described as the little Venice of the Alps. The picturesque old town lies at the foot of the castle hill.
Walking through the town is an enchantment: arcaded streets, colourful facades, churches, canals reflecting beautiful building in crystal-clear
The most famous buildings are the castle overhanging the town and the Palais de L’Isle and both can be visited. The castle, the former residence of the Court of Savoie, is now a museum with collections of regional and contemporary art and also home to the Alpine lakes observatory The tiny Palais de l’Isle served as a palace before to be a prison until World War II. Nowadays it houses the Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre
On Sunday morning the market takes place in the old town and it the atmosphere is unique, don’t miss a promenade on the waterfront is so romantic.
______________________________________________________
The canals is in Annecy helped earn the medieval town the nickname the Venice of the Alps. Built around a 14th-century château, it is dissected by many small canals and streams running out of the wonderfully azure-colored Lac Annecy. Just north of the French Alps, this capital of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region has plenty freshwater activities. For fun, you can swim, row, or sail around the lake by renting a boat, hike on the mountain trails around the city, and bike around the lake. Located on the numerous pedestrian-only byways that weave the city and river together, you can shop at distinct boutiques lining the narrow stone-paved streets.
______________________________________________________
From Lonely Planet
Nestled by the northwestern shore of its namesake lake, Annecy is the jewel of the Haute-Savoie. From its crowning Château d’Annecy down to its gurgling canals, Annecy’s Vieille Ville (Old Town) is infused with antique charm. Made great by the medieval Counts of Geneva and augmented by the Dukes of Savoy, Annecy still has numerous 16th- and 17th-century buildings, now painted in shades of peach and rose and housing restaurants, bakeries and boutiques. Canals trickle through town, earning Annecy its reputation as an ‘Alpine Venice’.