The national nature reserve of the Bout du Lac d’Annecy is a wonderful walk for all vacationers who wish to discover the lake in its wild setting. We offer you our tips to explore this unique natural reserve.
Discover the natural reserve of Lake Annecy
This reserve is the only natural space completely preserved from human activities around Lake Annecy. The site is a wetland that includes two watercourses, the Ire and the Eau Morte, which flow into the lake. This area is mainly marshy, with woods and meadows that host a rich fauna and flora.
You can admire a large number of fish species, toads, and beavers. The walk near the watercourses allows you to see the typical habitat of beavers and the trees cut by their teeth. Many birds can be observed, such as reed buntings, spotted locustellas, bitterns, and three warblers.
As the visit takes place on marked trails, the flora is preserved, and depending on the season, you can admire snake’s tongue, gentian, and Swiss inula. Many birds like the mallard, the coot, and the swan nest and breed in this habitat. More difficult to observe, many species of reptiles from Haute-Savoie are present on the site.
The walk of the lake’s reserve of Annecy
After crossing a very pleasant undergrowth in summer thanks to its coolness, you walk in a meadow on a path. When you can see a wooden bridge on your left, you can either continue straight to reach the wooden walkways that allow you to cross the reed bed to the lake, or you can turn right to join a small path made of railway sleepers that will lead you to make a nice loop and avoid returning by the same route.
Both circuits lead you to the Beauvivier tower, built in medieval times. You can climb to the second floor of the building to admire the panorama over the end of the Lake Annecy. The entire route is marked with explanations about the animal tracks you may encounter.
The walk over 1.8 km is easy and particularly suitable for families.
It should be noted that this site offers a route for people with reduced mobility.
Educational documentary video of the natural reserve of Lake Annecy
How to get to the Bout du Lac reserve
To get to the reserve from Annecy, you pass through the following villages along Lake Annecy: Sevrier, Saint Jorioz, Duingt, and Doussard. You need to go past Doussard towards Faverges and turn around at the first roundabout to take the first small road on the right. A small parking lot is available, but as it is often full, you can park in a larger parking area located 200 m upstream.
Once your walk is finished, you can return to Annecy by taking the opposite bank, turning left when leaving the reserve. You will pass through the picturesque villages of Talloires, Menthon Saint-Bernard, and Veyrier-du-Lac.
Depending on the season, you can discover the beaches of Lake Annecy for swimming.
If you enjoyed this walk, you can discover the natural reserve of Roc de Chère.
