Discovering the most beautiful villages near Annecy during your vacation allows you to have unforgettable moments. Let yourself be guided!
The village of Menthon-Saint-Bernard
In the ranking of the most beautiful villages near Annecy, Menthon-Saint-Bernard holds a special place because it combines many tourist assets:
- Its magnificent medieval castle worthy of a fairy tale, has been occupied since its construction by the same Menthon family. Its visit is a must on your vacation route. The walk around the building is also remarkable in the adjacent forest.
- Its port allows for a very pleasant stroll along the shores of Lake Annecy to the Palace of Menthon where you can enjoy a delicious gourmet menu. This hotel establishment is characterized by its neoclassical and art deco style. You can enjoy its private sandy beach if you stay at this palace.
- Its Roc de Chère nature reserve allows you to discover preserved wildlife, including the salamanders dear to Francis I.
- Its Lake Annecy golf course, at the foot of the nature reserve, allows you to play in a green setting that makes it one of the most beautiful courses in Haute-Savoie.
If you can come by bike or bus, you will avoid searching for a parking space due to the summer tourist influx. Geographically, Menthon-Saint-Bernard marks the boundary between the big lake and the small lake of Annecy.
The village of Talloires
The village of Talloires adjoins that of Menthon-Saint-Bernard. It is located on the shores of Lake Annecy on the small lake. The many assets of this pretty village deserve a visit during your vacation:
- The village gently slopes down to the port, with shaded pedestrian streets that offer very good restaurants for all budgets. Two Michelin-starred gourmet restaurants, L’auberge du Père Bise and the Abbey of Talloires are worth a detour for food lovers.
- On the left of the port, you can swim at the Talloires beach.
- Every year, in early August, the village organizes the Talloires Pyroconcerts. This show combines a contemporary music concert with fireworks to create a magical moment on the shores of the lake.
- The municipality of Talloires-Montmin is home to one of the most beautiful paragliding spots in Europe. Taking off from Planfait or the Forclaz pass, your flight will allow you to admire the mountains and Lake Annecy with very favorable aerology.
- For children, but also for adults, you will find next to the Planfait paragliding site, the Accro’Aventures course of Talloires. More than 9 very varied courses are available for children, juniors, and adults.
Talloires therefore offers its visitors a wide variety of leisure activities according to everyone’s preferences.
The village of Yvoire
The village of Yvoire is located on the shores of Lake Geneva before Thonon-les-Bains. It will take you just under an hour’s drive to discover this marvel of a preserved and flowered medieval village. Built in the early 14th century, the pearl of Lake Geneva offers you:
- The visit of the Garden of the Five Senses classified as a Remarkable Garden by the Ministry of Culture allows you to discover in a cloister, a preserved flora and try to find your way out of the maze. More than 1,500 varieties of plants make up this initiatory garden.
- In the fortified village, the ramparts and gates are testimonies of the distant past when Yvoire had to protect itself from attacks.
- The superb port of Yvoire from where paddle boats depart for Lausanne allows you to have a drink while watching the sunset.
- The castle of Yvoire built in 1306 by Count Amédée V of Savoy was restored in the previous century. But it is not open to visitors, as it has housed the Yvoire family for generations.
- The tasting of perch fillets from Lake Geneva. This specialty comes from the Swiss side of the lake. The village offers excellent restaurants to discover local cuisine.
- The magnificent bell tower of the church of Yvoire in the shape of a bulb is covered with unhammered steel scales. These scales are the symbol of one of the best edible fish from Lake Geneva: the féra.
The village has held the distinction of “4 flowers” from the label Cities and Flowering Villages since 1959.
On the way back to Annecy, you can visit Geneva in neighboring Switzerland.
