Annecy and more generally Haute-Savoie are territories steeped in legends. While some are more well-known than others, they also provide an opportunity to learn more about the local culture.
Buy the book 10 legends of Annecy and the Savoie
The legend of the Lady of Angon
One of the most famous legends of Annecy is that of the Lady of Angon, Bernoline. It tells the story of Bernoline, a young chatelaine living in the château d’Angon. After marrying a knight, he set off to find a bright star promised to Bernoline but made a pact with the Devil along the way, costing him his soul.
Desperate, Bernoline threw herself into the lake of Annecy from the Roc de Chère, where she now haunts the depths of the lake, eternally searching for her lost knight.
Read the full legend: The Legend of the Lady of Angon
The legend of the Fairy of the lake
The legend tells that there was once a peaceful village on a peninsula near Duingt. One Christmas Eve, an old woman and her dog sought refuge but were turned away everywhere. At midnight, the old woman transformed into a beautiful young woman and her dog into a white wolf. The fairy of the lake then condemned the village for its wickedness, causing a tidal wave that engulfed it.
Since then, it is said that one can hear the twelve strokes of a distant bell on Christmas Eve, evoking the desperate lament of the village…
Read the full legend: The legend of the Fairy of the Lake
The legend of the Château d’Annecy
The legend of the Château d’Annecy tells the story of Lothaire, an emperor residing in the lakeside city in the 9th century and his wife, a princess named Tiedtberge. Faced with the emperor’s infidelities, the queen begins to reproach him greatly.
In order to regain his freedom, Lothaire attempts to get rid of Tiedtberge by having her locked in the darkest dungeon of the Château d’Annecy. The queen will be saved from her prison by a chaplain and will manage to escape on horseback to the Abbey of Talloires. Lothaire, furious, will not be able to find her. He will end his life alone, while the queen enjoys happy days.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Château d’Annecy
The legend of the Ladies of Sainte-Catherine
In the 13th century, Princess Béatrix-Marguerite of Geneva founded a convent at Sainte-Catherine, near Annecy. Nuns from the abbey of Bonlieu-sous-Sallenôves resided there. For more than two centuries, they lived peacefully, until idleness took over their way of life.
Saint-François de Sales tried to restore order, in vain. In 1772, the convent was closed and the nuns repatriated to the abbey of Bonlieu. Only the five most pious sisters, who were dying of grief, remained at Sainte-Catherine, where they passed away. They were buried under the slabs of the abbey of Sainte-Catherine-du-Mont.
It is said that the ghosts of these five nuns haunt the valley of Sainte-Catherine, seeking the souls of their sisters. Visitors to the site would hear their breath once night falls.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Ladies of Sainte-Catherine
The legend of the Green Lake
In Passy, it is said that on full moon nights, it is possible to see a shape resembling a white chamois near the Green Lake. The animal is said to have been killed long ago by a hunter from Chamonix.
In light of this tragedy, the Lady of the Mountain is said to have shed a green tear, which gave the lake its color that we know today. The body of the white chamois, meanwhile, is said to still rest at the bottom of the Green Lake.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Green Lake
The legend of the Tooth of the Cat
When you go to Lake Bourget, you cannot help but observe the mountain of the Tooth of the Cat. But did you know its legend? You might not look at it the same way once you have read it…
The legend says that a fisherman was punished by the gods for not keeping a promise. He then pulled a kitten out of the water, which over the months transformed into a monster.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Tooth of the Cat
The legend of the Ghost Horse of Sallenôves
If you have ever passed by the château de Sallenôves, you may have heard the sounds of raging hooves through the walls. Did you know that it was a ghost horse?
It is said that a knight tried to abduct the one he loved, right under the nose of her husband. But the chaplain, watching over, pronounced an excommunication that triggered a terrible storm. According to the legend, the knight was swept away by the river’s waters.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Ghost Horse of Sallenôves
The legend of the Devil’s Bridge in Saint-Gervais
In the village of Saint-Gervais, a legend tells that a priest made a pact with the Devil to build a solid bridge in exchange for the first life that would cross this bridge.
However, the priest intended to sacrifice a cat and when the Devil discovered the trickery, he swore to take revenge… Since then, the bridge has been known as the “Devil’s Bridge,” and rumors say that a cat disappears on the bridge every 50 years on March 23.
Read the full legend: The legend behind the Devil’s Bridge in Saint-Gervais
The legend of the Sea of Ice
According to the legend, the Sea of Ice was once a green valley where shepherds took their flocks during the summer. One day, a poor old woman asked the villagers for hospitality, but they drove her away. In retaliation, the woman, who had the ability to cast spells, transformed the valley into ice, thus creating the Sea of Ice.
Since then, it has been impossible to take the flocks to pasture in the alpine pastures, no matter the season.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Sea of Ice
The legend of the Mysterious walnut tree of the château de Ripaille
At the Château de Ripaille, near the lake Léman, a boatman once agreed to transport a mysterious stranger with a chest full of diamonds during a storm. Greed took over and the boatman tipped the stranger overboard, seizing the treasure. As punishment, the devil transformed him into a walnut tree. Every year, on the date of the curse, the devil rises from the depths and transforms the walnuts of the tree into diamonds that he collects, leaving only simple walnuts for the boatman.
Rumors still say that it is dangerous to cross Lake Léman at night…
Read the full legend: The legend of the mysterious walnut tree of the château de Ripaille
The legend of the Little page of Montrottier
The legend of the château de Pontverre and Montrottier in Haute-Savoie tells a story of forbidden love between Diane, the forsaken lady of Montrottier, and the solitary knight of Pontverre. When the lord of Montrottier went hunting, Diane found comfort with the knight. Their secret affair was betrayed by a young page in love with Diane, who informed the lord of Montrottier. An ambush was set to surprise them, and during their escape, the knight was forced to kill the page in self-defense. The body of the page then fell into the Gorges du Fier.
According to the legend, the soul of the young page sometimes haunts these places and the inhabitants of the valley would hear his moans rising from the depths of the gorges.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Little page of Montrottier
The legend of the Gold of the fairies
In the Val de Maurienne, in Savoie, the majestic Aiguilles d’Arves are home to fairies called the Fayes. One night, a young shepherdess meets one of them, who asks her to help hang her laundry under the full moon. In reward, the fairy gives her ash leaves. Thinking they are worthless, the shepherdess throws them away on her way. Upon her return, she discovers that three leaves forgotten in her pocket have turned into gold coins.
The moral of this legend emphasizes the importance of generosity and recognizing small gestures, reminding us that every act of kindness can have unexpected value.
Read the full legend: The legend of the Gold of the fairies
Return to the legend of the Dahu
The legend of the Dahu is undoubtedly one of the most famous in Haute-Savoie! With its two shorter legs on one side than the other, the Dahu moves with surprising agility on steep slopes. However, there is a catch: the Dahu can only move in one direction, and turning around is impossible, lest it tumble down the slope.
But then, is this animal a living legend or is it real? And can it really be hunted? After all, who has never heard the phrase “go hunt the dahu!”…
Read the full legend: Return to the legend of the Dahu
The Spaniard, the child and the mule
In the Voirons massif, it is said that a father and his young son, who came from Spain, settled in an isolated building, where they lived peacefully with their white mule. One day, the village learned of their disappearance: only their remains were found behind the house, with no one knowing what had happened. The mule, missing at the time of the tragedy, reappeared shortly after, before fading away in turn, in front of the deserted house.
Since this grim event, it is said that at midnight, the shadow of a white mule appears near the ruins. It knocks its hoof on the threshold, as if to call someone. Suddenly, the silhouette of a child appears at the window, jumps out the window, lands on the back of the equine ghost, and disappears with it into the night, leaving behind only a chilling silence…
Even more legends
Do you want to learn more about these legends? Dive into 10 legends of Annecy and the Savoie, a book that takes you to the heart of Haute-Savoie and Savoie. Through ten tales, explore iconic places where, among others, the Lady of Angon wanders in the depths of Lake Annecy, the Ghost Horse of Sallenôves roams the old village on stormy nights, or the young page of the château de Montrottier, who is said to still haunt the Gorges du Fier.
Some stories have been known for centuries, others are more confidential, but all date back to a past filled with mysteries, passed down from generation to generation…
What to expect?
- 88 pages.
- A book from here: thought, designed, and printed in Haute-Savoie.
- Ten tales, blending history and the supernatural, written by our team.
- The hidden secrets of the villages, mountains, lakes, and castles of Annecy, Haute-Savoie, and Savoie.
