This past weekend I was back in the Alps with bathing suit in hand! It is finally summer, and Annecy Lake is my favorite summer swimming hole.
Now, Annecy does have a proper beach, actually there are various beach options, but I actually usually skip all of those.
I don’t spend that much time in the sun; I often just want a quick dip, hassle-free. My SO and I didn’t want to deal with walking far from a parking garage, or paying for parking for that matter, especially as we always go to Annecy after a big day with family nearby. We usually just want to spend a couple hours here before heading back to Grenoble.
So what do we do?
We go to Annecy after 5PM, when everyone is leaving or has left. It’s summer so it’s still hot and sunny. The parking spots right across the street from the lake have open spots. We park, walk two minutes, settle onto a spot on the paddle boat docks, change and jump in! It may not be an official swimming spot, but around 6PM, no one seems to care. These photos were taken then — pretty gorgeous ey?
Above: View of the canal from Lover’s Bridge (le Pont des Amours), Annecy
After the baignade, we walked around the lake towards the center and up the Pont des Amours (Lover’s Bridge), through the Jardins de l’Europe along the water, and stumbled upon a live concert with loads of dancing older folk. It was adorable.
We then made our way to the old city center AKA La Vieille Ville, which is conveniently located right across the street from the European Gardens park, to get some ice cream and stroll through Annecy’s canals and medieval archways. Not bad for a Sunday night!
Don’t let the pretty picture distract you from noticing the baby swans towards the bottom right!
I admit, the last few times I was in Annecy I found it a bit depressing. It was in the middle of winter, and I just wasn’t feeling it. Now that is it summer though, it feels like an entirely different city!
A family barbecue under the sun, a swim in one of Europe’s prettiest lakes (without lines, parking garages or having to pay) and a stroll through Annecy’s old city…Summer has finally arrived! It was exactly what I needed after weeks of hustle and bustle in Paris!
If you’ve enjoyed this post, I think you’ll also fancy my entry on the more hidden part of Annecy lake, the Bout-du-Lac nature reserve! With miles of boardwalks and a gorgeous beach, It’s a perfect place to take a peaceful walk (and swim), sans touristes !
Where’s your favorite place to get your swim on in the summer months? Let me know in the comments below!
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2 Comments
tei
July 10, 2017 at 11:52 amThe first photos I ever saw of Annecy were taken in winter, and I thought that’s when I need to get there: all that snow and lights. It looked so idyllic, and the blue light at dusk made it magical. I’ve yet to make it in winter.
Grenobloise
July 21, 2017 at 8:50 pmHi Tei, I’m not surprised! It is beautiful there all year round.
For me, especially this past year, the Alps took on a very different meaning for me, emotionally. I didn’t have the best winter, let’s just say..
Annecy’s not super far from Grenoble, as you know, so I hope that you make it out there this winter! I recommend driving to Col des Aravis as well and have a reblochonade/raclette up at the Col. If not, a Tartiflette aux cêpes in the Annecy veille ville — which was actually in one of my first Annecy posts on the blog many moons back!