Chamonix
The great rocky fang of the Aiguille du Midi (3842m), rising from the Mont Blanc massif, is one of Chamonix’ most distinctive features. The 360-degree…
Must-see attractions in Savoie
Chamonix
France’s largest glacier, the 200m-deep 'Sea of Ice', flows 7km down the northern side of Mont Blanc, scarred with crevasses formed by the immense…
Chambéry
Chambéry's medieval Old Town reveals its beauty gradually. Rush through its lanes and you risk missing hidden courtyards, murals and well-preserved 14th-…
Savoie
More than 100 mountain peaks tower above 3000m in this spectacular preserve. Between June and late September, 400km of walking trails grant access to the…
Savoie
Twenty-three generations of the De Menthon family have lived within 1000-year-old Château de Menthon-St-Bernard. The birthplace of St Bernard in 1008 –…
Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse
Savoie
Limestone promontories, dense forests and a powerful liqueur are the signature features of this 767-sq-km regional park. The 1300km of marked walking…
Cathédrale St-François de Sales
Chambéry
All is not as it seems inside Chambéry's 15th-century Franciscan cathedral, decorated with 6000 sq metres of trompe l’œil painting. The largest such…
Chamonix
The highest peak on the western side of the Chamonix Valley, Le Brévent (2525m) has tremendous views of the Mont Blanc massif, myriad hiking trails…
Savoie
Slumbering in the shadow of a 14th-century castle and enclosed by walls, the Jardin des Cinq Sens is designed to be experienced through sight, touch,…
Chambéry
Medieval walls, Gothic tracery, trompe l'oeil detailing…Chambéry's château has acquired a wealth of styles since its founding in the 11th century. Once…
Annecy
It’s a pleasure simply to wander aimlessly around Annecy’s medieval Old Town, where emerald-green canals flow beneath stone bridges and pastel-painted…
Savoie
Comprising a museum, cellars, bar/tasting room and gift shop, the Chartreuse Cellars lead visitors through centuries of liqueur history. The distillation…
Annecy
With commanding views across the ochre rooftops of the Vieille Ville (Old Town) to the Massif des Bauges, the Château d’Annecy is at once imposing and…
Savoie
Assembled by inter-war art collector Dr Jean Faure in his attractive former villa, the excellent Musée Faure is a must-see for fans of impressionism. And…
Annecy
On the tree-fringed lakefront, the flowery Jardins de l’Europe are linked to the grassy Champ de Mars, a popular picnic spot, by the poetic iron arch of…
Parc Naturel Régional du Massif des Bauges
Savoie
Less touristed than other regional natural parks in the French Alps, the Massif des Bauges’ jigsaw of peaks and meadows is invigorating terrain for…
Savoie
Encircled by forest-draped cliffs, this intriguing museum explores the millennia-long history of the Grande Chartreuse monastery, 2km north. Thirty-odd…
Chambéry
With its four carved elephants, this 17.6m-high fountain looks like the model for an old Indian postage stamp. It was sculpted in 1838 in honour of…
Annecy
Sitting on a triangular islet surrounded by the Canal du Thiou, the Palais de l’Isle has been a lordly residence, a courthouse, a mint and a prison,…
Chambéry
Geneva-born philosopher, composer and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a key figure of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, lived the happiest years…
Savoie
Locals take pleasure in hauling huge canisters to these outdoor taps and filling them with Évian water, straight from the source. The taps are framed by…
Chamonix
This diverting two-level museum allows you to wander through Chamonix history, from butter moulds and farming tools of yore to the dawn of the 18th…
Chamonix
Beautifully lit collections of crystals, many from around Mont Blanc, are exposed within this small museum. The adjoining Espace Tairraz focuses on the…
Chambéry
Occupying a former corn exchange, Chambéry's grand fine-arts museum exhibits mostly 14th- to 18th-century Italian works. There's a particular emphasis on…
Chamonix
Step directly inside the glacier at this tunnel of ice, reshaped every year for the past half-century, which sparkles with perennially recreated ice…
Savoie
Built in 1434 and once home to the Dukes of Savoy, this turreted and ivy-clad castle was restored to its former glory in the late-19th century. It has a…
Annecy
A pale sandstone church, Annecy's oldest, made all the more dazzling by the turquoise Canal du Thiou running alongside it. Step through the 15th-century…
Annecy
Largely built during the mid-19th century after its 14th-century predecessor was damaged during the French Revolution, the Church of Our Lady of Liesse…
Savoie
This 1st-century Roman temple – dedicated originally not to Diana, but probably a local Celtic god – is inside the town hall, a 16th-century château built…
Chambéry
Due for a grand reopening in 2020, this museum housed in a Franciscan monastery was closed to undergo a massive renovation when we passed through. When it…
Annecy
A former Franciscan chapel consecrated in 1535, Annecy's cathedral has a Renaissance-meets-Gothic style. Drawing attention from the unadorned walls are a…
Savoie
Built in Évian's belle époque heyday, this neoclassical lemon-and-cream spa now houses conventions and exhibitions. It hosts impressive temporary shows of…
Savoie
Once the summer residence of the Lumière family, of cinematic fame, this ornate French-classical villa became the town hall in 1927. During opening hours…
Savoie
The eerie skeleton of an 11th-century Cistercian abbey stands on this hilly site, accompanied by a visitors centre that illuminates the daily lives of…
Savoie
Built in 1911 in neo-Byzantine style, the domed Casino has 10 tables, 250 machines, two hotels and five restaurants at which to relieve your wallet of its…
Savoie
Watch morning cheese-making at this working dairy farm – exceptional Tomme, Vacherin and l'Avalin (a strong-tasting, hard cheese made nowhere else) – or…
Maison des Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver
Savoie
In a suitably retro style, this ample museum relates the highs and lows of the 1992 Winter Olympics, hosted by Albertville. There are sparkling ice…
Chambéry
This former hôtel particulier (historic private mansion) has interactive displays on local culture on its upper floor. It's also the starting point for…
Annecy
Inspired by the design of Rome's Church of the Gesù, this Catholic church is also known as the Church of the Italians (and hosts mass in Italian). Dating…
Savoie
More than 9m high, this triumphal arch is thought to date to the late 1st-century. The Latin inscription declares glory to the Campanus family, members of…
