Top Choice Area in Chambéry
Ville Ancienne
Chambéry's medieval Old Town reveals its beauty gradually. Rush through its lanes and you risk missing hidden courtyards, murals and well-preserved 14th- to 18th-century hôtels (town houses), many of which are inhab…
Top Choice French in Chambéry
Les Halles
Swift service and charmingly retro decor set the tone at Les Halles, where regional and classic French dishes are executed simply and with finesse. Risotto of Parmesan and Savoyard ham, steak tartare, and a cinnamon…
Castle in Chambéry
Château des Ducs de Savoie
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 home to the counts and dukes of Savoy, the stately stronghold h…
Cathedral in Chambéry
Cathédrale St-François de Sales
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 feature in any building in Europe, the decorations – created by 19…
French in Chambéry
L’Atelier
Chef Gilles Herard – who's worked in the kitchens of gastronomic princes like Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse – works the stoves in this brick-vaulted wine bar-bistro. Tapas-style options include charcuterie plates an…
Food in Chambéry
Marché des Halles
More than two-dozen local producers assemble in Chambéry's covered market, selling regional specialities like charcuterie and cheese, alongside butchers, fishmongers, florists, Vietnamese takeaway food and more.
Fountain in Chambéry
Fontaine des Éléphants
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 Général de Boigne (1751–1830), who made his fortune in the East Ind…
Historic Building in Chambéry
Musée des Charmettes
Geneva-born philosopher, composer and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a key figure of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, lived the happiest years of his life in this serene country house between 1736 and 174…
Gallery in Chambéry
Musée des Beaux-Arts
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 Florentine and Sienese paintings from the Renaissance, includ…
Pub in Chambéry
O’Cardinal’s
Crouching cheekily beneath the western façade of the cathedral is the most French 'Irish pub' you'll ever find. A genuine welcome sets the tone, and the atmosphere gets merrier thanks to a dozen beers on tap and a g…