The French Alps - France 2014 - page 1200

Bad Weather: If it's raining, consider a day trip to Lyon (10 trains/day, 2 hours; see Lyon
chapter). The last train back to Annecy usually leaves Lyon at about 20:00, allowing
a full day in the big city.
Sights in Annecy
▲▲▲ Boating
This is one of Europe's cleanest, clearest lakes, and the water is warmer than you'd think
(average summer water temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit). To tool around the lake,
rent a paddleboat ( pédalos, some equipped with a slide, about €10/30 minutes, €15/hour)
or a motorboat ( hors-bord, no license needed; 2 people-about €30/30 minutes, €48/hour;
each extra person-about €1, up to 7 people, several companies all have the same rates).
Traditional open-air wood-hulled motorboats offer 35-minute loops around the lake (€10/
person, up to about 10 people per boat).
Brief History of Annecy
People have called Annecy home for more than 5,000 years. The city has had its
upsanddownoverthemillennia(moreupsthandowns)andhashistoricallythrived
thanks to its proximity to Geneva's powerful counts and its easy access to routes
over the Alps to Italy. In Roman times, Annecy was a city of about 2,000 people,
complete with a forum, temples, and thermal baths. After the Roman Empire fell,
locals headed for the hills and occupied the area around the château. A few cen-
turies later, they moved down to the banks of the Thiou River at the lake's mouth.
The medieval town then spread to both sides of the river and was protected by the
castle you see today. In 1401, Annecy became part of the Savoie region, eventually
serving as capital of a large slice of the House of Savoie. The 1800s saw the rise
ofhydro-electric powerinAnnecyandtheestablishment ofastrongindustrialbase.
The 1900s brought tourism to the lake and today, tourism still drives the economy.
Compagnie des Bateaux du Lac d'Annecy offers several worthwhile lake cruises.
The one-hour cruise makes no stops but has frequent departures (€13.50, 8-10/day May-
Aug, 6-8/day April and Sept-mid-Oct, generally 1/day Feb-March and mid-Oct-Dec). The
two-hour cruises , called Circuit Omnibus, make stops at several villages on a clockwise
loop around the lake (€17.50 for the entire loop, 3-5/day late April-Sept); these are ideal
for hikers and cyclists (see next two listings). The elaborate dinner and dancing cruises