The French Alps - France 2014 - page 1202

up a concrete path, passing Stations of the Cross). At the end of the paved walkway (great
views with benches), a steep dirt trail continues up for even better vistas (some rocky, un-
even sections). To reach Duingt, take the boat or a bike (described later).
Talloires: Fromthisupscaleandcharmingvillage,youcanhike(andImeanhike)up
tojaw-droppingviewsoverthevillageandtheGolfdeTalloires.Fromhere,youcaneither
double back down or continue on the Roc de Chère dirt trail to the village of Menthon-St-
Bernard, then catch a boat back to Annecy from there (allow two hours from Talloires to
Menthon-St-Bernard). To find the Roc de Chère trail, leave Talloires along the main road
(D-909) with the lake on your left (narrow sidewalk available); after the curve, find the
shortstaircaseleadingleftintothetrees.Thetrailclimbsfor20extremelysteepminutesup
a rocky path with some very uneven footing. You'll pass a map of the trails that crisscross
the Roc de Chère and come to benches with views. Follow Liaison Menthon-St-Bernard
signs to continue to that village. You can reverse this route, but locating the trail from
Menthon-St-Bernard's boat dock will take some patience: Turn right off the boat, walk to
the big hotel/palace, turn left and walk 200 yards up the road, then take a right on a path
marked Roc de Chère. This leads to a small road (turn right again), taking you up to the
trail. If you need lunch in Talloires, find Café de la Place (€15-20 plats , €26 menu , daily,
tel. [phone]).
▲▲▲ Biking
Annecy was made for biking. It's an ain't-it-great-to-be-alive way to poke around the lake
andtest waterfront cafés andgrassyparks;it'sevenadelight incloudyweather.Apopular
bike trail runs along the southwest side of the lake (look for the green bike icon on white
signs); it's smart to wear sunglasses and bring water. Even a short ride on the bike path is
worth the effort (expect big crowds on weekends). Ride as far as your legs take you, break
foralakefrontcafé,thenreturntoAnnecy(thepathisbestafterthetownofSévrier,where
it leaves the roadside). The Nauti-Café in Sévrier (next to the Restaurant du Port) makes
a fine lakefront coffee stop.
The small village of Duingt (cafés and a bakery with good sandwiches) is seven
level miles away and makes a terrific destination (see “Scenic Strolls and Hikes”, earlier).
Steady pedalers make it in 45 minutes; smell-the-roses cyclists need at least an hour. You
can ride to Duingt and take the Omnibus boat back to Annecy (€7.60, 3 departures/day
from Duingt; normally at 11:45, 15:30, and 18:00; more in summer, verify at boat dock or
TI, bikes allowed).
To get to Duingt, leave Annecy on the main road toward Albertville (D-1508). Once
the painted bike lane ends, you'll see a sign for the trail (piste cyclable) on the left. Fol-
low it to Duingt (to reach the boat dock in Duingt, exit the trail just before the tunnel, ride
downtothemainroadandturnright,thenfindthesmall,greenboat-dockshelterjustafter