Musée Chantier

The Musée Chantier is in fact the Musée-Château d'Annecy, which occupies the castle that stands on a hill above the old town and looks across to the lake. The castle was the residence of the Counts of Geneva, who made Annecy their capital in the late thirteenth century, and later of the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, a branch of the House of Savoy. Its oldest parts are medieval and include the Queen's Tower, the Tour de la Reine, a tall defensive tower of the thirteenth century that rises about thirty metres and is now one of the symbols of the town. Alongside it are the Perrière tower and later buildings from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which show how the fortress was changed into a more comfortable residence, with larger windows and decorated rooms in the Renaissance style.

The castle stopped being a noble residence in the seventeenth century and, for a long period, housed soldiers. It served as barracks until 1947, and it was then bought by the city, which turned it into a museum that opened in the 1950s. It has been protected as a monument historique since the early twentieth century. A visit gives a chance to walk through the courtyards and rooms of a building that has changed with each period, and to enjoy the view from the walls over the red roofs of the old town, the canals and the Lac d'Annecy, which is among the most appealing views in the Alps.

The museum collections are varied. One section deals with the regional heritage of the Savoy area, with furniture, tools and objects of daily life. Another presents archaeology from the lake, including finds made by underwater archaeologists, among them objects from the prehistoric lake dwellings, built on piles in the shallow water, which have been protected as part of an Alpine World Heritage listing. Medieval sculpture, much of it religious, shows the skill of the carvers of the period, and there are paintings of Alpine landscapes and the lake by artists who worked in the region. Contemporary art is displayed in some rooms, and the castle also links to the town's best-known cultural event, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, with a display on animated film. Temporary exhibitions add variety.

Opening times vary with the season, with longer hours in summer and a closing day in the week, usually Tuesday, and the castle is closed on certain public holidays, so check the schedule before you go. Children under twelve enter free. The climb from the old town is short but steep, so wear comfortable shoes. Plan around one and a half hours.

In the old town below, the Palais de l'Isle, on its islet in the canal, the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, the Musée de l'Abbaye and the Marché d'Annecy are all within walking distance. The museum suits families, history lovers and anyone who wants a good viewpoint over Annecy.