Annecy-le-Vieux

Annecy-le-Vieux is a district on the northern side of Annecy, spread across the slopes and the shore of the lake. For a long time it was a commune in its own right, and by 2016 it was the fourth most populated in Haute-Savoie. It joined Annecy in the merger that took effect on 1 January 2017, along with other nearby communes, but residents and maps still use the old name, and the district keeps its own centre and a clear identity. It is only about three kilometres from the old town of Annecy, which makes it an easy walk, bike ride or short bus journey.

The history reaches back to the Gauls. The Allobroges lived in this part of Savoy, and the Romans conquered the territory in the first century BC. Boutae, the Roman settlement that became Annecy, was founded around 50 BC. The adjective vieux is thought to reflect the antiquity of the original settlement in this area. In the Middle Ages the land was shared among farms and religious foundations, and the countryside around the lake was largely agricultural until the nineteenth century.

Industry changed the district when the railway arrived. The Paccard bell foundry, whose founder Antoine Paccard had set up in Savoy at the end of the eighteenth century, moved its operation to Annecy-le-Vieux. The company became one of the most respected bell makers in the world, and its bells ring in churches and carillons in many countries. In 1891 it cast La Savoyarde, a bell weighing 18,835 kilograms, for the Sacré-Cœur in Paris, and it remains one of the largest bells in France. The foundry still operates in the district and the family business has continued for generations.

The Musée de l'Abbaye is the district's main cultural site and one of the reasons to come. It occupies the great farm of the abbey, a restored agricultural building with thick walls and a wide roof, which belonged to the lands attached to the monastery of Sainte-Catherine on the Semnoz. After restoration by the commune in the early 2000s the building became an exhibition centre. The displays look at the rural life of the area, its seasons, animals and crafts, and then follow the story into the industrial age, including the bell foundry. It shows a side of Annecy that is far from the postcard image of the old town and the canals, and it helps explain how a lakeside suburb was once mostly fields and farms. Check the museum's opening times and current exhibitions before visiting, since they change from year to year.

Outdoors, Annecy-le-Vieux has plenty to offer. The lake is clean and clear, and the shoreline paths and the cycle route that circles the lake pass close to the district. Walkers can climb into the hills behind, such as Mont Veyrier, which rises to about 1,290 metres, and Mont Baron and Mont Rampon, for views over the lake and the Alps. The Gabriel Fauré festival, a series of classical music concerts, has taken place in the district, and the lake region has many other events during summer.

Compared with the old town, where prices are higher and the streets crowded in July and August, Annecy-le-Vieux is calmer, with local restaurants, bakeries and markets that serve the people who live there. That makes it a good base for a longer stay, and the bus network reaches the centre of Annecy, the lakeside villages and the train station without difficulty.

The best months for the area are May to September, when you can swim, sail and walk, and early autumn brings clear air and colour in the trees. In winter the lake is a quiet scene, and the ski stations of the Aravis, La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand, are within an hour or so by road. Whatever the season, allow time to combine the museum with a walk along the lake shore and a look at the hills.