Turquoise water, mountains rising right behind it, geraniums above a canal and the sound of the current under a stone arch. Most of what makes Annecy beautiful is outdoors — and outdoors is free. This twelve-stop route runs largely along banks, bridges and squares where there is no ticket desk.
What costs nothing outside
Le Pâquier is the big lakeside meadow: for centuries the town's common pasture where citizens grazed their cattle, today the place everyone stretches out with a view of the lake and the mountains. The Jardins de l'Europe next to it were laid out in the mid-19th century on what was then marshland, and hold trees well over a hundred years old. The Panorama du lac costs nothing and delivers the view the town is known for. The Musée-Château d'Annecy can be admired from the outside as long as you like — that mix of medieval fortress and Renaissance palace is a sight from street level alone. The same goes for the front of the Cité internationale du cinéma d'animation, housed in a restored former seminary, and for the Église Notre Dame de Liesse.
What does cost admission
Fair is fair: the interiors cost money. The museum inside the castle, with regional art, history and natural history, needs a ticket, and the same applies to the exhibitions at the animation centre. What it costs you check on the spot — we deliberately quote no prices that may be different tomorrow. For the church interior, see what applies on the day.
Two things the map tells you for free
Eight of the twelve stops are in open public space, so you can walk the whole route without buying a single ticket. And look at the distances: the two longest stretches both sit right at the start and together account for more than forty percent of the whole route. After that it tightens up — from the church to the Jardins de l'Europe, eight stops fit inside less than one and a half kilometres, with one hop between two points of just sixty metres. The free part of Annecy is stacked on top of itself.
And the tour itself?
It is free to play. The route opens straight in your browser, with no download or account. At every stop you get a story and a question; a correct answer earns points and badges and unlocks the next location. Count on about three kilometres and one and a half to two hours, breaks allowed.
Ready to discover Annecy for free? Start the route in the CityWalkGems app.
.jpg){kind=link}