Exploring the Villages around Lake Annecy.
- Bernie
- Mar 14, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 3, 2024
You might have read my post about Annecy and the neighbouring suburbs or you may have already visited Annecy and know where you'd like to live. If however you're not sure, read on, as Simply Annecy explores the main villages around the lake.
Exploring the Villages around Lake Annecy
Let's start with a map of the lake showing the villages that we're going to be looking at.
As you can see, Annecy is at the northern end and Doussard at the southern. The east and west banks of Lake Annecy each have their unique characteristics. Understanding the differences can be important when considering a move to the area. This post will start by describing these differences and will then take you on a tour of the lake, starting from Annecy and going clockwise, it will run through each of the main villages.
The Eastern Shore of Lake Annecy
Scenic Landscape
The eastern shore is characterised by its scenic mountainous back-drop consisting of Mont Veyrier (1291m), Baron (1299m) and of course La Tournette (2350m). You can see why it's called "le fauteuil" or the armchair because it sits there majestically, waiting to be admired, particularly on a sunny day when it's draped in snow.
Quaint Villages like Veyrier-du-Lac and Menthon-Saint-Bernard are known for their historical architecture e.g. the Chateau de Menthon (photo below) and their traditional, laid-back atmosphere.
Recreational Opportunities
The proximity to the lake provides easy access to the beaches of:
Veyrier du Lac, Menthon Saint Bernard, Talloires, Angon and Doussard where you can swim, sail, kayak, paddleboard etc. If you have a boat, pretty much all of the lakeside villages, east and west, have a small harbour.
Outdoor Activities
If you're an outdoor enthusiast, the eastern shore's proximity to the mountains makes it an ideal location for paragliding, hiking, biking and trail running. If you're a keen skier, you're not far from La Clusaz, approximately 24-28km by car depending on where you leave from. If you like golf, there is also a golf course near Talloires.
Climate
This side of the lake is very popular because it's west facing and therefore gets more hours of sunshine compared to the western shore, hence it's aptly known as the "la rive plein soleil," literally, the shore in full sunshine.
TopographyÂ
This side of the lake is less flat than it's western counterpart and with an altitude ranging between 440m-1290m it means two things;
most properties are on the mountainside. As my son pointed out, it's difficult playing football on a slope!
the road infrastructure can pose problems at peak times. There are a couple of roads that feed into this side of the lake but the main road which goes through the villages can get severely congested in July and August when the traffic in either direction can be dire. An electric bike might be your best bet for getting around at this time of year.
If you need to get to Geneva, your commute will be longer at +/- 1 hour compared to if you leave from Annecy, Annecy Le Vieux or one of the other suburbs around Annecy.
If you're thinking of buying a property, the eastern shore is the most sought after and therefore the most expensive area. This is due to the aforementioned extra hours of sunshine and the fact that generally, there is less traffic on this side of the lake compared to the western side.
The Western Shore of Lake Annecy
Urban Proximity
Depending on your exact location, in theory you're closer to Annecy town on this side of the lake and therefore have pretty good access to Annecy's amenities, services, cultural events and festivals.
Modern Infrastructure
This side of the lake has a more modern infrastructure compared to the eastern side because it's flatter and therefore there is more space to expand residential areas. There is also a bigger range of housing on this side of the lake, from traditional lakeside properties to new apartment blocks and houses.
Topography
Given that Annecy is at the north western tip of the lake and the fact that there is only one main road from Doussard around this side of the lake to Annecy, the commuter traffic in the morning and evenings can be awful even in low season. If you live in St Jorioz or Sevrier and work in Annecy, you might be quicker on an electric bike than by car! If you need to head south towards Faverges or Albertville, this side of the lake generally offers a faster route than the eastern side.
Here are some photos taken from the east looking out onto the western shore. (Click to expand).
Climate
If you don't like the heat, this side of the lake might be better for you because it's a little cooler in the summer.
Outdoor activities
As with the eastern side, you have direct access to the lake and there are several beaches; Doussard, Duingt, St Jorioz, Sevrier and Marquisats. The difference between these and those on the other side is that they offer more of an actual sandy beach rather than steps down into the water. Aside from Angon, I find the western beaches more family friendly for this reason.
For hikers, bikers and trail runners there are various trails on Mont Semnoz and as mentioned elsewhere, for easy leisurely skiing, head to the summit of Semnoz. From St Jorioz and Sevrier it's approximately 30 mins by car.
If you want to buy a property you will get slightly better value for money on this side of the lake.
The above should give you a rough idea of the lay of the land, now let's take a closer look each of the main villages.
The Main Villages around Lake Annecy
Starting at Annecy and heading east, the first village is Veyrier-du-Lac.
Veyrier-du-Lac
According to a 2021 consensus, Veyrier has just under 2,300 inhabitants. It's at the foot of Mont Veyrier and is the nearest village to Annecy Le Vieux at the north eastern end of the lake.
There is quite a big expat community here, in Menthon and Talloires. These villages are popular and properties are in high demand. The high street has a bakery, tabac, Mayor's office, church, a couple of bars and a small cinema. What more do you need?
For a selection of photos of Veyrier du Lac visit the official site of the Mairie.
Menthon-Saint-Bernard
With a population of just under 1,890 inhabitants, it's slightly smaller than Veyrier du Lac.
This village consists of a small high street with among other things; a grocery shop, cafe, pharmacy, church and town hall. There is a choice of public and private elementary schools, a tennis, football and sailing club.
It's located at the foot of "Les Dents de Lanfon" or The Teeth of Lanfon so named because of it's distinctive jagged outcrops (see photos).
Menthon is probably best known for its beautiful chateau (see photo below) which sits on a hill above the village. It's no longer occupied but used for local events including the annual 'Marché du Pere Noel" - the Christmas market. Menthon also has a lovely small harbour at the end of which is the rather grand Palace hotel (see below).
Tailloires
In 2016 the village of Talloires merged with Montmin. In 2021 the combined population was similar to that of Menthon at just under 2,000 inhabitants.
Talloires is located in a bay where the 'big lake' narrows into what is known as the 'small lake' as shown in the photo below.
Talloires is a very chic village known for it's pretty harbour and 4 star hotels including the 17th century Abbey or Abbaye de Talloires (left in below photo).
The village is located between the main road (D909) and the harbour. Amenities include a post office/small shop (Tabac), a couple of cafe's and restaurants. There is a public primary school close by.
More pictures of Talloires can be found on the official Talloires website.
Doussard
According to local records, Doussard has a population of just over 3,500 inhabitants which is more than the other villages already mentioned but this is because the figures also include a number of hamlets; Sollier, La Reisse, Verthier, Pont-Monnet et La Nublière, to name a few.
Doussard is an interesting spot because it has a nature reserve which is part the Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park, a UNESCO Geopark. For this reason and the fact that it is at the other end of the lake, it is less touristic and therefore less busy than some of the other villages.
Doussard village has the usual amenities; post office, tabac shop, bank, bakery and pharmacy. There is a public elementary school nearby.
If paragliding is your sport, there is a landing spot in Doussard!
St Jorioz
On the west shore of the lake, this is one of the largest villages with 6,500 inhabitants. It's about 10k from Annecy and 35k from Albertville. It's a popular place to live because it's relatively close to Annecy and it offers direct access to the lake with all the usual water sports, harbour and a lovely sandy beach. Other facilities include a football/athletic ground, tennis and boat club. If you like to hike, run or mountain bike, there are plenty of trails nearby.
The village centre includes the essential amenities; pharmacy, tabac, bakery and a couple of cafe's and restaurants. Sports facilities include a football ground, tennis club, kite surfing and fishing club, to name a few. St Jorioz continues to expand it's property portfolio and recent builds located in between the main road and the lake are in stark contrast to the more traditional Annecienne houses. There is a public elementary school nearby. More photos can be found here.
Sevrier
This is the last village before returning north to Annecy which is just 5k away. Sevrier has just over 4,300 inhabitants and therefore is smaller than St Jorioz but more populated than the other villages. Sevrier is part of the Semnoz mountain area so even though the village and adjoining hamlets are located along a narrow strip of land, it's minimum altitude is 440m at the lake and then goes up to the summit of Semnoz at 1,287m.
As with St Jorioz, Sevrier is popular because of it's proximity to Annecy and the lake. Unfortunately, the limited infrastructure means that more often than not, you will be faster cycling into Annecy than driving or taking the bus. (There is no separate bus lane so if there's traffic, the bus gets stuck too). As I'm sure you know, there is a cycle path (a former train line) which goes past all these villages into Annecy centre without having to go on the main road.
Like St Jorioz, you have amenities close by but not the hustle and bustle of Annecy. As with Seynod, Meythet and the outskirts of Pringy, nature and the countryside are not far.
The village has all the usual amenities plus clubs for athletics and triathlon, football, tennis and sailing. Hiking, trail running, climbing and skiing are all possible at nearby Semnoz. More photos can be found here.
Aside from the public elementary school, Sevrier also has a private bilingual Montessori school.
If you need to commute to Geneva, it can be tricky from this side of the lake because you have to traverse or go around Annecy to get onto the motorway.
As the crow flies, it's approx 47km from Sevrier to Geneva so it should take less
than 1 hour by car but if you take the traffic into account, it could well take twice as long depending on when you go.
To conclude....
That just about wraps up this little trip around the lake. As you will have seen, each village is unique and has different things to offer. I hope this overview gives you a sense of what it might be like to live here and in some way helps you narrow down your search of where you'd like to make your future alpine home. Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to get in touch.
À bientôt......
               Â
Email:Â info@simplyannecy.com
Tel: 06 28 13 82 60