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Château d'Annecy

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Tolik
Tolik
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4 out of 5
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Château d'Annecy

  • December 11, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Tolik from Tampa, Florida
Château d'Annecy

The impressive Château d'Annecy (Annecy Castle) sits high above the old town on a limestone spur of the Semnoz Mountain and is a landmark of Annecy. Walking up to the castle gives great views over the town (from rue Sante-Claire, take Rampe du Château or Chemin de la Tour de la Reine). You will need at least 2 hours to explore the castle and its museums.

The Château d'Annecy was the home of the Counts of Geneva and the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours, an offshoot of the House of Savoie (12 - 16th centuries). Exploring the architecture of the Castle is like browsing a history book. The Queen’s Tower, with 4 meters thick walls, remains the oldest testimony of the 12th century fortresses. The "Old Dwelling" built during the Counts of Geneva’s times, goes back to the 14th century. The "Perrière" was built at the end of the 15th century. The "New Dwelling" was built in 1571. The elegant "Nemours" dwelling dates back to the 16th century. In 1394 the chateau became the official residence of the Counts of Geneva and remained so until the end of the family line. Dukes of Savoy were their successors until the 18th century, when the chateau was abandoned. It was turned into barracks in 1742 and remained so until 1947.

Musée Château d'Annecy is the most interesting museum in town. You will find the museum in the Queen’s Tower, the 12th century spire of the chateau. Here you can see some interesting regional religious art and oil paintings as well as Alpine furniture and temporary exhibitions. There are also displays on the geology and marine life of the region's lakes. The Alpine Museum contains small-scale models of many aspects of Alpine life. For example you can see a model of a box of chocolates as small as your thumb nail. Museum of the Bells has some of the largest bells in the world. There is also a slide show showing the fascinating way in which a bell is made.

Visiting hours are from 10am to 6pm, June through September, and 10am to noon and 2pm to 5pm, October through May, €5.

From journal A Gem of the French Alps

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