Lake Annecy is often called the cleanest lake in Europe, and on a summer day its water is such a startling shade of turquoise that it looks retouched. The lake fills a long valley among the limestone mountains of Haute-Savoie, with the town of Annecy at its northern end, and its western shore, around Saint-Jorioz, is a flat area of reeds and meadows, the Marais de Saint-Jorioz, where prehistoric people built villages on piles. The remains are part of the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps, listed by UNESCO in 2011, and lie hidden under the water and the marshes.
The lake is surrounded by mountains. On the eastern shore, the Dents de Lanfon and the Tournette rise steeply above Talloires and Menthon-Saint-Bernard, home of a fairy-tale château; on the western shore, the Semnoz forms a long ridge above the lake. The Roc de Chère, a forested headland on the eastern shore, is a nature reserve with walking trails and views over the water.
For riders, the area is a playground. The roads around the lake are scenic but often busy, especially in summer and on weekends, when traffic can be heavy and slow. The climbs are the real attraction: the Col de la Forclaz de Montmin, above the southern end of the lake, is famous for its view and its paragliders, who launch from a meadow above the road; the Semnoz road climbs through forests to a summit with views over the lake and toward Mont Blanc. Further east, the Aravis range offers classic passes like the Col des Aravis and the Col de la Colombière.
Annecy itself has a charming old town, with canals, flower-filled balconies and the Palais de l'Isle, a former prison on an island in the Thiou canal, but traffic and parking in the town can be difficult. Saint-Jorioz, a town of over five thousand people about two kilometres away, has fuel, shops and restaurants; the other villages around the lake have more limited facilities.
Haute-Savoie is the home of reblochon, a soft, creamy cheese, and of tartiflette, a dish of potatoes, onions, bacon and reblochon baked in the oven, which is hearty enough to fuel a whole afternoon of riding. In summer, the lake is perfect for swimming, and a dip in the clear water after a hot morning on the road is a great pleasure.