Annecy Map — the Town, the Lake and the Heights
Annecy is two places at two different scales, and most maps of it fail by trying to be one map. The Old Town is a pedestrianised few hundred metres where everything is a ten-minute walk from everything else. The lake it sits on is 14.6 km long, ringed by villages, with a launch site and a summit road above it. So there are two maps below — one for each scale — and the jump between them is the single thing worth understanding before you plan a day here.
Map 1: the Old Town, on foot
This is the Annecy from the photographs, and it is smaller than the photographs suggest. The station sits at the western edge, the lake at the eastern one, and the canals run between them. You will not need transport inside this map, and you should not bring a car into it — the centre is pedestrianised.
The town, at walking scale — station to lake is about ten minutes on foot. the old stones, the water, arriving and parking. Click any pin for the full guide.
Map 2: the lake and the heights
Now zoom out. The lake runs 14.6 km south from the town, pinching in at Duingt where the two shores almost meet, and finishing in marsh and nature reserve at Doussard. The western shore carries the flat greenway; the eastern one carries the road, the canyon and the col that people fly off. Everything in Map 1 fits inside the single Old Town pin here.
The lake, at driving scale. Note how much the zoom changes between the two maps: everything on the map above fits inside the single Old Town pin below. Open in Google Maps for live directions.
Getting here, and getting around
Annecy sits about 51 km from Geneva and a little over 100 km from Chamonix, which is why so many people arrive here from somewhere else in the Alps. The station is inside Map 1; the airport is not, but it is closer than you would guess.
Planning the rest of it
Where to sleep, when to come, and what the whole thing costs — the three questions a map cannot answer.
Open these directly in Google Maps
For live directions and opening information on the day, rather than orientation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Annecy walkable?
Almost entirely. The historic centre is pedestrianised and only a few hundred metres across — the railway station to the lakeside is roughly ten minutes on foot, and the Palais de l’Île, the château and the canals all sit between the two. You need transport only for the lake itself. Getting around and parking.
How big is Lake Annecy?
27.59 km² of surface, 14.6 km long and 3.2 km at its widest, with a maximum depth of 82 m. A full circuit of the shore is roughly 40 km. The full lake guide.
How far is Annecy from Geneva?
About 51 km, roughly 40 minutes by road, and around 50 minutes from Geneva Airport by direct coach. There is also a direct train, whatever the booking sites tell you. Geneva to Annecy, properly explained.
Can you drive all the way around the lake?
Yes — a road runs the full ring, and the circuit is about 40 km. The western shore also carries the traffic-free Voie Verte greenway, which is why cyclists ride down one side and back up the other. Cycling the lake.