Catherine Berry has appeared on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast previously way back in episode 39 when she chatted about her own life story of taking her family to live in France in the area around Annecy. Catherine wrote the first of her books about that experience, But You Are In France Madame.

In this current chat Catherine shares her expertise about Annecy, the largest town and capital of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and gives us her top tips and ideas for a visit. Annecy lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, and my discussion with Catherine provided me with a glorious virtual escape to that beautiful part of France, which I visited only last year prior to Christmas.

There are beautiful links to the past in Annecy, but the oldest looking part of the town, which is the most famously photographed area around the canals and the old prison, is not actually the oldest original part. There is another older part called Annecy-le-Vieux. The country surrounding Annecy is rugged and before the advent of good roads and transport, the area was quite remote. The recorded history goes back over a thousand years with the great grandson of Charlemagne deciding in the year 866 that he didn't want any more to do with his wife, so he divorced her and sent her to live in Talloires near Annecy. It seems she might have made the best of being carted off to such a place as Lac d'Annecy would have been at that time. She created a tiny religious establishment which then in turn brought monks to the area who created a monastery, which then brought about the construction of an abbey. The site of this abbey has just celebrated its 1000th anniversary back in 2018. 

Catherine's favourite time in Annecy is spring after the breaking of the snow. Mid-year is very busy with large crowds coming to visit for the benefit of the lake in the heat of the summer as well as the water sports. I adore it in winter although that is not so practical if moving from place to place, dragging luggage through the slush and the snow. Either side of summer both prior or post the peak season can be cheaper and less crowded for a visit that still enjoys good weather.

Tune into this sweet chat with Loulabelle and Catherine to hear about one of France's most popular destinations, its history, its highlights and some local faves.

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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