We have been to a lot of hamlets, villages towns & cities in and around the mountains of the world and Annecy was one that we eagerly anticipated. Despite 'ticking a lot of boxes' it was an underwhelming experience, possibly not helped by cold, rainy January weather and grey skies. Falling snow here would be magical, but alas that is not the norm these days. So it was 'nice' without being awesome. We were pleased to leave and head into the mountains to ski powder - the point of the trip!

If this was the first historic old town centre you have ever visited in Europe, you would be well pleased though. A compact old town with the requisite number of narrow, pedestrian friendly (& often porticoed) streets & laneways, intersecting tunnels & arches, watercourses, bridges, historic buildings, a looming castle plus a few white swans for good measure. It is easy to see why tourists are attracted to the town, but having been around a bit, we found it only held our intertest for a few hours as we strolled about.

The Old Town Market runs every Tuesday, Friday & Sunday between 7am & 1pm and is well worth a visit if in the region. Cheese lovers can gorge themselves of the plethora of free tastings available.

Unless staying at a local hotel overnight, car parking is an issue in the town and detracts from a day visit. All the nearby car parks are limited to only a few hours, and the cost is steep. Public toilets are nearly non-existent during winter, so if you need to go, scope out the possibilities early.

The castle/citadel overlooking the town is a relative disappointment, many of the cafes/restaurants feel like they are taking advantage of visitors, and of course on the days we visited, the museums were all closed to the public (probably our fault for not researching better but I'm not sure it would have changed this review much!). Local cuisine is heavy on the cheese, potatoes, bacon & onions; which quite frankly is far better gobbled on in a high mountain hut whilst skiing. There are several excellent bakeries for pastries & cakes though.

Numerous hotels are situated superbly along the cobbled lanes, waterways and up near the castle. Perhaps spending a night is the best way to experience Annecy?

Having seen footage of the summer crowds, Annecy is far quieter in winter, but perhaps too quiet, with many places closed for the season.

Visit here if you haven't been to many historic towns, and preferably when the sun is shining. If you have a night to kill before flying out of Geneva, Champery or Lyon, (despite my moaning) you could do a helluva lot worse than staying in Annecy ....
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