Annecy

Annecy is a common French, prefecture of the department of the Haute-Savoie in the area the Rhone-Alps.

Its inhabitants is called Annéciens and Annéciennes.

Geography

Situation

Annecy is located at the edge of the lake which bears its name, in the North of the the French Alps, between Chambéry and Geneva.

Benchmarks

Communes bordering

The agglomeration of Annecy is divided into two crowns: the small crown which gathers the urban communes bordering on Annecy (Annecy-the-Old man, Meythet, Notch-Gevrier and Seynod) and the large crown which gathers rather perish-urban communes (Argonay, Pringy, Metz-Tessy, Épagny, Poissy, Chavanod, Montagny-les-Lanches and Quintal). By its population Annecy is the sixth city of the area the Rhone-Alps (between Chambéry and Borough-in-Bresse) and the fourth agglomeration (between Saint-Etienne and Valence).

  • Population of the town of Annecy: 52.000 inhabitants

  • Population of the agglomeration of Annecy: 136.815 inhabitants
  • Population of the basin annecian: 186.000 inhabitants

Natural big spaces

Annecy is located at the junction of two great geographical units and geological  : préalpes of the Massive of the Wallows in the South and the Massive of the Terminals in the East separated by the Lake Annecy and the hills and plains of the Albanian and the Genevese in the West and North. The site occupied by Annecy is the end of a Cluse between the North of the mountain of the Semnoz and the West of the Mont Veyrier, between the Wallows and the Terminals, route of an old course of the Isere to the Pléistocène. The solid masses limestones of the Wallows and the Terminals located at the East and the South of the city are organized in croups (Semnoz, etc), in escarpments (Veyrier mount, Parmelan, Tournette, etc) and in teeth (Dents of Lanfon).

Nature of the landscapes

The commune of Annecy is divided into two parts which are characterized by the relief, town planning and the végétation : north and South-west flat, are framed in the east by the hill of Annecy-the-Old man, which is in fact a morenic language, and in the west by the depression occupied by the Fier and the hill of Seynod and Notch-Gevrier. Strongly urbanized, the city is spread out there and the majority of the equipment are there. South-east as for him is occupied by the mountain of the Semnoz. Almost little built and arranged except at its Northern end, it is occupied in major part by a forest of conifers planted at the 19th century.

Transportation routes

By road

Annecy is an important road junction. The city is served by the highway A41 (E712) which connects Lyon to Geneva and with the Mont Blanc. It makes it possible to also connect Chambéry and Grenoble. The direct highway connection towards Saint-Julien-in-Genevese making it possible to join Geneva, the Swiss , Borough-in-Bresse and Paris will be effective end 2008.

The city is also in the center of an important road junction which sees crossing many national and departmental fréquentées : N203, N201/N1201, N508, N501, D14, D129, D5, D16/D916, D908 and D909.

A route of skirting (way of Poissy, sees of Metz, sees of Aravis) makes it possible to avoid the agglomeration by North and the West by borrowing a Fast track connected to the transverse ways and the two exits of highway serving the agglomeration (Northern Annecy and Southern Annecy). This fast track butts against the Semnoz in the South and against the Mont Veyrier in the East. Another route, intern at the town of Annecy and called by-pass, consists of a whole of boulevards and avenues. It makes it possible to cross the Center-ville of the edges of the lake to the East (with height of the Impérial de luxe hotel) until the South by circumventing the downtown area by North.

In 2002, a new traffic organization of the center town was born. A tunnel Bi-tube (2X2 ways) was dug under the Courrier shopping mall. Of a length of approximately 600 meters, it makes it possible to join the back of the station to the Berthollet roundabout in the north of the center town. This project thus made it possible to return the avenue of Brogny pedestrian and to allow the creation of the ways for BUS in exclusive rights of way. Today, in 2007, the center town is entirely dedicated to the exclusive rights of way and of the parks relay start to be born in the principal points of the agglomeration.

The two road black spots of Annecy (in particular for the periods estival and of school vacations) are the crossing of the downtown area by the edges of the lake and the connection starting from the downtown area towards Southern bank of the lake by Marquisats. Projects envisage the enlarging of old the railway Tunnel passing under Semnoz between Vovray (Southern of Annecy) and Sevrier in order to avoid the passage by the cornice of Marquisats. Another project envisages to prolong the by-pass at its end Is by making it pass under the lake by a tunnel immersed and emerging at the level of Marquisats. This solution, not very realistic and appearing very expensive, does not have any calendar of realization.

Public transport

Annecy is crossed by a Railway passing by Geneva and Aix-the-Baths. The railway station is a departure of trains high speed which gain the ways at high speed with height of Lyon or of Mâcon.

Two coach stations, located in the vicinity immediate of the railway station, make it possible to gain the common ones not served by the railways, the winter sports resorts, the Aéroport Lyon-Saint-Exupéry…

The grid system jointly urban of the agglomeration annecian is SIBRA (inter-commune Société of the buses of the area annecian). It consists of a network of ten principal lines (urban buses), eight lines of extension (minibus), ten lines express train (bus interurban), four lines functioning Sunday, two lines of evening and a line of summer connecting the thirteen communes of the community of agglomeration. The place of the station is the important center of correspondence of different the line from the network. Starting from this point, you can go in the whole of the communes of the agglomeration.

A shuttle service per boat connects Annecy to other bordering cities of the lac : Sevrier, Saint-Jorioz, Duingt, Doussard, Talloires, Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Veyrier-of-Lake.

Ports

Annecy counts a Marina located at Marquisats.

The boats of cruising on the lake leave the channel located at the entry of Thiou.

Airport and heliport

Annecy has an airport located on the communes of Meythet and Metz-Tessy. Scheduled flights make it possible to make the connection with the Aéroport of Orly of Paris in direct flights.

Waterways

The To trust and its affluent the Thiou are not navigable. Nevertheless, the lake constitutes a water way in itself and is attended by the boats of cruising and the boat-shuttles.

Ways pedestrians

Most of the downtown area and old city make up of ways pedestrians. Largest and the most attended are the street Holy-Claire, the street Carnot and the street Royale. Another mall, the street Louis Armand, is located in the North of the commune, the district of Novell.

Divisions of the city

Districts

Annecy is composed of 9 districts:
- Center town: town hall, prefecture, center bonlieu (cultural), center courier (commercial), railway stations and road
- Parmelan Albigny in the east: beaches of imperial and Albigny, residential district;
- Schools: gendarmerie, residential district;
- Teppes Novell in the extreme north: ZUP built with the beginning of the year 1970, much of sports complexes;
- Park of the sports: residential district, stages, hall of the expos;
- Romans: residential district, place of the Romans (greater place of Annecy);
- Mandallaz: residential district located between the station and Notch-Gevrier;
- Old city: malls, old prisons, castle, channels <; br> - Balmettes, Meadow and Vovray: residential districts for Balmettes and Prairie, industrial park of Vovray which extends until Seynod. ;

The center town extends from the station in the west to the law courts in the east.

History

See also: History of Annecy

The northern bank of the Lac of Annecy was occupied at least as of 3  100 av. J. - C. and Annecy, which was called then Boutae or Bautas, were an industrial village at the time Roman (50 av. J. - C.).

Boutae is the Roman name of Annecy, discovered in an inscription with Meythet (C.I.L., XII, n°2532).

To the fall of the Roman Empire the great invasions brought such an insecurity that the city decays completely. The legend wants that the survivors took refuge on the slope of Annecy-the-Old man, which attested forever by the Archéologie.

Located at equal distance between Geneva and Chambéry, its history of the east strongly marked by the history of these two cities. Dependant on the county of Geneva, it became the capital about it when its counts are driven out of their city at the 13th century following serious conflicts with the bishop S.

As from the 12th century, the banks of the Thiou were the place of intense artisanal, commercial activities then industrial.

After the extinction of the family of Geneva in 1394 whose last representative was the Antipape Clément VII, the county is integrated in the possessions of the Maison of Savoy in 1401. In 1444, it is set up in Apanage princes de Savoie and Annecy became capital of a region covering their possessions of the Genevois, the Faucigny and the Beaufortain.

At the 16th century with the triumph of the Calvinism to Geneva, it accommodates in 1535 évêché and the catholic religious orders in escape and becomes the capital of the Counter-Reformation carried out by François de Sales.

As of the end of the 17th century, the city knew a major reconversion while becoming an industrial center important and innovating, dependant on the hydraulic force of the Thiou and on personalities undertaking.

During the French revolution and the Napoleonean time, the city is attached to new the department of Mont Blanc whose chief town is Chambéry then, to the restoration, returns in the possessions of the Maison of Savoy.

In 1860, following the fastening of Savoy in France by the Treated of Turin, it becomes the chief town of the new department of Haute-Savoie.

Its industrial calling continued at the 20th century without harming its favoured tourist rise by the discovery and the development of the sites and the pleasures lake and Alpine.

Culture and Inheritance

Annecy is classified Ville of Art and History and shelters many monuments and high places of first order. Guide-lecturers organize visits in discovered Old Annecy, of its inheritance and its history.

Architectural heritage

Medieval period

  • the Palate of Isle  : dating from the 12th century, it was built in the middle of the channel of Thiou to be used as prisons and law courts. It is the Monument symbol of the city and one of the monuments most photographed France.
  • the Castle of Annecy  : overhanging the city, it is the old residence of the counts de Genève and of the dukes of Genevese-Nemours, connects junior by the Maison of Savoy (XIIe-XVIe century). It shelters today the Conservatoire Art and of History of Annecy and the regional Office of the lakes Alpins.
  • the old city crossed by many channels and malls with arcades. One of most beautiful is the street Holy-Claire with her romantic arches of. One can discover many fountains also there. Among them that of the Midsummer's Day well to the crossing of the street Carnot and Royal street, heart of the commercial and political life of Annecy.
  • the channels by which the lake flows and the valves which control the flows constitute a system of derivation and control of water conceived by the engineer Sadi Carnot before he becomes president of the Republic.

Contemporary period

  • the Bridge of the Loves above the channel of the Vase and connecting the gardens of Europe to Pâquier, good example of typical iron architecture of the beginning of the 20th century.
  • the Hotel Imperial De luxe hotel inaugurated in 1913, with its public gardens, its beach and its casino.
  • prefecture dating from the 19th century.
  • modern the Arts center of Bonlieu where are joined together a national theater, a library, the tourist bureau, trade and offices.
  • modern and air the Law courts of Annecy, currently in the course of repair after a bomb attack occurred the January 22nd 2001.
  • the College Berthollet of the Napoleonean type, founded in 1888.
  • the monetary Workshop of the Genevese which shelters today the Musée of the History of Annecy
  • the Town hall builds in 1855.

Religious monuments

  • the cathedral Saint-Pierre of the 16th century was the Cathédrale of François Dirty and shelters many works of Baroque art and splendid a Orgue of the 19th century.
  • the church blazing Gothic Saint-Maurice of style of the 15th century and its paintings of.
  • the Basilique of the Visitation of the 20th century shelters the tombs of saint François Dirty and of holy Jeanne de Chantal and offers of her esplanade a beautiful point of view on all the city and the agglomeration.
  • the basilica Saint-Joseph-of-Ends was built during the Second world war by the famous architect Dom Bello.
  • others churches of the area annecian.

Environmental inheritance

Parks and public gardens

The most appreciated parks and green areas annecians are without question those located at the edge of the lake which attract many walkers in all saison :
  • the Gardens of Europe located at the site of the gardens of a community of nuns, were arranged after the annexation of Savoy in 1863 and offer a varied collection of arbres  ;
  • Pâquier is vast pre with a sight released on the lake. It accommodates the temporary steps installed for the festival of the lake   ;
  • the park of Imperial advances in the lake with the back of the de luxe hotel of the same name.
Other smaller green areas strew the ville : the public garden Stalingrad opposite the station, the public garden of the Martyrs of the Deportation…

Zoo

The animalist park of the Large Jeanne is in the Semnoz, on the road leading to the top. On 10  500  m ², it accommodates 19 Daim S, nine stags Elaphe and a score of Corsican moufflons in semi-freedom.

Bank roads and walks

The edges of the lake and the quays of the old city offer many possibilities of promenades : avenue of Albigny, quays of Marquisats, quays bordering the channels of the old city, the Holy-Therese walk of Quebec…

Cultural equipment

Museums

  • Museum-Castle
  • regional Observatory of the alpine lakes
  • Palate of the Island
  • Manor of Novell
  • Memorial Saint-François
  • Arteppes (contemporary art)

Theaters & concert halls

  • Bonlieu National scene
  • Théâtre of the Exchange
  • MJC of Novell
  • MJC Maison of childhood
  • MJC of the Romans
  • Auditorium of the national Academy of area
  • the Hall of the exposures
  • the Breeze Freezes

Cinemas

  • Bonlieu National scene
  • Multiplexes Décavision
  • Nemours
  • MJC of Novell (room of projection arts and tests)
  • broad Plan (association of sensibilitation)

Demography

Economy

Annecy is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Haute-Savoie. It manages the airport of Annecy-Meythet.

Data statistics

Shopping malls, commercial life

There are four shopping malls in Annecy, however other shopping malls exist in the agglomeration:

  • large surface Crossroads in the extreme north of the commune  ;
  • the commercial arcade Courier in the center town with its 40 shops and its carpark of 800 places  ;
  • the shopping mall of the New Galleries ;
  • the gallery Royal center .

and a certain number of very commercial streets, of which among more importantes :

  • street Carnot  ;
  • street of République  ;
  • street Royale  ;
  • Holy-Claire  street; ;
  • street Sommeiller  ;
  • street Vaugelas.

The agglomeration of Annecy has also 3 other large surfaces like Géant with Seynod, Leclerc with Notch-Gevrier and Auchan with Épagny: the Large Épagny , in the North-West of Annecy, which is one of the greatest retail parks of the Rhone-Alps.

Large company present on the commune

• SGP Heating air-conditioning

Sports and leisures

Infrastructures

Annecy has various sports complexes and cultural of great value:
  • the stage: of a capacity of approximately 15000 places, he saw the organization of the world juniors of Athlétisme in 1998
  • the Chatenoud room: room omnisport located near the stage
  • the complex Jean-Governed: sports complex located at the north of the city gathering a Skating rink of a capacity bordering the 2500 sitted places and of a covered swimming pool
  • the stage of the Slope: stage located in the district of the schools
  • the swimming pool of Marquisats: swimming pool located at the edge of the lake containing 1 Olympic swimming pool, 2 swimming pools 25 meters and 1 pataugeoire
  • three beaches: Marquisats, in the south, the Imperial one in the center town, and Albigny on the commune bordering on Annecy-the-Old man
  • Hall of the exposures: concert hall located at the north of Annecy, the room Chatenoud
  • the Ice-breaker: new room of Concert located at the south of Annecy (district of Marquisats). She proposes also studios of recordings for the musicians.
  • the study of a project of Palate of the congress, complementary to the complex of the Imperial De luxe hotel, of which the establishment was decided on the old Balleydier property, avenue of Trésum, was launched in 2006.

Clubs and associations

There exists in Annecy an association called " Association of Amplifiées" Musics;. It has a building which is called the Ice-breaker, sheltering two concert halls and of the studios of repetition for the groups which wish it. A first concert hall (largest of both) can contain approximately 530 people and the other which is called " Club" , where are organized concert free Wednesday evening, can contain approximately 140 people. The Ice-breaker proposes with local amateurs groups to play Wednesdays evenings, they also propose with the groups of the assistances provided by technicians to advise them before their concerts, on the balances, their etc, stage business

There also exists in Annecy 9 associations and District committees particularly active to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants:

- District committee " Annecy - Novell - Teppes" 4, rue Louis-Armand - Association " Mandallaz" 3, rue André-Gide - District committee " Annecy - Romans - Fins" 26, avenue du Stade - Residents' association Courier 71, rue Carnot - Association for the protection of Puya 78, rue des Marquisats - Parmelan Residents' association - Albigny 8 has, avenue of Thônes - Association friends of the Northern district of Annecy (LAQNA) 63, avenue des Romains - District committee Galbert Boutae 2, rue de la Libération - Association of the residents of the old city of Annecy (ARVVA) 7, suburb of Annonciades

mjc of the Romans

The club-service are very present on the agglomeration annecian: Lion-clubs (3), Rotary drill (4), Kiwanis, Soroptimist, Roundtable, Young Economic room, InnerWheel, Club 41….

Cultural and sporting events

Cinema

Spectacles and music

  • the Festival of the lake  : pyrotechnical spectacle and musical on renewed topics every year. The event annecian impossible to circumvent which attracts visitors of all Europe (each year, first Saturday of August).
  • Noctibules (night spectacles of streets) and the annual national training course of formation to the liturgical organ Rotated crops (each year, third week of July).

  • Since 1982, the Center of Musical Practice of Annecy gives concerts to the museum-castle of Annecy for in direction of a public of experts.

Animations around rurality

  • the “Return of the Mountain pastures”: celebrates in the honor of the Transhumance of the herds putting in scene the elements of a table living of the alpine past with songs, dances, old trades, craft industry, ravelled animals, etc (second Saturday of October).
  • the Festival of apple and honey, in the district Novell (manor of Novell, places of Annapurna), every years, in November.
Sports
  • Every Friday evening with 20:00 places town hall, an excursion in roller is organized by Roll' cy
  • the city organized the eighth edition of the Championnats of the world junior of athletics in 1998.
  • the town of Annecy, after having been successfully the host of the prolog of the critérium cyclist of Dauphiné Libéré announced its intention to be candidate with the reception of a stage of the Tour de France cyclist in 2009 (a prolog around the Annecy Lake could then be considered). Of ici-là, it will accommodate the arrival of the last stage of the edition 2007 of Critérium of Dauphiné Libéré.
  • the city tried to be candidate with the organization of the Winter Olympics of 2014 without success. Association continues to believe in its chances and prepares the plays of 2018. Olympliquons us
  • Every year, the championship of France of skate passes by the bowl of Annecy.

Contemporary art

  • Festival “Noise under snow”, music and contemporary arts of mid-March at the end of May.

Administrative life

The agglomeration of Annecy was organized in a Communauté of agglomeration which gathers thirteen communes : Annecy, Annecy-the-Old man, Argonay, Chavanod, Notch-Gevrier, Épagny, Metz-Tessy, Meythet, Montagny-les-Lanches, Poissy, Pringy, Quintal and Seynod (see the article the Community of the agglomeration of Annecy).

The city is Chef-lieu of three cantons  :

Administrative status

Early childhood

Teaching

Nursery schools

  • Teaching public : Carnot, Ends, Novell, Parmelan, the Plain, Quay Jules Philippe, Romans, Teppes, Vaugelas, the Meadow.
  • Teaching privé : Saint-François, Holy-Marie-of-Ends, Saint-Joseph, Limes.

Primary educations

  • Teaching public : Carnot, Ends, Novell, Parmelan, the Plain, Quay Jules Philippe, Romans, Teppes, Vaugelas, the Meadow.
  • Teaching privé : Saint-François, Holy-Marie-of-Ends, Saint-Joseph-of-Ends, Saint-Michel, Limes.

Colleges