ANNECY, BEYOND THE BLUE

What I found beyond Annecy’s famous turquoise lake...

ANNECY

I had seen photographs of Lake Annecy many times before coming here—the famous turquoise water surrounded by the Alps. In reality, it is even more beautiful.

I stayed in Talloires, which for me is the most beautiful part of Lake Annecy. Our hotel was directly on the lake, so the water became part of everyday life from the moment I woke up. Breakfast overlooking the lake, afternoons by the water, swimming when the sun appeared, and taking a boat out to discover Annecy from a completely different perspective.

The colour of the lake is extraordinary. It moves between turquoise, blue and green, with the mountains rising immediately behind it. June was unpredictable—clouds and cooler air could suddenly give way to brilliant sunshine—but in a way, that made the landscape even more interesting because it was constantly changing.

I came to Annecy expecting a beautiful few days by the lake. But once I was there, I became curious about everything around it: the old architecture, the canals, the Savoyard history, the food, and particularly the artists who had looked at this same landscape before me.

THE OLD TOWN

Walking through the old town, I was immediately drawn to the canals, the arcades, the old stone façades and the buildings almost touching the water. It feels very different from the calm elegance of Talloires.

What I found interesting is that Annecy's canals were never simply about beauty. The Thiou, the river flowing from the lake through the old town, was a source of industrial power. Its waters drove medieval waterwheels and later supported textile and paper production. What looks incredibly romantic today was once part of everyday working life.

The architecture is just as layered. Annecy developed during the Middle Ages and later became part of the territories of the House of Savoy. Around the Château d'Annecy and through the old streets, medieval architecture mixes with later Renaissance additions.

I was also drawn to the colours of the old town: faded pinks, ochres, soft yellows and muted greens appearing between the stone façades.

As an interior designer, this is the Annecy I kept photographing: aged stone beside painted shutters, old timber, ironwork, arches, doors and small architectural details.

I particularly love how different periods coexist without everything needing to match. It is something I often think about in my own interior design work.

ANNECY THROUGH ART

Staying in Talloires gave me another reason to look at the lake differently: Paul Cézanne stayed here too.

In 1896, Cézanne spent time in Talloires and painted Lac d'Annecy, looking across the water towards the Château de Duingt. I knew the painting, but seeing the landscape in reality made me return to it with a completely different eye. He used dense blues and muted emerald greens to give weight to the water and the landscape around the Château de Duingt. Rather than simply recording the view, he constructed an atmosphere.

I also discovered Prosper Dunant, a painter and architect closely connected to Annecy. During the 19th century, he painted the lake, villages, castles and landscapes of Savoy, leaving an almost visual record of the region before modern Annecy developed.

I love discovering artists this way. Sometimes seeing the place first makes me understand a painting better.

A TASTE OF ANNECY: THE ARCHITECTURE OF LIGHTNESS

Every region of France has a culinary tradition that makes me curious enough to bring a little of it back into my Paris kitchen. In Annecy, one of those discoveries was the Gâteau de Savoie.

According to tradition, its origins go back to the 14th century, when a cake was created for Amédée VI of Savoy on the occasion of a visit by Emperor Charles IV. Despite its aristocratic story, its ingredients are remarkably simple: eggs, sugar and flour or starch, with no butter or oil, and it has an incredibly airy texture. It is exactly the kind of regional French recipe I would like to recreate at home in Paris.

Annecy also has a strong connection to its lake through fish such as féra and omble chevalier, while Reblochon and Tomme de Savoie reflect the mountain landscape surrounding it.

And then there are the Roseaux du Lac, a local chocolate speciality inspired by the reeds growing along Lake Annecy.

For me, discovering French gastronomy is often as simple as this: finding one recipe, ingredient or speciality from a region and allowing it to become part of life back home.

WHAT STAYED WITH ME

I always like to bring something from a place into my everyday life—not necessarily something I buy, but an idea, a recipe or a reference that I will actually use again.

IN MY WORK

The colours around Lake Annecy are now part of my interior references: turquoise and blue water, muted greens, warm stone and aged timber.

The old town also reminded me how well aged stone, timber, iron and contemporary elements can live together. I photographed several architectural details that I will keep as references for future projects.

IN MY KITCHEN

I want to try making Gâteau de Savoie at home in Paris. I love collecting simple regional French recipes this way; each one becomes a small reminder of where I discovered it.

IN MY ART LIBRARY

Cézanne's Lac d'Annecy will never look quite the same to me after seeing the light of Talloires and looking across the water towards the Château de Duingt.

Discovering Prosper Dunant—both an architect and an artist—has also given me a new historical reference to explore, particularly his drawings and landscapes documenting Annecy and Savoy during the 19th century.

WHAT I WAS GLAD I BROUGHT

A LIGHT BLAZER AND TRENCH

Something easy to carry when the sun comes out, but warm enough for cooler mornings and evenings by the lake.

A LIGHTWEIGHT CASHMERE SWEATER

One of the most useful pieces in my suitcase, especially when the temperature dropped in the evening or for dinner by the lake.

LEATHER ANKLE BOOTS WITH LOW, STABLE HEELS

Annecy's old town means cobbled streets. Elegant ankle boots with comfortable, stable heels were perfect for walking while still feeling dressed.

A VISOR

Very useful for sunny afternoons around the lake, especially when going out by boat.

SUNGLASSES & SUNSCREEN

Even when the temperature isn't particularly hot, the sun and its reflection on the lake can feel surprisingly strong.

A SWIMSUIT

Worth keeping close even when the morning looks grey. The weather can change quickly, and a cloudy morning can easily become an afternoon swimming in that extraordinary turquoise water.

A SMALL UMBRELLA

It takes almost no space in a bag and becomes very useful when Annecy decides to change its weather again.

My rule for Annecy in June: dress in layers and be ready for several versions of the same day.

THE POSH EDIT

THE PAINTING

Lac d'Annecy, Paul Cézanne, 1896.

THE ARCHITECT & ARTIST TO DISCOVER

Prosper Dunant — an architect and landscape artist whose work captured Annecy and the landscapes of Savoy during the 19th century.

THE ARCHITECTURE

Château d'Annecy and the layers of medieval and Renaissance architecture throughout the old town.

THE DESIGN DETAIL

Aged stone, old timber, ironwork and painted shutters.

THE PALETTE

Turquoise · blue-grey · muted green · warm limestone · natural wood.

THE SWEET

Gâteau de Savoie — the regional recipe I want to try at home in Paris.

THE LOCAL CURIOSITY

Roseaux du Lac — Annecy's reed-shaped chocolate speciality.

THE EXPERIENCE

Lake Annecy by boat. Seeing Talloires and the mountains from the water completely changes the perspective.

THE PLACE

Talloires — still my favourite place on Lake Annecy.