Lake Annecy (french: Lac d'Annecy, ) is a perialpine
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It is named after the city of
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...
, which marks the start of the
Thiou
The Thiou () is a short river in the city of Annecy, France. It is long. It is an effluent of Lake Annecy and an affluent of the Fier, which is in turn a tributary of the Rhône. The Thiou is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Europe
...
, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sediment Dispersal from Mountain to Shore, with Bypassing via Three Human-Modified Channel Systems to Lake Annecy, SE France'' (2004) Vol 20 (4) Journal of Coastal Research pp 958 - 96 JStor
It is the third-largest lake in France, after the
Lac du Bourget
Lac du Bourget (; English Lake Bourget), also locally known as Lac Gris (; en, Grey Lake) or Lac d'Aix (), is a lake at the southernmost end of the Jura Mountains in the department of Savoie, France. It is the deepest lake located entirely with ...
and
Lac de Grand-Lieu
Lac de Grand-Lieu () is a lake located to the southwest of Nantes, in the Loire-Atlantique, France, and almost entirely in Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu. At an elevation of , its surface area is , making it the largest lake in France in winter, bu ...
, if the French part of
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
, which is shared between Switzerland and France, is excluded. It is known as "Europe's cleanest lake" because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s. It is a popular tourist destination known for its swimming and water sports.
The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago, at the time the large alpine glaciers melted. It is fed by many small rivers from the surrounding mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon) and a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, at a 82-metre depth (269 ft).
Cities and towns around the lake
*
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...
Menthon-Saint-Bernard
Menthon-Saint-Bernard (; frp, Menton), commonly referred to simply as Menthon, is a commune on the eastern shore of Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a populatio ...
*
Talloires
Talloires (; frp, Talouères) is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Talloires-Montmin. Due to its setting on La ...
*
Doussard
Doussard () is a commune in the southeastern French department of Haute-Savoie.
The village contains a landing field used by many paragliders, usually after they've taken off from the nearby Col de la Forclaz.
See also
*Communes of the Haute-Sa ...
*
Duingt
Duingt (; frp, Douin) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
The history of the place starts in the Bronze Age (from 1400 to 700 BC) where the first habitats for human settlemen ...
*
Saint-Jorioz
Saint-Jorioz (; frp, San-Zhouryo), located on the western banks of lake Annecy, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
Population
World heritage site
It is home to one or more ...
A cycle path goes partially around Lake Annecy past Sevrier and St Jorioz to Ugine. It has an aim to reach Albertville. The lake is around 14 km long.
File:Talloires , view of Lake Annecy, Kodacolor by Scott Williams.jpg, View of Lake Annecy from Talloires.
File:Lac d'Annecy, par Paul Cézanne.jpg,
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...
. ''Le lac bleu'', 1896.
File:Lac d'Annecy Apr 2012.jpg, Lake Annecy, with the mountains of Dents de Lanfon, Lanfonnet and
La Tournette
The Tournette (2,351 m or 7,713 ft) is a mountain in the Bornes Massif in Haute-Savoie, France. It is the highest of the mountains surrounding Lake Annecy and has a prominence of 1,514 (4,967 ft), qualifying it as an Ultra.
Tourism
It is possible ...
in the background.
See also
*
Faverges
Faverges (; frp, Favèrges) is a former commune located in Haute-Savoie department situated in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (south-east of France). On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Faverges-Seythenex.Montmin
Montmin () is a former commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Talloires-Montmin.Annecy shootings
References
Further reading
* Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sediment Dispersal from Mountain to Shore, with Bypassing via Three Human-Modified Channel Systems to Lake Annecy, SE France'' (2004) Vol 20 (4) Journal of Coastal Research pp 958 – 96 JStor
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...