What's on in Annecy (Lake Annecy), France through the year

Peak crowds — Christmas village, Ski season in the Aravis

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Christmas village (26 Nov – 3 Jan), Ski season in the Aravis (15 Dec – 10 Apr (usually))

Quiet — travelers describe it as quiet, Ski season in the Aravis

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ski season in the Aravis (15 Dec – 10 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Ski season in the Aravis, Winter (February) holidays in France

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ski season in the Aravis (15 Dec – 10 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Ski season in the Aravis, Spring holidays in France

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Ski season in the Aravis (15 Dec – 10 Apr (usually))

Busy — Spring holidays in France, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Busy — Annecy animation film festival, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Annecy animation film festival

  21–27 JunCrowdedBook early

  The animation industry takes the town for a week; the fiftieth edition moved to the end of June. Rooms within an hour of the lake go by spring, and the free lakeside screenings need no badge. Source ↗

• Season

  Lake warm enough to swim

  25 Jun – 10 Sep · usuallySea warm enough

  The lake comes up to swimming temperature in the last week of June and holds it into September. The town beaches are lifeguarded only through the school holidays; the rest of the shore is not.

Busy — Summer holidays in France, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Lake warm enough to swim (25 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Fete du lac, Summer holidays in France

• Festival

  Fete du lac

  1 AugMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  The pyrotechnic show over the water on the first Saturday of August pulls a six-figure crowd into a small town. Seated tickets sell from the spring and the free banks fill from mid-afternoon. Source ↗

Still on: Lake warm enough to swim (25 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Lake warm enough to swim (25 Jun – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Retour des Alpages, All Saints (autumn) holidays in France

• Festival

  Retour des Alpages

  10 OctMajor festivalCrowded

  The herds come down off the high pastures and are walked through the old town on a Saturday in October, with cheese makers and old trades set up along the canals from the morning. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Christmas village, All Saints (autumn) holidays in France

• Festival

  Christmas village

  26 Nov – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowded

  Close to two hundred chalets go up through the old town, along the quays and in the Jardins de l'Europe from late November into the first days of January. The canal streets are single file after dark. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Christmas village, Ski season in the Aravis

• Season

  Ski season in the Aravis

  15 Dec – 10 Apr · usuallyCrowded

  La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand and the Semnoz are inside an hour, so from mid-December the town carries Saturday transfer traffic it was not built for. Annecy itself stays a lake town.

Still on: Christmas village (26 Nov – 3 Jan)