I’m just back from the most amazing long weekend in Annecy so putting down all my thoughts while they’re still alpine fresh! Annecy is a wee town situated on Lake Annecy in the French Alps. We flew into Geneva then got a bus over to Annecy and stayed in a lovely little Airbnb which is just a 5-10 minute walk away from the lake.

Everything in Annecy is so flipping beautiful, it was continually blowing us away. The old town was so quaint and adorable, it felt like being in a Disney movie, and the landscape of mountains around the lake was like being in a postcard.

On our first night after arriving, we just headed out for a wander, dinner and some sorbet (which led to a new fave flavour discovery: strawberry and basil).

On our first full day, we were on a mission. We got up in the morning and headed to the markets in search of breakfast before getting on the Navibus boat taxi that sails around the lake. We got off at Talloires and hiked our way up the hill to the meeting point for our paragliding trip, they took us all the way up the mountain and got us kitted out before deciding that the conditions were too windy for us to fly that day. Disappointing but glad we were being safe! We then went kayaking in the bay of Agnon which was loads of fun, especially in a transparent kayak where we could look down into the stunning blue water. We then got back on the boat and went around the rest of the lake before heading back to Annecy for dinner. That evening I was thrilled to get myself some tasty traditional Savoyard goodness: cheese fondue.

The next day was a lot more chill after all that adventure. We went exploring the history of the old town and visited the castle museum which was super cheap and had loads of lovely art and views to enjoy. After another wander through the cute lanes of the old town, we headed over to the Plage de l’Impérial to read, sunbathe and swim in the cool lake – and went down the big slide!

On Sunday morning we made our second attempt at paragliding, this time with Annecy Aventure and we actually got to fly! I’ve got to be honest, as someone who is terrified of heights, I was incredibly nervous but I’m really glad that I went through with it. It was definitely scary but also amazing to see the views from up there and surreal to be floating above all the giant trees. My pilot was super lovely and looked after me when I was feeling a bit of motion sickness too. What a once in a lifetime opportunity!

It took us a minute to settle our nerves after all that adrenaline, so we kept it pretty chill by lounging at the Plage Municipale de Talloires for the rest of the afternoon. They also had diving boards and slides and these platforms you could swim out to and hang out on in the middle of the lake.

We made sure to wake up early on our last morning to catch one last swim in the lake and wave goodbye to the mountains, which I’m really glad we did. Fuelled by a last trip to the boulangerie, our day after that was a bit hectic with bus delays and running through the airport but eventually, we made it home safe and sound.

It was such a fun long weekend with so many exciting activities and stunning sights, but the best part of it all was spending time with my lovely friend Danielle, chatting shite and marvelling at the beauty of the world (and each other in our cute outfits). I’d highly recommend Annecy to anyone and would totally go back some day.