Annecy

A lakeside city in the Haute-Savoie at the northern tip of Lake Annecy, whose clear Alpine waters are consistently ranked among the cleanest in Europe. The old town preserves intact sixteenth-century canal architecture including the Palais de l'Île, a prison on a river island that has become the most photographed structure in the city. Cycling around the lake perimeter and swimming in its glacially cold water are the principal warm-season activities.