Annecy in 4 days

The Thiou runs through the old town to the triangular 12th-century Palais de l'Isle, a former mint, courthouse and prison whose cells survive.

Vaulted rooms of Savoyard art and Alpine archaeology, plus an Alpine lakes observatory with aquariums that children tend to like best.

Take the stopping service round the lake rather than a set cruise: it doubles as transport, so you can lunch at Duingt or Talloires.

A lakeside arboretum of some hundred tree species, including sequoias, linked by the Pont des Amours to the Pâquier across the willow-lined Vassé canal.

A flat, three-metre-wide path from Annecy to Doussard, with stops for a swim at Sévrier, Duingt's castle and the reedbeds of Bout du Lac.

The town's best-equipped beach, with lawns, play areas and views of the Dents de Lanfon; the only municipal beach that charges in high summer.

A free, tree-shaded lawn beach twenty minutes' walk from the centre, with a gentle slope into the water and lifeguards in July and August.

The fullest view over the lake, 1,150 metres above Talloires, and one of Europe's main paragliding sites, with tandem flights landing at Doussard.