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Savoie Mont Blanc, culture and mountains

When visiting the castle of the Dukes of Savoie or following the Baroque Trail you will brush against it. When admiring the finely crafted jewellery, sculptures and pottery of Savoie you may touch it. And during the major events that mark the passage of the seasons you will finally catch up with it. Savoie’s rich culture, inherited from the past and fed by multiple influences, shaped by the mountains and passed down from generation to generation.  

Sites naturels et bâtis Villes et villages Parcs et musées
In Savoie and Haute-Savoie

The past is very present

Savoie Mont Blanc is a land full of history. Forged by its standing as an independent state under the House of Savoie. Part of the kingdom of Piedmont Sardinia until the Savoyards voted to join France. The history of this political and cultural border land has left its mark on the landscape and in the hearts of the people of Savoie. How could it not? 

Mountains and marvels 

10 must-visit sites

There is, of course, Hautecombe Abbey, the jewel of Lake Bourget; the Cirque du Fer à Cheval with its thundering waterfalls; Yvoire, the pearl of Lake Geneva; and the Vanoise National Park, watching over the area’s flora and fauna.  
There are ten must-see places… and dozens more from which to choose your own favourites. 

Discover the must-visit sites
Take it easy

in the cities

Your next city break? In Annecy, in Chambéry, in a City of Art and History, in one of France’s most beautiful villages. In Savoie Mont Blanc, for sure.

Whether beside a lake or in the mountains, 

Savoie and Haute-Savoie’s towns and villages have great character. 

 

    • ‎Lake Bourget

      ‎Aix-les-Bains

    • ‎Lake Annecy

      ‎Annecy

    • ‎Historic capital

      ‎Chambéry

    • ‎In the valleys

      ‎Cities and Areas of Art and History

    • ‎Lakes and mountains

      ‎The most beautiful villages in France

    Duchy of Savoie 

    Soak up the history

    It’s a region with an amazing past. A county which became a duchy that once stretched from Nice to Turin to the gates of Lyon. Today, the area forms two French départements, still known by their historic names: Savoie and Haute-Savoie. 

    Find out about the Duchy of Savoie

    Castles and forts 

    Helped by the echo from the mountains, the walls here don’t just have ears; they also have excellent memories. And if you take the time to listen, these castles’ walls will tell you the little tales that make up the big story. 

      Religious art

      Baroque

      Discover Savoie’s baroque art

      Never judge a book by its cover! Behind their plain façades, Savoie’s chapels and churches hide highly ornate interiors bursting with gold and colour.  

      In the footsteps of the resistance 

      The Glières plateau

      The parachute drop on the Glières plateau – a key stronghold for the French resistance - was a remarkable episode of World War II that still resonates in local people’s memories.  

      Discover the whole story

      Travelogue

      The Route des Grandes Alpes

      The Route des Grandes Alpes is an enchanting itinerary through Haute-Savoie and Savoie, dotted with anecdotes. Frédérique and Dimitri set off to complete the 13 stages from Thonon-les-Bains to Valloire.

      On the Route des Grandes Alpes
      Keeping expertise alive 

      Traditions and savoir-faire

      There are craftspeople who perpetuate local skills, local history museums that carefully preserve traditions, different styles of buildings, each specific to one valley. All these things combine to give Savoie Mont Blanc an amazing wealth of crafts and traditions, a richness it would be unthinkable not to share. Because sharing is an intrinsic part of mountain culture.   

      Groupe folklorique au retour des alpages à Annecy

      Local gems

      Chanaz and its craftspeople, the Paccard bell foundry and museum, village fêtes throughout the year.