Chambéry & Aix-les-Bains

The old capital of the Duchy of Savoy, with its Elephant Fountain and ducal castle, just south of France's largest natural lake, Lac du Bourget, and the spa town of Aix-les-Bains.

Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains lie in the Savoie department of southeastern France, in valleys at the edge of the Alps, about 15 km apart, and are easily visited as a single destination. Chambéry was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy (13th–16th centuries). Its old town preserves the Château des Ducs de Savoie, the Sainte-Chapelle, arcaded streets and the Fontaine des Éléphants (de Boigne Fountain) with its four elephants, and its cathedral holds Europe's largest expanse of trompe-l'œil decoration; on the hillside south of town, Les Charmettes was Rousseau's home in his youth. Aix-les-Bains was a favourite spa of 19th-century European royalty and aristocracy, with the Roman Arch of Campanus, the neoclassical Thermes Nationaux and the Grand Casino. Just west of town is Lac du Bourget, France's largest natural lake. Le Grand Port on its shore has a boat pier and beaches; boats cross to Hautecombe Abbey, burial place of the House of Savoy, or travel along the Canal de Savières to Chanaz, the "Little Venice of Savoy". The surrounding mountains offer the Mont Revard viewpoint, the Belvédère de la Chambotte, the Dent du Chat, the Croix du Nivolet and the Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park; to the south, the emerald-green Lac d'Aiguebelette is great for summer swimming. The best season is May–September, with the most lake activities in July–August; spring and autumn suit hiking and tasting Savoie wines, and in winter you can go cross-country skiing at Mont Revard and Le Féclaz. Getting there: about 3 hours by TGV from Paris, about 1.5 hours from Lyon, and around an hour's drive from Geneva Airport; frequent TER trains link the two towns. Allow 2–4 days: stay in a lakeview hotel in Aix-les-Bains and spend a day in Chambéry's old town. Must-try dishes include Savoyard cheese fondue, tartiflette and lake fish.

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