Ideal Base Camp for your getaways

Presentation

Le Grand-Bornand is an ideal base camp to discover the wonders of the region. A small selection of the must-see attractions within a radius of 80km from the station as the crow flies...

ANNECY AND ITS LAKE

Known internationally for the beauty of its harmonious landscape but also for the quality of its waters which, thanks to the protection efforts carried out for more than 50 years have made it the purest lake in Europe, Annecy, in the heart of the Annecy Mountains area, is the perfect place for sports enthusiasts who enjoy a wide range of activities in both summer and winter. Water activities (swimming, sailing, water-skiing, diving...), cycling (thanks to a secure bicycle path along the lake for more than 40km) or mountain activities (hiking, mountain biking, via-ferrata, canyoning, paragliding...): all sports are possible in Annecy! Culture and heritage enthusiasts will not be outdone in this setting with its rich and complex history, holder of the highly envied "Art and History" label. Follow the pure and clear water escaping from the lake to the flowery canals that run through the old town (Annecy's historic center) and give it its unique character of "Venice of the Alps"!

THÔNES AND GLIERES, TO MAKE WORK ITS LEGS... AND ITS MEMORY.

Thônes Cœur des vallées (15min), crossroads of the Annecy Mountains area, gathers all the diversity of activities that the mountains can offer in all four seasons. There are seven villages and one small town with more than 12,000 inhabitants, with two Nordic areas and a life-size playground for cross-country skiing in the winter. In summer, it's a varied network of hiking trails that is as much for families as it is for those who like to go uphill, with (a)typical spots!
As a bastion of the Resistance during the 2nd World War, le plateau des Glières (1h) is a major center of remembrance tourism in Savoie Mont-Blanc. A striking history to be deepened by the visit of the departmental museum of the Resistance of Thônes, and the military necropolis of Morette which is attached to it.

LES SOURCES DU LAC D'ANNECY, DESTINATION OF ALL THE POSSIBLE...

So named because the rivers that cross it, such as the Ire and the Eau morte, represent 60% of the surface water of the lake, this territory (at 40min) is surrounded by the massif of the Bauges with the Sambuy (2192m) and that of the Bornes which includes the chain of the Aravis and the Tournette (2351m).
Swimming in white water, sailing on calm water, hiking on the summits, flying over the valleys, hurtling down the slopes, smelling the forests, visiting its 7 villages* and 100 hamlets, admiring the palette of landscapes, tasting the generous nature, contemplating the rural heritage and looking for authenticity... at the Sources du Lac d'Annecy and the Annecy Mountains territory, everything is possible, in all seasons.

*Chevaline, Doussard, Faverges-Seythenex, Giez, Lathuile, Saint-Ferréol, Val-de-Chaise.

SIDE COURTYARD... AND GARDENS, IN RUMILLY-ALBANAIS

The Annecy hinterland has many surprises in store for you. Around its historic capital, Rumilly, the Albanais and its wooded valleys combine a gentle way of life and the discovery of the greatest density of natural sites and other elements of built heritage in Haute-Savoie. The impressive Gorges du Fier and the proud castles of Clermont and Montrottier dominating the green countryside are proof of this. On the garden side, the bamboo grove Les Jardins de Lornay and the unusual Secret Gardens are the promise of a total change of scenery, an hour away from the mountains...

JUMPING BORDER(S) AROUND CHAMONIX-MONT BLANC

Access the universe of the high mountains and the world-famous sites of the Chamonix valley: Mont Blanc, Mer de Glace, Aiguille du Midi, Brévent... so many legendary summits, whose discovery can be combined with a game of border jumping between Italy (Aosta and its many Roman and medieval monuments) and neighboring Switzerland via the spectacular Grand Saint-Bernard pass (Gianadda Contemporary Art Foundation, in Martigny).

ART AND HISTORY(IES), IN THE HEART OF THE CRADLE OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOIE...

Pushing on to neighboring Savoie, a visit to the Opinel Museum in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is a must. Entirely devoted to the history and design of the cult knife, its contemporary museography showcasing a former manufacturing workshop is part of the classification of the town, birthplace of the House of Savoy, as one of the "100 Most Beautiful Detours in France" with its already southern charm. Lovers of architecture will also marvel at the discovery of Hautecombe Abbey, necropolis of the Princes of Savoy and jewel of Gothic art set on the romantic shores of the Lac du Bourget. On the way back, the picturesque district of Conflans, on the heights of the Olympic city of Albertville, will convince you of the charms of Savoy... "from the south".

GENEVA AND THE FRENCH SIDE OF LEMAN LAKE

Evian-les-Bains and its Palais Lumière with its very rich artistic program, the old fishing villages of Yvoire (classified among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France") and Nernier, the castle of Ripaille: the French side of Leman Lake cultivates a high-end hedonism with a sure and discreet taste. Reach Geneva with its famous jet d'eau and its theaters and museums, to enjoy the atmosphere of one of Switzerland's most cosmopolitan metropolises.

photo credits : Annecy - © Ville d'Annecy / Thônes - © Gilles-Piel / Source du Lac Annecy - © Marc Dufournet / Jardins Secrets - © Myriam Moumen / Chamonix - © Maxime-Coquard / Maurienne - © Thierry Vallier / Genève - © Genève Tourisme