La Balme-de-Sillingy / Annecy

In the département (or county) of Haute-Savoie, La Belle Via cycle route (V62) will, once complete, start in Seyssel, a town straddling both banks of the Upper Rhône, and will also link up with the ViaRhôna cycle route. It will then lead to La Balme-de-Sillingy, at time of writing our recommended starting point to head off to Annecy, an enchanting historic town crisscrossed by canals.

The Route

At time of writing, the cycle route begins at La Balme-de-Sillingy. Starting from the car park at the Lac de la Balme, La Belle Via (V62) guides cyclists to Sillingy, Chaumontet and Epagny via a network of small roads and paths shared between riders and pedestrians before you enter the town of Annecy.  

Don't miss

• La Balme de Sillingy: Lac de la Balme; Parc des jardins de Haute-Savoie; Domaine du Tornet (with lake to walk around or fish on); the Romanesque church; the Miroir de Faille (a remarkable geological formation) at Sillingy.
• Annecy: designated a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire for its historical and cultural riches; splendid views to the mountain ranges all around (including Tournette, Aravis and Semnoz); villages and lake-side beaches around Lac d'Annecy (with all manner of water sports possible, as well as boat cruises); guided tours of the old town, canals and Thiou River; the museum in the Château d'Annecy.
  Nearby (10km away): the Jardins Secrets at Vaulx and the Gorges du Fier at Lovagny.