Château d'Annecy

The Château d’Annecy is a medieval castle overlooking the town of Annecy in southeastern France, with origins in the high medieval period and later adaptations. It now houses a municipal museum presenting regional history and cultural collections.

The site includes substantial ruined masonry of the keep and curtain walls, museum galleries installed within the former princely residence, and terraces that provide views across the old town to Lake Annecy. Exhibits focus on local history, alpine environments and the town’s heritage.

Originally built in the medieval centuries as the residence of the Counts of Geneva and later feudal lords, the castle underwent modifications across the Middle Ages and early modern period. It was converted to museum use in the 20th century and conserved as a civic landmark.

Perched on a hill at the edge of Annecy’s old town, the château overlooks the town center and Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

• Museum and views: Now a municipal museum, it occupies a hill above Annecy and offers panoramic views over the old town and Lake Annecy.

What to See #

• Keep and ramparts: Castle keep and curtain walls dating to the medieval period, largely preserved as ruined masonry and integrated into the town museum.
• Musée-Château: Museum spaces within the former residence displaying local history and exhibits about the town and surrounding lake.