Annecy market
I love French markets . I ’ ve been to hundreds but I can truthfully say , I would go to Annecy for the market alone . There ’ s been a market here for centuries , going back to the middle ages . Every Tuesday , Friday and Sunday morning stalls are set up and the streets fill with shoppers .
I arrived around 7am on a beautiful autumn morning with the dawn sun rising slowly over the mountains , warming the air . I watched mesmerised as a man in a beret cycled past , an old lady pulled a trolley over the cobbles , a baker bought out a tray of still steaming croissants , the scent carried on the air .
Beautiful displays of vegetables and fruit , bread and cakes , cheese and chocolate , artisan gifts , baskets and more , were laid out along the ancient streets and over the bridges . This really is a market to fall in love with .
Make like the locals and enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee at the Buvette de Marché , the oldest café in Annecy .
20 Rue Sainte-Claire , 74000 Annecy .
Eat : There are many reasons to go to Annecy and one that might be less wellknown ( for now , get in quick while you can ) is gastronomy . Fresh fish from the lake , alpine cheeses , locally grown wines , génépi – a sort of gin / absinthe hybrid liqueur with a kick , farms galore , numerous artisan producers , chefs drawn to the amazing array of seasonal produce , saffron is grown in the valleys as well as other herbs including cumin and dill .
It ’ s not easy to pick just three restaurants to highlight in this gastronomic city , but :