The 5th Day

Our hosts left some brochures in the apartment for us and one - 4 Discovery Routes - caught our attention. The brochure suggests 4 walks through Annecy and gives a map and explanations of significant points along the route. We did The Canals today. 

Annecy is situated on the Thiou river which is the shortest river in France at only 5 kilometers. The Thiou takes water from the lake and feeds it into the Fier river, a tributary of the Rhône. The Thiou became a series of canals built in the 19th century to aid the development of industry. At some points the canals have been built over as is the case with the St Francois church and in other places has split or had mechanical gates fitted to direct water to the turbines of a large cotton factory. In 1874 a series of "Thiou gates" we're fitted that enabled the lake level to be increased by 20 cm which secured the flow all year round. The Ile St. Joseph, an island in the Thiou housed a textile factory at one stage but is now a children's playground. We followed the river to the outskirts of Annecy before retracing our steps for a well earned lunch and a rest. It was nice having the guide to give context to what we were seeing.

Other options in the brochure are "The Lake" which we have done a few times, "Churches" and "Off the beaten path." We'll see what tomorrow, or the next day brings.