Cycling Around Lake Annecy: 42 km, One Real Climb

It’s the most requested outing in the area, and one of the worst explained. Yes, you can cycle around the lake; yes, almost anyone can do it — but the two shores are nothing alike, and which way round you ride changes your whole day. Here is the loop, told by people who ride it.

The numbers that matter

• Distance: about 40 to 42 km for the full loop.
• Climbing: ~250 m, most of it in a single hill.
• Real time: 2.5 to 4 hours depending on pace, bike, and how many swims you stop for.
• Profile: ~90% flat — it’s a ride, not a race.

Two shores, two worlds

The west shore is the greenway: about 30 km of traffic-free path laid on the old railway line, from Sevrier towards the far end of the lake. Smooth surface, shade, railway gradients — which is to say, almost none. This is the stretch for families, loaded bikes, and days when you just want to roll along watching the water.

The east shore is road. From Doussard back to Annecy through Talloires, Menthon and Veyrier, you share the tarmac with cars on a stretch that gets busy in summer. In exchange: the finest views of the loop — the Bay of Talloires, the château of Menthon above the shore, and the running face-off with the Duingt château across the water.

The one real climb: the Roc de Chère

Between Menthon and Talloires, the road crosses the shoulder of the Roc de Chère: about 1.5 km of climbing for around a hundred metres of ascent. Nothing heroic, but on an unassisted city bike you will feel it. Everything else on the loop can be pedalled mid-conversation.

Which way round?

Our advice: anticlockwise — Annecy → west shore (greenway) → far end of the lake → east shore → home. You warm up on the protected flat, keep the big east-shore panoramas for the second half, and hit the Roc de Chère once your legs are in. Above all: in late afternoon, the golden light falls full on the east shore — the most photogenic ride home.

The stops that make the ride

The real luxury of this loop is that you can break it up: beaches and coves come one after another, and our five swim spots sit right on the route. Swimsuit under the shorts, lock in the pannier. At the far end, the Bay of Doussard has the warmest water — the lake’s depth explains why.

What we wouldn’t do

• Set off at 11 a.m. on a summer Saturday. The greenway jams with bikes, rollerbladers and walkers. Leave before 9.30, or ride in the late afternoon.
• Take young children on the east shore. Summer traffic is no place for them: ride the greenway out and back instead — same scenery, zero cars.
• Skip the lights late in the day. The greenway runs under dark canopy, and the old railway tunnel is not a myth.
• Assume you need a road bike. A hybrid or an e-bike is plenty — rental shops are everywhere in Annecy.

The lake loop is the best half-day summary of the region: water, castles, mountains, and an infrastructure inherited from a vanished train. In September, when the crowds leave and the water stays warm, it’s at its peak.