Things to see and do Haute-Savoie

In the heart of the Haut-Chablais, on a 2 hectare estate, the remains of one of the most important Cistercian abbeys in medieval Savoy. Aulps Abbey has been a place of pilgrimage since the 11th century. Founded in 1095 by monks who had left the abbey of Molesme in Burgundy, the abbey of Notre-Dame-d'Aulps became independent in 1120 and Guérin de Pont-à-Mousson, the second abbot of Aulps and bishop of Sion, died there in 1150. He was soon venerated as the patron saint of livestock. The last Cistercian monks were expelled in 1792 by the revolutionaries. After the fire of 1823, the inhabitants of the village recovered its stones to rebuild their houses. Only the remains of the abbey church, the gatehouse, the cellars and the old monastic farm remain. However, these ruins have a lot of allure and the site is remarkable in more ways than one! The church has preserved its magnificent 13th century façade and the glorious abbey was classified as a historical monument in 1902. Today, it houses an interpretation center, a store, an herbal tea room, a medieval garden and vegetable garden. There is an exhibition on the daily life of the monks, their community, the history of the Duchy of Savoy in the Middle Ages and the secrets of medicinal plants. You can discover the abbey as it was before its destruction with the 3D augmented reality application Abbayedaulps and the helmets available for rent at the reception. A unique experience!

The Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Tourist Office has a warm and spacious reception area where visitors can find brochures, information panels and a children's area. The office offers a range of services, including free documentation, registration for guided tours, sales of ski passes, posters and goodies bearing the Chamonix logo, and sales of items and tickets for field hockey matches, bus excursions and the downtown tourist train. It also sells and distributes guest cards, fishing permits, last-minute hotel reservations, photocopies and free wifi access. The tourist office is open daily from 9am to 12:30pm and from 2pm to 6:30pm. It is accessible to people with reduced mobility thanks to a ramp and has reserved parking spaces nearby.

A massive 200 ha forest in Talloires offers a splendid view of Lake Annecy. The 69 ha of the natural reserve have a special flora, a mixture of mountain and Mediterranean species and a typical forest fauna rich in amphibians, reptiles and butterflies. Traces tell us the story of Roc de Chère: quarry of sandstone, land extraction areas and the life of the monks of Talloires (exploitation of forest and vines.)

Here, everything is to be discovered and this is not what will cost you the most expensive! Of course, we will turn the 13 communes that make up the community of the Annecy agglomeration to discover a rich, diverse and singular heritage. But you can also "concentrate" on three specific sites that make it possible to discover all the others better: The Museum-Château, the Palais de l'Ile and Citia exhibition with the Universe of Animation Cinema. Good news for those who want to be tempted by curiosity, these three exhibition and animation sites open their access free of charge every Sunday of the month for all, from October to May. Not to be missed even the rest of the year.