| Although a very busy road rings Lake Annecy, a far more tranquil way of appreciating the lakeside is aboard one of the frequent boats that depart from Annecy's canal-side port, with the possibility of stopovers or returning later in the day. Trips stopping off at various points on the lake are offered by Compagnie de Navigation on place aux Bois, beside Quai Bayreuth – a full circuit costs €12.10. On the east shore of the lake, signposted out of the village of MENTHON-ST-BERNARD, is the grand, turreted Château de Menthon (May, June & Sept Fri–Sun & hols 2–6pm; July & Aug daily noon–6pm; €5.50, €6 for weekend medieval costume shows). Inhabited since the twelfth century and birthplace of St Bernard, the patron saint of mountaineers, the fortress was extensively renovated in the nineteenth century in the romantic Gothic-revival style and possesses a fine collection of period furniture and views across the lake back to Annecy. You can eat here at the lakeside Buvette du Port, which offers plats du jour for around €8, while for a place to stay, try Le Saint-Bernard in the centre of the village (tel & fax 04.50.60.01.55; €30–40), which also has a good restaurant. A few kilometres down the road is the lovely lakeside village of TALLOIRES, whose eleventh-century Benedictine abbey has been converted into the luxurious Hôtel de l'Abbaye (tel 04.50.60.77.33, www.abbaye-talloires.com; €125–150; closed Nov to mid-April). On the west side of the lake, the village of DUINGT occupies a peninsula where there are two more 1000-year-old châteaux, one in ruins and the other partly rebuilt. Like Menthon-St-Bernard and Talloires, it has a small beach, with the opportunity to rent pleasure craft. The village has a few good-value hotels, among them the Hôtel du Lac (tel 04.50.68.90.90; €55–70). For a more tranquil overnight stay, head 7km south to the village of DOUSSARD, where the Hôtel Grand Parc (tel 04.50.44.30.22, fax 04.50.44.85.03; closed Oct-April; €40–55) offers lakeside accommodation.
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