The River Fier, which trickles out of the lake through Annecy's picturesque canals, has cut a narrow crevice through the limestone rock at the Gorges du Fier (daily: mid-March to mid-June 9am–noon & 2–6pm; mid-June to mid-Sept 9am–7pm; mid-Sept to mid-Oct 9am-noon & 2-6pm; €4.20). Signposted off the D14 at Lovagny, a footpath leads down into the 300-metre-long gorge which is traversed along a high-level walkway pinned to the gorge side. As you pass along, you'll catch glimpses of the Château de Montrottier (mid-March to May & Sept Mon & Wed–Sun 10am–1pm & 2–6pm; June–Aug daily 10am–1pm & 2–7pm; Oct daily 2-5pm; €5.35), which can be reached by continuing along the path for another 3km. The castle, which dates from the thirteenth century, possesses an eclectic collection of furniture, earthenware and lace as well as exotic objects from former French colonies in West Africa and the Far East, amassed during the nineteenth century by one Léon Mares.Sixteen kilometres north of Annecy, just after the N201 Geneva road parts from the autoroute, the highway spectacularly bridges the gorge of the River Usses, 140m below. Known as the Pont de la Caille, the present bridge was built in 1925, at which time it possessed one of the longest single spans in Europe. Next to it is the stunning spectacle of the original bridge, built under the orders of the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, in 1839, and now disused. Its crenellated towers, supported by two dozen cables, are an impressive example of bold, mid-nineteenth-century engineering.
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