Guided walking tour of Annecy

As your flight descends towards the foot of the Alps, the mountains will provide the perfect backdrop for the start of your journey. Landing in Geneva, the idyllic medieval town of Annecy is just an hour to the south. As you cross the border and drive into the town, the scenery will change from rolling green fields to modern suburbs, and finally to the medieval streets and canals that Annecy is known for. 

You’ll have a bit of time to freshen up at the hotel before meeting your Language School Tour Leader. Local to the area and an expert in both languages and the culture of the region, they’ll be with you throughout your trip providing deeper insights and educational enrichment to particular activities. 

Your first activity will see the students enjoying a walking tour of Annecy, becoming accustomed to the network of ancient streets and canals, and walking along the shore of the beautiful lake. With a wide array of quaint shops, cafes, and market stalls, students will find ample opportunities here to engage with the locals. Your local tour leader will show you the key points of interest and provide deeper insights into the culture of the region and what makes Annecy so special. They’ll also suggest some of the best eateries around town if you’re looking for lunch or sweet treats.  

Boat trip on Lake Annecy and cinemas visit

Your first full day in Annecy will begin at the Ifalpes language school for a French workshop in the morning. Your tour leader will work with you to create a lesson plan that focuses on the key topics for your students to practice throughout the day. This will also be a great opportunity for those that perhaps don’t feel as confident as others, to focus on key phrases and build their confidence in conversations. 

After your lesson, discover the culinary specialties of Annecy and Haute Savoie in a food tasting workshop including cheeses and traditional dishes.  Whilst speaking French throughout students will discuss the delicacies on offer and their opinions on them.

This afternoon, the beautiful glimmering waters of Lake Annecy await. Taking to the water on a boat trip, students will get to explore France’s third-largest lake and learn more about the towns dotted along its shore. Your tour leader will give commentary in French, providing some key insights into the history of the lake, why people came to settle in this region, and how the lake provides economical benefits for the region through tourism, sports, and fishing. 

Once they’re back on dry land, students can take some time to relax and enjoy a traditional French game of pétanque. Much likes boules, they’ll have the opportunity to socialise, hone their skills, and have fun improving their French further.  

Finally, your students can spend the evening enjoying a showing of the latest film in French at Annecy’s cinema. Though you can opt for a variety of films showing each day, we’d suggest an animated film if there’s one showing. Annecy is famous for hosting the annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and so experiencing an animated French film here is a must-see experience.  

Musée Château d’Annecy and animation movie museum

Today, the group will visit the Musée Château d’Annecy. Providing a deeper insight into the medieval history of the town, your students can explore the wide variety of artworks, furnishings and statues displayed in the museum’s exhibitions. From the tower, you’ll enjoy panoramic views over the town with the beautiful lake and mountains in the background. Listening to the French commentary from your tour leader, students will try to decipher the meanings and stories of the historical pieces on display as they read the French informational boards.  

Next door, students will find the Animation Movie Museum. Paying homage to Annecy’s important role in the animated film industry, and its international animation film festival, this museum highlights how this art has developed over the decades.  

After a tasty French lunch, your students will get the opportunity to explore and converse with the locals in a fun treasure hunt activity. Splitting into groups, students will try to uncover a range of clues that lead to a variety of different treasures around Annecy’s old town. Though good knowledge of the French language will help, some local knowledge will go a long way in finding the treasures. The welcoming locals will be sure to provide some assistance, and talking to them in French will help your students to practice their conversational skills in a real-world scenario and boost their confidence.  

Late this afternoon students can develop their ice-skating skills or challenge themselves starting from scratch.

Home

Before departing for Geneva to fly home, you’ll have some time for one more pedagogical activity. The Board Game Olympics is a fun learning activity where students split into teams and rotate around three or four different board games. Each team member is competing to win points for their team. Following an initial activity to learn the key French terms and phrases, students must play the games in French to win. Students will learn through fun and repetition, and the winning group will be awarded a delicious Annecy treat.