View of the Pont des amours, Annecy-le-Vieux
Lake Annecy (French Lac d'Annecy) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France :958. It is the third largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu, if the French part of Lake Geneva (which is also partly in Switzerland) is excluded. It is known as "Europe's cleanest lake" because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s. It is a popular tourist destination known for its swimming and water sports. The lake was formed about 18,000 years ago, at the time the large alpine glaciers melted. It is fed by many small rivers from the surrounding mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon), and from a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, which enters at 82 m depth. Annecy-le-Vieux is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. It is the fourth-largest town in Haute-Savoie in terms of population, and is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Annecy. It is essentially a residential suburb of Annecy, being less than 3 km from its centre, and is sometimes known at the "XVIe arrondissement" of Annecy. The mayor, Bernard Accoyer, is serving his second term. A doctor by profession, he is also the député of the district and has been president of the UMP group in the Assemblée nationale since 2002. The Pont des Amours is a gateway situated on the 'lake of Annecy in the entrance channel of Vasse . It connects the Pâquier the Gardens of Europe ; it marks one of the inputs with the Thiou , the waters of the lake within the city. According to sources, the Pont des Amours owes its name to its former occupation: it was the place to go to meet prostitutes. A more romantic version says that the bridge was (and probably still is) a place where lovers liked to find. The legend on the bridge said that two lovers giving a kiss in the middle will be united for life.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Annecy-le-Vieux, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: amours, annecy-le-vieux, annercy, boats, canal, des, du, fountin, france, haute-savoie, hire, lake, moored, morred, mountains, pont, region, rhône-alpes, southeastern, trees, vasse, water
