Annecy town, France

Annecy is a historic town with colorful buildings on a crystal clear blue-green lake with a backdrop of stunning, high mountains. The 17th and 18th century buildings have a unique look with chunky archways and storefronts of orange, mint green, red, and yellow ochre. The streets are cobblestone, with pretty lanterns. There are many churches with towers reaching to the sky, some absolutely magical at night, especially Eglise Notre Dame de Liesse, with its four side towers lit in yellow. The old town is the cute part, while the rest of the town, around the train station, is your typical generic French 1950s architecture. The sweetest part of the old town is the island in the river/canal that has a 12th century castle, Palais de l'Ile, that served as a prison and courthouse. It is lit up at night, adding to the magic. You can stand on the stone bridge and admire it. Flower boxes filled to the brim with petunias line the canal, which roars and swirls depending on its levels. There are little passageways throughout the old town, taking you through buildings, and bridges taking you over canals, adding to the charm.

Up on the hill above the town is a castle, Chateau d'Annecy, and a church, Basilique de la Visitation, that adds to the scene. You can walk up to it via a steep street with ivy-lined walls called Rampe du Chateau, a nice walk in the early evening. 
The highlight of Annecy is the magnificent lakefront promenade. In the center of it is Jardins de l'Europe, an arboretum of unique tall trees (giant sequoias, gingko biloba, tulip trees), flowers including tulips in spring, and statues. Wow! Wide open views of the brightly colored lake, which is so pure and emerald because it comes from a glacier, and the high Alpine mountains are breathtaking. I could stay there forever just looking at these views. Just a few meters out in the water is Isle of Swans, a little manmade island where swans swim by.
You can walk a long way on the lakefront path- the bike path is separate from the walking path, so you can walk in peace. Many people bike ride around the entire lake, which has a dedicated 23-mile bike path separate from cars for most of the way. Walk twenty minutes past a huge lawn, Le Paquier, where people picnic blissfully and hang their legs over the lake, under a shady plane-tree-lined walkway (along Ave d'Albigny), past the flowers in Parc Charles Bosson, all the way to Plage de l'Imperial, for an incredible view you will never forget.
A canal of turquoise water (Canal du Vasse) lined with plane trees and crossed by a romantic ironwork bridge (Pont des Amours) adds to the charm of this park. Promenade Jacquet takes you along the canal and there is a historic carousel for kids, Manege Dufaux (3 euros to ride), where the man scares you each time you circle by. Young people sit on shady docks on the canal with their feet dangling in the water. 
Rue de Paquier is a good street for evening meals. The salmon-pink Ancien Hotel of Salles, built in 1690 and used as a residence by the princes of the House of Savoy, is an architectural highlight on this street- you see it across from you as you eat at Brasserie les Retrouvailles. This street has many pleasant brasseries, with cool air blowing off the lake. Try Brasserie l'Abbaye, Brasserie du Theatre, and Brasserie les Retrouvailles. Deeper into corners of the town, around Rue Perriere, the air becomes stagnant and it can be incredibly crowded on Sundays, with stinky Savoie cheese in the farmers market adding to the bad juju! 
Savoyard food is the regional cuisine, and everything on the menu contains stinky cheese full of bacteria and histamine. Even the sausage (diot) contains cheese- the surprise of the smell when they bring it out is something you will not forget. Ham and cheese sandwiches often contain AOC Comte cheese. We tried to acclimate to the cheeses, even ordering tartiflette, but after a while, we decided to give them a miss. You can avoid the stinky cheese by choosing sandwiches with Emmental cheese, and ordering simple pizzas or pepper steak at the restaurants. You can ask for a side salad (salade verte), which they will add to your meal for 4 euros even if it's not on the menu, and then you will have a complete meal.
Boulangerie Rouge is the best bakery in town, with chocolate crayons, pain au chocolat, and poulet with herbs (like chicken curry) baguettes. I wish it was open every day! But it is closed on Sunday afternoons (the sandwiches sell out early in the morning) and Mondays. There is a good Franprix Supermarket market where you can buy delicious French yogurts and supplies. 
If you can stay in the old town, you should! It's wonderful to walk to everything. Avoid Annecy on Sundays- the small streets can't contain that many visitors.
You can also walk on a lakefront path south of old town Annecy, to Plage des Marquisats. The water is crystal clear, with little boulders. The expansive views of the lake and mountains are gorgeous, and there is a sweet little park with a narrow strip of grass and trees galore, right on the edge of the lake. 
An easy walk from old town is a small indoor mall called Centre Commercial Courier where you can buy some French clothes. Since the French are generally fit and in shape, the clothes have smaller waistlines which makes them pretty!
There is a large university complex of Engineering and Business studies, IUT d'Annecy and IAE Savoie Mont Blanc, 15 minutes drive from old town, giving Annecy a youthful atmosphere.
Annecy hosts an animation film festival each June.

Directions

The old town of Annecy, the part to see, is located around Palais de l'Isle, at 3 Pass. de l'Île, 74000 Annecy, France. 
Boulangerie Rouge, 3 Rue du Lac, 74000 Annecy, France. Closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays. 
Brasserie l'Abbaye, 4 Rue du Pâquier, 74000 Annecy, France.
Franprix Supermarket, 7 Rue de l'Annexion, 74000 Annecy, France.

Click on map for interactive view