The Pays d’Alby
© PNR du Massif des Bauges / Pays d'Alby and Bauges
Benefiting from a privileged location with its green landscapes and typical villages, the Pays d’Alby offers a nature break and an ideal heritage interlude to recharge your batteries.
From the Chéran river to the Crosagny ponds, from the medieval town of Alby-sur-Chéran to the vertiginous Pont de l’Abîme, this area, 20 minutes from Annecy, invites you to discover its many secrets.
Medieval village of Alby-sur-Chéran
At the foot of the Semnoz, this former capital of shoemaking is revealed behind its ramparts. Visit the Shoemaker’s Museum, which recalls its glorious artisanal past. Discover the Ciergerie Blanchet, a former candle-making workshop, which represents a craft skill perpetuated for more than a century. Don’t miss the Notre-Dame de Plaimpalais church, the work of the famous architect Maurice Novarina. To discover all the facets of the village, follow the walk “Suivez la mouche”.
© Gilles Piel / Place du Trophée in Alby-sur-Chéran
The Chéran, a wild river
The Chéran has been labelled “Wild River Site” since 2019. It borns in the heart of the “Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park” (at an altitude of nearly 2200 m) and flows into the Fier. It is a great place to fish for wild trout, grayling, loche or sculpin, which can be teased with lures, toc, shot or even fly fishing.
Pêche au Chéran
The Chaos of the Chéran
The Chaos of the Chéran is a major geosite of the “Massif des Bauges Regional Nature Park” and a site labelled sensitive natural area (ENS). It marks the beginning of the French Alps. A beautiful nature outing is possible, both contemplative and vertiginous, between the banks of the river and the vertiginous panorama at the Pont de l’Abîme, a suspended metal bridge which overhangs the Chéran by 96 m.
© Gilles Piel / Pont de l'Abîme and Chéran
Walks in the Pays d’Alby
The Pays d’Alby is a rich natural territory, enchanting you all year round with its country and bucolic hiking trails. Admire the Saint-Jacques Towers, the Chaos du Chéran, the Etangs de Crosagny (a protected area with varied flora and fauna). Push on to the village of Saint-Sylvestre to admire the beautiful panorama.
© Gilles Piel / Hiking to the St. Jacques Towers
Museum of Nature
In Gruffy, the Nature Museum presents 300 naturalised animals in their natural environment, as well as a living glass beehive for those curious about nature! To be discovered with the family…