Family
Fall vacation is always filled with mystery and intrigue
Explore the castles round Lake Annecy on a family adventure…
Far from gloomy, fall vacation offers many colorful ways to enjoy passing the time, whether simply watching the leaves change color, or by attending one of the many festivals scheduled throughout the season.
One of them, Halloween, offers its fair share of mystery, monsters, and scary stories. What better way to spend a haunting “All Hallow’s Eve” and All Saints’ Day than by visiting the iconic castles in the area?
As the creaking gates open and the stone walls awaken the castles around Lake Annecy offer so many different ways for you have fun, enjoy an escape, and make you shake in your boots… boo!
Have a Happy Halloween in Annecy’s Castle-Museum
Perched on its promontory overlooking the city and the lake, Annecy’s Castle-Museum makes a great first impression simply by its stature. During fall vacation, explore the castle in a new light as you wander through the rooms and halls viewing the museum’s impressive exhibits. The treasure hunt has a few hauntingly startling surprises in store for you! Costumes are required if you hope to earn the Halloween’s always coveted treasure… a piece of candy!
Please register ahead of time. Price: €7. Monday, October 24, at 14:00 (2pm) for ages 6 to 8. Thursday, October 27, at 14:00 (2pm) for ages 9 to 12.
© Gilles Piel / Musée-Château d'Annecy
To experience Halloween to its fullest as a family, enjoy the Castle-Museum’s “Festival du Fantastique” (Fantasy Festival) on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, October 28-30. The Compangie Glossolalie has put together a fantastic program that will surely send shivers up and down your spine: music, theater, photography, readings, games, and encounters.
Pricing: €5.60 per adult – €3 per child – shows are free.
Fill up on fun and games at Montrottier Castle
During the fall vacation period Montrottier Castle, located in a beautiful area just a dozen kilometers from Annecy on your way to Chambéry, offers you the chance to let your imagination run wild through a wide variety of family-oriented fun and games.
In addition to guided tours of the castle, from October 23 through November 5, all children ages four and up can participate in the Halloween workshops where they will enjoy making their own Halloween masks and garlands. A vivid imagination is required.
© Anthony Titifanua / Château de Montrottier
In the Halloween spirit during storytelling time at 16:00 (4pm) on October 25 and November 1, Elaéra will tell tall tales to take kids ages five and up into a world filled with witches and ghosts… all friendly of course.
On Thursdays October 27 and November 3 during the vacation, visiting Montrottier Castle will also offer the opportunity to learn medieval dancing, including dedicated sessions for kids 3 to 6 years old as well as others for everyone over 7 years old.
During and/or outside school vacation periods, Montrottier Castle also organizes 45-minute long Escape Games where kids (eight years old and up) and adults have to figure out who is behind the mysterious thefts at the castle.
Pricing: €10 per adult – €7 per child.
Explore Menthon Castle and its beautiful surrounding
With its fairytale allure, Menthon Castle has no equal when it to filling visitors with a sense of wonder. Fall vacation offers the ideal opportunity to explore the castle and marvel at the incredible views of Lake Annecy.
The castle has stayed within the same family for twenty-three generations. Built in the 12th century, learn about the history of the castle grounds, as well as what makes this place so truly unique: the presence everywhere of those who have lived here throughout the centuries.
From room to room enjoy an immersive voyage through the castle’s enchanting history, including the library with more than 12,000 books dating from before the French Revolution, the kitchen equipped with a twenty-meter long service hallway bored straight through the rock to connect it to the dining room, the countess’s bedroom decorated with ornamental woodwork, marquetry, and tapestries, the timber-framed gallery, and the chapel.
© Gilles Piel / Château de Menthon
While the castle does not organize any dedicated events during the fall vacation period, on November 18, 2022, through January 1, 2023, it will transform into Santa Claus’s fairytale world, with lights, workshops, food, chalets with artisanal products, and festive entertainment for all to enjoy.
Until Christmas vacation, Menthon Castle is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 14:00 to 18:00 (4pm to 6pm), or by appointment upon request.
Pricing: €11 for ages 15 and up – €6 for kids ages 5 to 14.
Another story
Copyright:
- © Françoise Cavazzana / Château de Menthon
Journalist: Gaëlle Tagliabue
Translation: Darin Reisman