Portrait

Théo Arifont

Uncovering Annecy’s untold secrets

Sep. 2025

4 min.

Annecy has its timeless Épinal prints and its ever-legendary postcard feel: the lake, majestic swans, Old Town, artisanal ice cream, and cobblestone streets…

What you may not know is that a young man, with the look of a dandy, has made it his mission to give local history a new luster using his winning smile, juicy anecdotes, and sometimes even by acting out a historical scene or two.

What is the young man’s name? Théo Arifont.

What is his motto? When you laugh, you learn – Molière would have wholeheartedly given his stamp of approval.

Naturally at ease, with a certain bohemian elegance and a humorous demeanor, Théo has a gift for telling stories as well as incarnating their characters. His tour guide garb fits him like a glove, with an all-out unique style and taste that take you on a genuine trip through time.

Théo Arifont belongs to a new generation of tour guides who have freed themselves from tradition while still paying careful attention to even the smallest of details. An over-the-top personality in the Alps, Théo is an Annecy native, as passionate about his hometown as he is about history, including all those little-known facts and associated minutiae that we often overlook.

He astutely narrates local history, comfortably walking the fine line between humor and indifference. While often adding just the right dose of dramatization, he adapts every tour to his audience, harnessing the energy of the moment to make each foray into Old Town a unique and vibrant experience.

Heritage serving as a theater through time

Beyond the deliberate look and Napoleonic costume he sometimes wears, Théo conceals a quite astonishing background.

Born in Annecy, he quickly displayed a passion for history and heritage without knowing where it would take him. A history major in college, he first heard about working as a tour guide simply by chance.

Then began the wonderful experience of serving as a guide for the general public, dramatizing the tours he leads throughout Menthon-Saint-Bernard Castle as well as through discussions with the non-profit Cybèle in Lyon – a professional revelation filled with a healthy dose of panache.

Through the experience, something simply clicked, “I realized that it was possible for me to combine theater and history – it was like being hit by a bolt of lightning professionally speaking.” This led him to a Master’s degree in Heritage and Cultural Projects Coordination, as well as earning his official tour guide card to set off on the exciting adventure of blending storytelling with performance.

With his diploma in hand, Théo ventured off to Seville to work a tour guide, subsequently taking advantage of the opportunity to become a tour guide for the City of Annecy. He made contact with the Tourism Office, created his own small company, and began guiding locals and tourists along the many roads through Annecy’s fascinating history.

At just 25 years old, bubbling with ideas, Théo has literally launched a cultural startup, applying a truly warm and friendly approach. Whether offering a traditional tour through Old Town or embodying Napoleon III to explore the marks left by the Second Empire, physical remnants that you can touch, Théo devises of a wide variety of ways to talk about local history and heritage. The major urban projects, relics from the Middle Ages, the origin of the Fête du Lac festival, the arrival of the first train in Annecy… This guide recounts the major events in local history and takes us on a trip beyond time to observe the city in a different light.

The present through the window of the past

By building bridges between eras, Théo makes history come alive. From one secret to another, enjoy learning in a way that no textbook can offer.

Among his favorite anecdotes, there are those involving Saint-Maurice Church, located across the street from City Hall (“Hôtel de Ville”). A little-known fact: built to host major gatherings of the Dominican Order, the church’s central nave is 10 cm wider than Notre Dame’s in Paris! Such a fascinating detail is well worth mentioning. In the same vein, and contrary to most churches that were originally painted and then simplified over time, Saint-Maurice Church was rather austere and bland at the outset, and then over time decorated with colorful frescos, mostly during the 19^th century. And if you sometimes have the nagging feeling that the church leans just a little, have no fear, this is not an optical illusion. Built on marshy ground, in its own way it looks a little like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

To wander even further off the beaten path, and especially to speak to a wider public, Théo has developed a new style of guided tour based on activating the senses. Through a sensorial escape, he uses touch and hearing to guide you, which offers an accessible alternative to the visually impaired and people with limited or reduced mobility. And when Théo talks about touching stones, listening to the water lapping along the riverbanks, or following a circuit over all the bridges in town, you quickly understand to what extent the area’s heritage comes to life. “What is created for impaired individuals can also enhance everyone’s experience.” Embark on sensory adventure as a way to explore the city and learn about its unique history.

Guided tours 2.0

Since Théo is just as passionate about history as he is about teaching it to others, he is always thinking of and developing new projects.

Among the latest to date, developed in collaboration with Aude Thierrin, is a cultural treasure hunt, a game for exploring the city designed for families and groups who usually shy away from guided tours. And next summer, ride around the lake on truly eye-opening educational bike tours. Stopping at various spots along the shores of the lake, the tour feels like a slice of the good life, your bike working like a time machine, leading you to the hidden historical gems in the villages of Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Talloires-Montmin, and Duingt, all of which contain many wonders and stories from the past. Simply enjoy the ride and the stories as you cruise along the water’s edge.

With such a sincere, energetic desire to explore history and its hidden secrets, Théo is a ball of positive energy who easily adapts to his audience, whatever its makeup. “I don’t teach classes, I create a fun and enjoyable cultural experience.” He omits useless dates and long-winded explanations that might scare certain people away from participating in this type of guided tour, and uses tangible elements that people can see, touch, and hear, as well as other details about the city’s buildings to keep everyone’s attention focused. In addition, Théo purposefully fosters a dialog and interactive discussion with his audience when answering questions.

Feel free to follow the guide!

To prolong the summer just a little and ease into the fall season, enjoy one of Théo’s upcoming guided tours to explore Annecy’s Old Town. Choose from one of the following dates: September 13 and 27, as well as October 4.

And remember to take full advantage of European Heritage Days on the weekend of September 20 and 21, a wonderful opportunity to dive deep into the area’s often little-known history. Théo plans to lead several guided tours throughout the weekend.

Explore the city with Théo

Théo Arifont

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