Lake Annecy (see list hotels) (French Lac d'Annecy) is a lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is the second largest lake in France, after lac du Bourget, except for the French part of lac Léman (Lake Geneva). 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. 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.

Towns and villages around the lake

View of Lake Annecy from Talloires
Paul Cezanne. Le lac bleu, 1896.Annecy
Annecy-le-Vieux
Doussard
Duingt
Lathuile
Menthon-Saint-Bernard
Saint-Jorioz
Sevrier
Talloires
Veyrier-du-Lac
A cycle path goes around Lake Annecy past Sevrier and St Jorioz to Faverges. It has an aim to reach Albertville. The lake is around 14km long.

Administration Annecy
Annecy is a municipality in the Haute-Savoie (Savouè d’Amont / Hiôta-Savouè) département, in the Rhône-Alpes région. It is the préfecture (capital) of the département.

The metropolitan area of Annecy includes 13 municipalities.

Annecy is the capital of three cantons:
The Canton of Annecy-Centre is made up of a part of Annecy and has 15,344 inhabitants;
The Canton of Annecy-Nord-Est is also made up of part of Annecy and counts 19,540 inhabitants;
The largest canton is that of the Annecy-Nord-Est, which is formed from a part of Annecy and the communities of La Balme-de-Sillingy, Choisy, Épagny, Lovagny, Mésigny, Metz-Tessy, Meythet, Nonglard, Poisy, Sallenôves et Sillingy. Its population numbers 44,164.