Aix-Les-Bains
For the (Healing) Waters

By Arnie Greenberg, ultours1@gmail.com

People have been flocking to the healing waters of Aix-Les-Bains for centuries. Because of its proximity to Switzerland and the aging population, the healing mineral baths of the beautiful small city (pop. 25,000) in France’s Haute Savoie Region, not far from Geneva, near Chambery.

The baths or Thermes, newly started in 1776 by the king of Sardinia, Victor-Amedee III, have been modernized restored and enlarged as recently as 1970, as new equipment for the cures became available. There were actually Thermal baths in the time of the Romans. Remains of the Roman baths are still there.

Thousands come to Aix every year. There are more people coming here for the ‘cure’ than any spa in France. But there’s much more than the baths in this people friendly city. You can enjoy the streets, parks, statuary from Roman days, a fabulous boat harbor, a protected walk along the water dating back to the days when Queen Victoria visited, great restaurants, a gambling casino, some of the best French pastry I’ve eaten and some wonderful hotels at all prices.

Hotel Astoria, an old but sophisticated refuge is across the square
from the baths, near the tourist office. You must see this hotel’s dining room. Employees are very warm and helpful. The setting is pure ‘Belle Epoque’.

For something more rural, I suggest the Hotel Pastorale near the Grand Port. It is small and not ultra modern but its setting is the attraction and the owners provide one of the best dining rooms in the area. It is set completely in a park surrounded by trees, flowers and silence.

(A quiet scene inAix-les-Bains)

Aix bristles with people. When I was last in Aix on holiday, people were playing chess in the square with near life-size chess pieces. Others listened to free concerts in the parks. It’s a lush surrounding and a very comfortable place for a holiday. There are major events planned for each of the summer months. Plan April in Aix if you like baroque music, July if you enjoy opera or August for the annual flower festival. Tour the lake. The fun continues through September especially if you like ballooning or mountain climbing.

The Museum Fare is worth a visit if you like Rembrandt, Corot, Cézanne, Sisley, Pisarro, Degas, Bonnard or the Japanese impressionist, Foujita. I especially enjoy the walking Man by Rodin and the Sevres or Lalique porcelains from Vienna and Berlin.

Aix has had many special visitors over the years. Napoleon’s sister
Pauline was there in 1808 and two years later Josephine herself came for the waters. So too did the ex-Empress Marie-Louise in 1814. No doubt they walked with long dresses and parasols under the trees of the Esplanade du Lac.

A few years later they might have seen the poet Lamartine with his lover Julie Charles. Lamartine is much revered in the area. His famous poem, ’Le Lac’, was written here. There are schools named after him.

If you like Roman artifacts, visit the Temple of Diana. You can see the Head of Venus dating back to the second century B.C. There are Roman relics in the city square including a magnificent arch dating back two thousand years.

Visit Hautecombe Abbey with its legendary history, once a refuge for Umberto II, the last King of Italy. Ski in winter, swim in Lac Le Bourget, or play golf and tennis in warmer weather. There is an interesting Aquarium here established by the Minister of the Environment. There are 42 species of fish on display, 33 of which live in the fresh waters of the nearby lake.

You are at the base of the French Alps here, only an hour from the best skiing in France. Nearby Albertville is very well equipped. It was the site of the Winter Olympics recently. From here it’s only a short hop to Chamonix, the ice fields (Le Mer Des Glaces) and the famous Mt Blanc tunnel that takes you to Italy.

This historical city is in a microclimate caused by the lake and it’s
location, protected by winds by the surrounding mountains. The lake never freezes and flowers abound.

Only a few miles away to the North East lies the less sophisticated but larger city of Annecy, on Lake Annecy. What a wonderful alternative or at least a day trip from Aix. This is by far this writer’s choice for a lakeside summer holiday. The old town is a Mecca for visitors. You have the feeling of being in old Europe. People from the north come to Annecy to spend the winter months.

There is everything one would want from a French tourist resort (pop. 50,000). But it is a bit busy even if it is one of the most charming towns in the region, especially in old Annecy, so I always select a hotel away from the hubbub.

But I return to walk the narrow streets of the old town, filled with souvenir hawkers and children eating ice cream. It looks like we imagine Europe to look especially with the tiny bridges fording the river in the most congested areas. Here you walk free of the traffic.There are many large hotels right in the center of Annecy but knowing what exists on the lake, my overnight choice is the tiny village of Talloires on the Eastern Shore of Lake Annecy. There are prestigious and basic hotels to chose from. You can come here from nearby Annecy by boat.

Directly across the lake is the ancient Chateau de Duingt, which you can visit. It’s close enough to drive in for the evening and sample gourmet cooking. You can also take a boat ride around the lake. Consider having dinner as you glide along the cold refreshing waters fed by the snows of the French Alps.

Annecy is safe, clean and suitable for family holidays. On Sundays during the summer, the old city is extremely crowded.

AIX INFO:
Tourist Office, Place Maurice Mollard-BP 111
73101, Aix-les-Bains
TEL: 04 79 35 05 92HOTELS IN AIX-LES-BAINS
Le Pastorale, Part of the Logis de France network. Owners are Mr. & Mrs.
Davat. It is half-hidden in the foliage of the magnificent gardens & dining room, always adorned by interesting art that is for sale. Very close to Lac Le
Bourget in sight of the Dent du Chat, at 221, Ave du Grand-Port in 73100
Aix-Les-Bains (best for a summer visit). Tel: 04 79 35 25 36

Hotel Le Manoir, once part of the old luxury hotel Splendide-Royale, is closer to the center of town with excellent restaurant, reception rooms, indoor pool, sauna and Jacuzzi as well as rooms with balconies in a quiet treed setting. The atmosphere is one of an old country house to be enjoyed by friends. There are walks and jogging paths in the nearby forest, Bois Vidal. It is classified as a Relais de Silence. They are at 37, rue
Georges 1er, 73100 Aix-les-Bains.Tel: 04 79 61 44 00

Hotel Astoria, in the center of town, near Spa and Tourist Office. With
antique furnishings, high ceilings, marble stairways and a distinctive
elegance. This hotel is closed during the winter months, as are most hotels
far from the ski slopes. You will be surprised at the prices here considering the ambiance. It is rated ***, which surprised me. They can arrange for golf, tennis all water sports. It’s old world and borders on opulence. Place des Thermes, 73100 Aix-les-Bains, Tel; 4 79 35 12 28

HOTELS IN OR NEAR ANNECY
I suggest the Hotel Imperial Palace. Any of the 98 rooms are worth the money. They are at 32 Ave. d’Albigny, Tel: 4 50 09 30 00.

There is also the ever-present Holiday Inn on Ave du Thiou, 5.

For quiet on Lake Annecy, away from the crowds, try the village of Talloires on the East side.

Hotel de L’Abbaye, Route du Port, Talloires
Tel: 04 50 60 77 33
This elegant small hotel was once a 17th Century Benedictine abbey. It is located on the shores of the lake.

Tourist Office in Annecy: 1 rue Jean Jaures
Tel: 04 50 45 00 33

NOTE: Don’t confuse Aix-les-Bains with Aix-en-Provence, farther south.