Chambéry was founded at a crossroads of ancient routes through the Dauphiné region of France, Switzerland, and Italy, in a wide valley between the Bauges and the Chartreuse Mountains on the Leysse River. The history of Chambéry is closely linked to the House of Savoy and was the Savoyard capital from 1295 to 1563. During this time, Savoy encompassed a region that stretched from Bourg-en-Bresse in the west, across the Alps to Turin, north to Geneva, and south to Nice. To insulate Savoy from provocations by France, Duke Emmanuel Philibert moved his capital to Turin in 1563, and, consequently, Chambéry declined.

Despite a complex history of ownership (and significant WWII bombing), it’s architecturally impressive and very walkable, with an admirably restored old town, many covered passages, mansions, trompe-l’oeil facades, a famous Elephants fountain, charming internal courtyards, cathedral, and castle – the former residence of the Dukes of the Savoie. There’s enough to cover a weekend, especially for foodies. Try visiting on a Saturday morning to take advantage of the very large, well appointed market, which overflows from a historic market hall into the streets. I’d choose Chambéry over Grenoble if passing through the area. Stop by the TI for a guide to the walking tour, marked by elephant medallions.

• Château des Ducs de Savoie is hard to figure out – apparently there are tours, limited in nature, but we couldn’t determine the timing. There’s a two room exhibit on the history of the town. Most of the large complex is in very active use as municipal buildings for the town.
• **PINSON Restaurant was very nearly a three star – it’s tiny, right on a main street but with the feeling of a hidden find. The wine list is good and our appetizers were exceptional – riffs on classic dishes with fine plating and interesting ingredients.
• **Museum of Charmettes – House of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: just a 30 minute walk from town, but with the feeling of being far into the country, Charmettes is an odd little excursion worth making. A teenage Rousseau met Madame de Warens, 13 years his senior, in 1728. He called her “maman” and they moved into Les Charmettes farmhouse together (along with her second lover/staff member)  in 1736 for their summers, spending winters in town. The house isn’t restored so much as preserved – everything is a bit crooked, it’s not entirely clear the building was ever winterized, and you can see Rousseau’s bedroom and Madame’s more romantic quarters (with hand-painted wallpaper). 

The main artery between Lyon and Chambéry has an impressive collection of restaurants – check out the Michelin guide; it’s rather packed for a fairly rural area. We’re still discovering the options, but to list a few:

La Tour-du-Pin

Towards Lyon approaching Chambery, **Restaurant Traiteur l’Oie’Z’Haut is way better than it should be – we made a roadside stop and went in based on google reviews. It’s very unassuming in a not particularly central part of town. Food was excellent, French menus, very affordable and well done.

Maubec

Mauben is a tiny little town with an outstanding restaurant, ***L’Esprit Bistrot. It looks fairly municipal from the outside (not run down – it’s actually very new – but it’s adjacent to the Mairie and could be mistaken for a school). Inside, there’s a light and modern dining room and a protected, sunny outdoor garden. Service was very good, and the food was impressive. For the price (the menu ran $40 for three courses at lunch), this is a real find.

Myans

On the way out of town to the south, there’s an unassuming restaurant, **L’auberge de Myans, which is quite decent. The food wasn’t remarkable or diverse (there’s a menu of the day – that is your option) but we enjoyed it for the friendly service and very local ambiance. It’s across the street from an old (1250-ish) church with an unusual stacked interior.

Le Bourget-du-Lac

We’ve just dipped our toe into Lac du Bourget – it has a similarity to Annecy, but the experience is quite different. 

We didn’t love the south and east sides. It feels much more commercial (traffic/built up), banded by a large road, condensing access to specific beaches along the lake. In the south, *Restaurant Le Calypso was okay – it’s in a crowded stretch of dining options, and I’d choose something else next time.

We drove through Aix-le-Bains and would definitely avoid it in the future.

The plateau on the west side, however, is a very different story. It’s surprisingly beautiful – mountain slopes lined with vineyards, with excellent views stretching over the Rhone river. It’s not crowded, great for bike riding, or a day of wine tasting (lots of places to taste, near round, particularly around Jongieux. We had a very nice tasting at the extremely friendly **Domaine Edmond Jacquin et Fils, which I especially appreciate because the wine comes from the local Bergin estate.

We specifically did the ride of ***Le Balcon du Lac du Bourget – with an e-bike this is close to perfect, with quite a bit of diversity. We did not like the painful VTT track detour we took on the lakeside slope facing Bourget itself – avoid any hiking or biking there at any cost. 

The town of Chanaz is attractive and looks worthy of a longer stop: cute canal-side dining, a major camping area with modern mini-house options, very kid-friendly. We had a very good lunch at the summer-only **L’Ail des Ours, which is a bit hidden (though clearly not a secret), with a big creek-side patio. The kitchen is tiny, and the menu leans a bit crunchy for my taste (rice bowls, curries, along with some fish and more traditional options) – but it was very well executed, quite tasty.

Aside from wine and sports, most people come to this area to tour the majestic **Abbaye d’Hautecombe. A former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, for centuries it was the burial place of the members of the House of Savoy. The abbey was secularized and sold in 1792, when the French entered Savoy, and was turned into a china-factory. King Charles Felix of Sardinia (ruler of the Savoyard states from 1821 until his death in 1831) purchased the ruins in 1824, had the church re-constructed in an exuberant Gothic-Romantic style. It’s really quite over the top, with some 300 statues and many frescoes. For the history, the excellent site on the lake, and for the interiors, this is worth a visit.

Above the Abbaye there’s an especially good restaurant, **Le Belvédère d’Ontex. It looks touristy, the menu is limited to perhaps 5-6 dishes, but they were all excellent. We came with a party of 10 and they served us well.