Chambery, located in the heart of the French Alps, is the capital of Savoy. It is located near the Lac du Bourget (Lake Bourget), contemplated by the Alps that surround it. Chambery is a city that can be visited both in winter and in summer. In winter there are several ski resorts within a short drive. In the summer, those same Alps that were skied turn into hiking and backpacking trails and camping.
The center of Chambéry is the “old town” which includes a castle, once the residence of the Dukes of Savoy, a 15th century cathedral and a fine arts museum. There is also a ‘Fontaine des Elephants’ (Elephants Fontaine) built in honor of the Comte de Boigne, who bestowed a lot of wealth on the city. A large part of his personal wealth came from India, hence the Fontaine elephant.
The center of Chambéry offers not only tourist attractions, but also many shops to buy your favorite French products. If you’re lucky it might be market day and you can buy some fresh local produce. Like so many cities in France, Chambery is not only charming, it is also small enough to walk comfortably. You will be able to see the center without your feet hurting! But if you have that fear, there is a tourist ‘train’ that will take you through the center and allow you to visit it on foot as little as possible.
Chambery is a good base for exploring the French Alps, especially during winter, as it is just a short drive from ski resort towns such as Grenoble, Albertville, La Clusaz, Courchevel, Alpe d’Huez, Chamonix and Val d’Huez. ‘Isère. In summer, you can do other outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping. As Chambery is close to three national parks, Parc national de la Vanoise, Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse and Parc Naturel Régional du Massif des Bauges. Other nearby natural attractions include, Lac du Bourget and Lac d’Aiguebelette. Two other popular summer lakes are Lake Annecy, an hour’s drive away, and Lake Geneva, a two-hour drive away.
Getting to Chambery is easy as it has a modern airport; the official name is Chambéry Airport. The airport code is CMF. At the moment, there are a number of “emotionless” airlines such as Flybe and Jet2.com that have regular service to Chambery. These “emotionless” airlines fly from selected top European destinations such as Amsterdam and Brussels, along with UK destinations such as Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester and Southampton.
Chambery is also accessible by car from exit 13 of the A41 motorway, Chambery Nord. Chambery is just over an hour’s drive from Lyon and about seven hours’ drive from Paris. Chambery also has access by train. If you plan to come from Paris the best you can do is take the TGV (high speed train), it only takes about an hour and a half and then transfer to a regional train in Lyon that goes to Chambery.
Chambery can also be used as a base to visit other European cities and countries such as Geneva, Switzerland and Turin in Italy. Each is a two-hour drive away.
For information on how to get to Chambery, see ==> http://www.chamberyairport.net/ “> http://www.chamberyairport.net
