Jardins de l'Europe
On Gingerguide's self-guided Annecy audio tour, Jardins de l'Europe is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type park
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Annecy Annecy guide
About Jardins de l'Europe
A landscaped 19th-century lakeside park at the northern tip of Lake Annecy, planted with giant sequoias and ginkgos, where the lake meets the Thiou and Vassé canals.
The Jardins de l'Europe is a landscaped lakeside park at the northern tip of Lake Annecy, where the lake meets the Thiou and Vassé canals. It was laid out as an English-style garden, decided by the municipal council in 1863 after Savoy's 1860 annexation to France, on plans by Henri Porreaux. Planting of nearly 650 trees and more than a thousand shrubs began in December 1863 and was completed in January 1864, on ground reclaimed earlier in the century when two islands were joined into a peninsula.
The site was medieval marshland, owned by the Asinari family in the 14th century and given to the Order of the Visitation in 1644; after the Revolution it became national property and was bought by the town in 1834. Today it holds around 250 notable trees, including giant sequoias, ginkgo biloba and tulip trees, and a multiple sundial named L'Unique, inaugurated on 22 July 1876 at the lake end facing the Île aux Cygnes.
Did you know? Planting the gardens took barely a month: nearly 650 trees and more than a thousand shrubs went into the ground between December 1863 and January 1864, on plans by Henri Porreaux.
How much time do you need at Jardins de l'Europe?
Around ~30 min works well for Jardins de l'Europe — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Jardins de l'Europe?
Yes — Jardins de l'Europe made the cut as one of 12 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Annecy. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Annecy
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Jardins de l'Europe and read more:
Day 2 of the Annecy in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Jardins de l'Europe
Preview the Annecy tour free in the Gingerguide app.