An easy road trip southwest of Annecy is this spa town on the shore of Lac du Bourget, founded by the Romans and wildly popular with Europe’s wealthy in the 19th century.
They came to take the health-giving waters, and during this time fitted Aix-les-Bains with grand Belle Époque hotels, townhouses and a casino.
Whether you feel like gambling, or just to gaze awestruck at the art nouveau interiors, you need to call in at the Casino Grand Cercle.
If you need cosseting after your outdoor excursions at Lake Annecy, Aix-les-Bains is still a top-class spa resort with pools and saunas, and all the restorative treatments you could hope for.
