Arcaded lanes of pastel houses run beside a canal, with a castle above the roofs.
What Vieil Annecy looks like
Four pedestrian streets run out from the foot of the castle. Arcades line each of them on a cross plan. The arches of rue Sainte-Claire date from the 17th and 18th centuries, with fountains set along the street. The ground floors are shopfronts, with jewellers and tea rooms on rue Royale. Souvenir shops and ice cream counters line rue Sainte-Claire.
The Thiou runs open along the whole old town. Two more canals cut through it. The canal du Vassé disappears under a covered stretch and reappears behind the church of Saint-Maurice. Flower boxes hang from the footbridge railings. Pastel render faces the water on both banks.
The on rue du Pâquier has arcades at ground level and a pink render facade, with four busts of the seasons above them. The sits on a natural rock island in the Thiou. Its heavy grilles stand at the waterline. The overlooks the town.
Covered passages called traboules run between parallel streets, linking courtyards through the blocks. The is an iron footbridge that links the to the Pâquier. Moored boats sit on the canal du Vassé beneath a canopy of plane trees.
Shot in Vieil Annecy
Banlieusards 3, the Netflix film released in March 2026, began shooting in the old town on 6 August 2025. The crew filmed on the bridge over the Thiou on rue de la République. The day continued in the Jardins de l'Europe.
Banlieusards 3, 2026
A conversation between two characters was shot on this bridge on 6 August 2025. After a few trials, the director called the take. Street View
What Vieil Annecy can double for
Via Po in Turin, Italy
Via Po runs under continuous arcades on both sides, with Baroque fronts of two storeys above the shop arches. The arcaded walk holds cafés and historic shops, the same use the ground floors of rue Sainte-Claire carry. Via Po is straight, so its uniform Baroque facades give it away in a wide shot. Frame tight on the arches at street level to hold the match. Try searching continuous arcades now.
Via Farini in Bologna, Italy
More than 38 kilometres of porticoes sit in Bologna's historic centre. Via Farini is one of the arcaded streets they line, with brick or stone arches at ground level. Bologna's brick arcades differ from Annecy's pastel render. Longer runs give the city away in a wide shot. Try searching brick arcades now.
