Chambéry



Chambéry is a beautiful town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France and the birthplace and historic capital of Savoie.

Understand
Throughout history, it has been both Italian and French. It lies in a valley in the Alps surrounded by the Bauges and Chartreuse mountain ranges and provides almost 360-degree views of the French Alps. To the north, it is bordered by Lac du Bourget, the largest natural lake in France. Chambéry has long been a "crossroads to the Alps" dating all the way back to the 11th century. For many years, it was ruled by the Duchy of Savoie before being annexed to the King of France. Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man (the French version of the Bill of Rights) while living in Chambéry.

Chambéry is a charming, peaceful place to visit with beautiful architecture, good food and wine, and friendly people. There are many vineyards in the area that visitors can enjoy, and on Saturdays, the city public market is abuzz with the freshest cheeses, meats, and local produce from the Alps. The area offers many recreational activities to choose from in all seasons, from skiing and snowshoeing, to sailing and rock climbing. The famous Tour de France bicycle race comes through the area in the summer. Chambéry also boasts the Savoie Technolac research park and the Universite de Savoie, and a mountain research center.

By train
Trains run hourly from Lyon Part Dieu, taking 90 min via Bourgoin-Jallieu, La Tour-du-Pin, Pont-de-Beauvoisin and Lépin-le-Lac-la-Bauche.

From Paris Gare de Lyon trains run every 2-3 hours, taking 3 hr 30 min via Mâcon and heading to Annecy. Otherwise change at Lyon.

Chambéry is on the main line between Paris, Turin and Milan, but these trains are suspended because the line is blocked by landslide at Modane further east. This is expected to continue until summer 2024, with longer workaround routes meanwhile.

is the railway station, 500 m north of town centre.

By car
It is linked by motorways to
 * Lyon via A43 in the west
 * Grenoble via A41 in the south
 * Aix-les-Bains, Annecy and Geneva via A41 in the north
 * Torino, Italy via ... and the tunnel of Fréjus in the east

Get around
Chambéry is compact in size and is easily explored on foot in a short amount of time. The medieval section of the town is quite well preserved. There are also local and regional buses. If you wish to explore the mountains or go on a wine tour, car rentals are available in town.

If you want a bit of exercise, you can also rent a bicycle and explore a bit further. Bicycles can be rented from the Vélostation in front of the train station: Agence Ecomobilité  Only €3 for a half day and €5 for a full day. Open Monday-Friday 6:30AM-7PM and from 9AM-7PM on weekends and holidays.

Cycle paths: a cycle route goes from the centre of town north to the Lac du Bourget (mostly a cycle lane which is separate from the road) and another goes south into the vineyards (mixture of separate cycle lane and quiet country roads).

See

 * The medieval quarter of Chambéry holds many well-preserved streets and alleys. The most famous was the 8th-century Rue Basse du Château, which was tragically destroyed by a fire on January 1, 2001.
 * Museums
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 * Museums

Do
Shopping, eating, drinking, visiting vineyards, hiking, boating, skiing, snowshoeing, rock climbing, horseback riding

Buy

 * A light, yet sturdy knife from local company "Opinel"
 * Cheap shoes and clothing from the store Axo. Hard to find (ask the locals for directions) and terribly disorganized, but the prices are very good. A pair of ballerina flats usually goes for around €8.

Eat
Some foods to try are Fondue savoyarde, tartiflette, crêpes, and goats cheese (Saint Marcellin).



Go next

 * Aix-les-Bains
 * Annecy
 * La Feclaz