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Musée-Château d'Annecy

Fortress of the Counts of Geneva overlooking the old town since the 12th century, listed as a Historic Monument: alpine art, lake archaeology and aquariums.

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Façade and tower of the Musée-Château d'Annecy overlooking the old town and the lake from its rocky spur
Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Type
History museum, alpine art and nature, listed Historic Monument
Access
Paid
Price
Full €6.50-7 · Reduced €3.50-4 · Combined ticket with Palais €8-9 · Under 12s free
Duration
1 h 30 to 2 h 30
Best season
Year-round · June-Sept continuous opening 10:30am-6pm
Parking
Hôtel-de-Ville car park (420 spaces, paid) 6 min on foot
Animals
Not admitted (except assistance dogs)
Stroller / Reduced mobility
Accepted, partial accessibility (rocky spur)
Town
Annecy

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Price

Plein tarif (sept-juin)
6,50 €Musée-Château seul
Plein tarif (juillet-août)
7,00 €Musée-Château seul, haute saison
Tarif réduit (sept-juin)
3,50 €Étudiants, <25 ans, demandeurs d'emploi, familles nombreuses, invalidité
Tarif réduit (juillet-août)
4,00 €Haute saison
Billet jumelé Musée-Château + Palais de l'Île (sept-juin)
8,00 €Visite des 2 sites
Billet jumelé (juillet-août)
9,00 €Haute saison
Billet jumelé tarif réduit
5,00 €Toute l'année
Groupe adultes (≥5 pers.)
5,00 €6 € en juillet-août pour ≥10 pers.
Pass Expos annuel (résidents Annecy)
22,00 €Château + Palais de l'Île + Turbine sciences, sur justificatif de domicile

What is Musée-Château d'Annecy

The Château d'Annecy is the medieval and Renaissance fortress that has overlooked Annecy's old town since the 12th century. Home to the Counts of Geneva (12th-14th c.) and then the Dukes of Genevois-Nemours (15th-17th c.), it was listed as a Historic Monument in 1959 and has belonged to the Ville d'Annecy since 1953. The site combines four historic lodgings and the iconic Tour de la Reine, a 30-metre keep with walls over 4 m thick.

The castle now houses the Musée-Château d'Annecy, a regional art and history museum with 19th-century Savoyard paintings, furniture and a remarkable lake archaeology section on the prehistoric pile-dwelling sites of Lake Annecy (UNESCO World Heritage since 2011). The Regional Alpine Lakes Observatory occupies the Logis Perrière, and the Tour de la Reine offers a sweeping panorama of the lake, the old town and the Aravis range.

2026 prices: adult 6.50 EUR (Sept-June) / 7 EUR in July-August, reduced 3.50 EUR, free under 12 and on the 1st Sunday of the month from October to May. Joint ticket with the Palais de l'Île 8-9 EUR. Summer hours: daily 10.30am-6pm; winter 10am-12pm and 2pm-5pm, closed Tuesdays. Partial step-free access (Tour de la Reine not accessible).

Activities

What you can do here

Practical

Practical information

Address
1 place du Château, 74000 Annecy View on map
Coordinates
45.8975° N · 6.1261° E
Altitude
≈ 510 m (rocky spur overlooking the old town)
Opening hours
Until 31 May 2026: 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm, closed Tuesday. 1 June – 30 September 2026: 10:30am-6pm continuous, closed Tuesday. 1 October – 31 December 2026: 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm, closed Tuesday and public holidays. Last entry 45 min before closing. Closed 1 Jan, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, 1 and 8 May, 1 and 11 Nov, 25 Dec. Verified on the official website 21 May 2026 — subject to seasonal changes.
Booking
No online booking. Tickets sold on-site at the reception desk on Place du Château (to the left of the monument since 2020). Guided tours and groups by reservation on 04 85 46 76 70. Verified 21 May 2026.
Parking
No on-site parking. Hôtel-de-Ville car park (underground, 420 spaces, paid, 12 accessible spaces + 8 electric vehicle spaces) 6 min on foot. Sainte-Claire and Bonlieu car parks 10 min away.
Pets
Not admitted inside the monument (except assistance dogs, on presentation of the card).
Accessibility
Partial accessibility: medieval monument on a rocky spur with stairs (Queen's Tower, ramparts). Ground floor and some rooms accessible to wheelchairs. Free entry for the companion of a person holding a CMI card 'needs assistance'. Verified 21 May 2026.
Visit duration
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on the route and presence of temporary exhibitions
Contact
+33 (0)4 50 33 87 30 (Castle reception) · +33 (0)4 85 46 76 70 (Annecy Museums central line). Verified 21 May 2026.
Access

How to get there

By car

From the A41 motorway, Annecy Centre exit, follow 'Vieille Ville'. Park at the Hôtel-de-Ville car park (underground, paid), then 6 minutes on foot up the Castle ramp or through the pedestrian streets of the old town. No vehicle access to the foot of the monument.

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Public transport

Sibra network (Grand Annecy), stop 'Hôtel de Ville' 10 min on foot via the Castle ramp. Rythmo lines 1/2/3 and lines 4/5 of the new Sibra network (overhaul of 29 April 2025). Annecy railway station 15 min on foot via the Pâquier.

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By bike

Lac d'Annecy greenway 10 min on foot. Secure Vélonecy bike parking on the Hôtel-de-Ville esplanade.

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Nearest stops

  • CLINIQUE GENERALE · SIBRA · 26 · 135 m
  • Hôtel de Ville · Cars Région Haute-Savoie · Y51 · 300 m
  • HOTEL DE VILLE · SIBRA · 13, 15, 26, 27, S4 · 317 m

Transport data verified on 2026-06-15 · source transport.data.gouv.fr (Licence Etalab 2.0)

Parking

Hôtel-de-Ville car park (420 spaces, paid) 6 min on foot

  • Paid · 86 m · Go →
  • Parking du Château · Paid · 119 m · 233 spaces · Go →
  • Parking Sainte-Claire · Paid · 239 m · 344 spaces · Go →

Parking checked on 2026-06-15 · © les contributeurs d'OpenStreetMap sous licence ODbL

When to visit

When to visit

The Musée-Château d'Annecy can be visited year-round, with a seasonal rhythm. High season (June-September) offers continuous hours of 10:30am-6pm with no midday break, ideal for half-day visits. The rest of the year, the museum opens 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm with a midday closure, closed Tuesdays and public holidays. The best time to avoid crowds is on weekday early afternoons outside school holidays. Free entry for everyone on the first Sunday of the month from October to May allows for a budget-friendly visit. Museum Night (mid-May) and European Heritage Days (mid-September) offer extra activities and free entry. The Musée-Château is one of the three sites of the Annecy museums network, along with the Palais de l'Île and the future Musée du cinéma d'animation at the Haras (opening 19 June 2026).
Events : Museum Night (mid-May), European Heritage Days (mid-September), Science Festival (October), National Archaeology Day (June) — free entry during these events. Temporary exhibitions several times a year. Full programme at musees.annecy.fr.
Nearby

Where to eat, drink, stay

Photos

Gallery

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I book at the Musée-Château d'Annecy?

The Musée-Château d'Annecy does not require booking for individual visits. Tickets are sold at the reception desk on Place du Château, to the left of the monument. Guided tours and groups by reservation on 04 85 46 76 70.

What is the entry fee for the Musée-Château d'Annecy?

Musée-Château d'Annecy: full price €6.50 (Sept-June) or €7 (July-August). Reduced €3.50-4. Combined ticket with Palais de l'Île €8-9. Free for under 12s, teachers, Pass'Région holders. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month from October to May. Verified 21 May 2026.

What are the opening hours of the Musée-Château d'Annecy?

Musée-Château d'Annecy: June-Sept 10:30am-6pm continuous, closed Tuesday. Oct-May 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm, closed Tuesday and public holidays. Verified on the official website 21 May 2026 — subject to seasonal changes.

Is the Musée-Château d'Annecy free on Sundays?

Yes, partially. The Musée-Château d'Annecy is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month from OCTOBER to MAY only (not June-September, high season). Always free for under 12s, teachers and Pass'Région holders.

What is there to see at the Musée-Château d'Annecy?

The Musée-Château d'Annecy features alpine and regional art, prehistoric lake-dwelling archaeology (UNESCO), Savoyard ethnography, the Regional Observatory of Alpine Lakes (live aquariums) in the Queen's Tower, and a contemporary art and animated film department.

Is there a combined ticket for the Musée-Château d'Annecy?

Yes. The combined ticket for Musée-Château d'Annecy + Palais de l'Île costs €8 (Sept-June) or €9 (July-August), reduced rate €5. A saving of €2 compared with two separate tickets. Valid for one day to visit both sites of the Annecy museums network.

Is the Musée-Château d'Annecy accessible to wheelchair users?

Partially. The Musée-Château d'Annecy is a medieval monument on a rocky spur with stairs (Queen's Tower, ramparts). The ground floor and some rooms are wheelchair accessible. Free entry for the companion of a person holding a CMI card 'needs assistance'.

How do I get to the Musée-Château d'Annecy from the station?

The Musée-Château d'Annecy is a 15-minute walk from Annecy railway station via the Pâquier and the old town. By bus: Sibra line (network overhaul 29/04/2025), stop 'Hôtel de Ville', then a 10-minute walk up the Castle ramp. Hôtel-de-Ville car park (paid) 6 min away.

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Sources

Sources & verification

Multi-source verification at publication. Information may change — confirm with the official operator before travelling.

Published 21 mai 2026·Updated 11/07/26

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