Winter scene illuminated on the Palais de l'Isle in Annecy, Haute Savoie, France

© blickwinkel/Alam

Illuminating the Alps. Illuminating Annecy

Welcome to the French Alps town of Annecy where a festive scene illuminates the 800-year-old Palais de l'Ile. Designated a historic monument in 1900, this medieval structure sitting on a small island in the Canal du Thiou is sometimes referred to as the ‘house in the shape of a ship'. It has played many roles, as a palace for local nobility, a prison, a courthouse, an administrative building and, today, as a museum. The town of Annecy itself, dubbed 'the pearl of the French Alps', is the largest city in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Near the French border with Switzerland, the area is also home to Lake Annecy, the third-largest lake in France.