Walks and hiking
The city is almost completely surrounded by the mountains, so for hikes and exploring you're spoilt for choice. Heading east will take you into the Massif des Bauges area, and the nature parks and reserve to the south are in the Hauts de Chartreuse region.
If you'd prefer to stay in Chambéry, the Combe Noir hiking path takes you in a loop around the ‘Black Comb' woods. The route takes less than two hours to complete, and you end up back where you started.
Sightseeing in Chambery
Sometimes there are interesting things to see if you just stand still. The Tour de France passes through Chambéry every summer, cheered on by crowds lining the streets.
Chambéry is also home to the Elephants Fountain, an incredible structure with four elephants emerging from the arches. It's the most famous landmark in the city centre and a popular meeting point.
The medieval quarter of the town has been impressively well preserved. Chambéry has a cathedral, built in the 15th century. It includes a 35-metre maze and the largest collection of trompe l'œil – optical illusion – paintings in Europe.
Restaurants and cafés
Historically, the city has been both a French and Italian colony. As such, there are influences from Italy in the local cuisine. Given the tourist-friendly nature of the city, many of these are pizza places.
Stroll south from the railway station and over the River Leysse to find most of Chambéry's restaurants within the largely pedestrianized town square area. With sushi, Vietnamese food and burgers also making appearances, it's possible to eat differently every night of the week.
Getting around
Via the Chambéry-Savoie Airport or Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux railway station, getting in and out of the city is easy. There are direct flights to many cities around the UK, including smaller airports like Newcastle and Southampton.
Hop on the train and reach Paris in around three and a half hours. In the other direction, there are high-speed services to Turin and Milan in Italy, and to Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam.
