Annecy (US: /ˌænəˈsiː, ɑːnˈsiː/ AN-ə-SEE, ahn-SEE,[3][4] French: [an(ə)si] ⓘ; Arpitan: Èneci, also Ènneci) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France.

Due to a lack of available building land between the lake and the protected Semnoz mountain, its population has remained stable, around 50,000 inhabitants, since 1950.

However, the 2017 merger with several ex-communes extended the population of the city to 128,199 inhabitants and that of the urban area to 177,622,[5] placing Annecy seventh in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Saint Francis de Sales gave Annecy its advanced Catholic citadel role known as Counter-Reformation.

Sometimes called "Venice of the Alps",[citation needed] this idyllic and touristic representation comes from the three canals and the Thiou river, which passes through the old city.

[citation needed] Some of its industrial legacy remains today with the headquarters of NTN-SNR bearings, Salomon, Entremont and Dassault Aviation.

From the end of the 19th century, Annecy developed tourism around its lake summer facilities, winter resorts proximity and cultural attraction with its castle renovation and fine art museum opening in 1956 and the Animated Film Festival since 1963, hosted in Bonlieu's cultural centre.

[15] If they had been chosen, Annecy would have been the fourth French city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

The club was founded in 2007, they grew up to reach Ligue 1, and stayed for four years in the division, thanks to their emblematic trainer Pascal Dupraz.

The Annecy basin is one of the world's leading locations for the sport of paragliding, an activity of some economic importance to the region.

[6] By the First World War, it was connected by rail to Aix-les-Bains and there were factories for linen and cotton goods, felt hats, and paper, as well as a "celebrated" bell foundry at Annecy-le-Vieux.

[7] Companies located in and around Annecy include: The Gare d'Annecy railway station offers connections with Lyon, Geneva, Paris, Grenoble and several regional destinations.