'''Chambery''' is a beautiful town in the Rhone-Alpes region of France. Chambery is the birthplace and historic capital of Savoie. 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. Chambery 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 Chambery.

Chambery 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. Chambery also boasts the Savoie Technolac research park and the Universite de Savoie, and a mountain research center.

Get in

Chambery has direct TGV from Paris and other trains (TER, Train Express Regional) to all major destinations of the region. It takes 3.5 hours to get to Chambery on the direct TGV. Chambery is easily accessible to Lyon, Grenoble, Chamonix, Geneva (Switzerland), and Turin (Italy.)

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 Frejus in the east
  • There is also a small airport, Aeroport de Chambery-Savoie (IATA: CMF, ICAO: LFLB)[http://www.chamberyairport.net/], 10km north of the city, next to Lac du Bourget, that is served by a number of cheap airlines, especially during the winter months.

    Get around

    Chambery is compact in size and is easily explored on foot. 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 Velostation in front of the train station: Agence Ecomobilite http://agence.ecomobilite.free.fr/ Only 3 euros for a half day and 5 euros for a full day. Open Monday-Friday 6:30 am to 7 pm and from 9 am to 7 pm 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 Chambery holds many well-preserved streets and alleys. The most famous is the XIII-century '''Rue Basse du Chateau''', which was tragically destroyed by a fire on January 1, 2001.
  • The '''Chateau de Chambery''', once the residence of the Ducs de Savoie and whose chapel once housed the Shroud of Turin, is now the department of Savoie government offices.
  • '''Place du Palais de Justice'''
  • '''Hotel de Ville'''
  • '''Place St-Leger'''
  • '''Cathedral de Chambery'''
  • '''The Elephants Fountain''' (on lots of postcards, the fountain with these four elephant "busts" is affectionately called the "four buttless" by locals)
  • '''Croix du Nivolet'''
  • '''Mont Granier'''
  • '''Lac du Bourget''' - Renting a paddle-boat for an hour or two is a cheap way to spend a sunny afternoon.
  • '''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 euros.

    Eat

    Fondue savoyarde, tartiflette, crepes

    Drink

    Vins de Savoie, Chartreuse, O'Cardinal's Pub

    Hotels

    '''BEST HOTEL CHAMBERY'''

    Located: 9, rue Denfert Rochereau, 73000 Chambery

    It is situated in the centre of Chambery near the Savoy University. It includes 40 soundproof bedrooms on three floors, which all include bathroom, telephone, satellite TV and car space in front of the hotel to deposit luggage. English, Spanish, French and Italian is spoken. The hotel also includes an indoor swimming pool, tennis, skating rink and an equestrian centre.

    Hotel Facilities: Internet - wireless internet is available in all rooms and is free of charge, Guest Parking - Private parking is possible at a location nearby and cost roughly EUR 6.00 ($9.60) per day.

    Children and extra beds: Maximum capacity of extra beds in a room is 1

    Price: EUR 90 ($144) per day

    Check-In: 12.00 hours

    Check-Out: 11.00 hours

    ALL ROOMS ARE NON-SMOKING!!

    Restaurants

    '''CHATEAU DE CANDIE''' (90~160 Euros + Restaurant, 23~55 Euros) Address: 38, rue Bobby Sands, 73000, Chambery-le-Vieux (5 km from Chambery) Tel.: (33)(4)79966300 Fax: (33)(4)79966310 Five minutes from the centre of Chambery, this massive XIVth Century Chateau had its beautiful rooms elegantly renovated. The cuisine is inspired by its Savoy roots: sauteed mushrooms and crawfish, omble chevalier meuniere, beef fillet seasoned with Szechuan pepper. Great cheeses and wines. All food served in the "Orangerie".

    '''L'ESSENTIEL''' (27~53 Euros) Address: 183, place de la Gare, 73000, Chambery. Tel.: (33)(4)79969727 Fax: (33)(4)79961778 Closed on Saturday Lunches & all Sundays. A contemparary decor and inventive regional cuisine, served with local Savoy wines.

    '''L'HYPOTENUSE''' (14~35 Euros) Address: Carre Curial, 73000, Chambery. Tel.: (33)(4)79858015 Fax: (33)(4)79858018 Closed on Saturday lunches & all Sundays as well as July 15th~August 15th. In a space full of silence and fresh air, this restaurant offers a seasomal cuisine created with locally grown products at a reasonable price.

    '''AUX PIETONS ''' Address: Place Monge, 73000, Chambery. Tel.: (33)(4)79855245 Closed on Sundays & Tuesday nights. Gearty local specialities: cheese fondue, tartiflette and braserade.

    '''LE TONNEAU''' (17~35 Euros) Address: 2, rie Saint-Antoine, 73000, Chambery. Tel.: (33)(4)79337826 Fax: (33)(4)79854969 Closed on Sunday evenings & all Sundays. An elegent restaurant with a shaded terrace for summer dining. Great service and food.

    '''LE SAINT REAL RESTAURANT''' Address: Place Pierre Dumas, 73000 Chambery Telephone Number: 04 79 70 09 33 Website: http://www.restaurant-saint-real.com/en/ Situated in the heart of the Old Town of Chambery, near the famous Fontaine des Elephants. Le Saint Real Restaurant caters for any occasion including; business meals, romantic dinners, birthday meals and family dinners, take your time to discover high quality food within an elegant and exquisite setting.

    Menu Suggestions: - The fresh duck stove foie gras with the Victoria pineapple white rum and ice - Hazel nuts fried of roe deer Corsican juice to currents - Rack of lamb roasted in a nuts crust - Selection of fresh and refined cheese - Selection of delicious desserts

    Get out

    Aix-les-Bains, Annecy, La Feclaz