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What better place for a break than a quiet spa on an alpine lake? Framed by the Alps to the east and Jura to the west, the Lac du Bourget is a romantic escape immortalised by poets and artists, blessed by a mild micro-climate and a precious quality of life preserved in the little town of Aix les Bains. Here mimosa blooms in the spring, snow glistens on the surrounding slopes in winter and hot sulphurous springs rise to the surface year round.

Hot springs or Well of Hell?

Aix grew around its hot springs, once enjoyed by Celts and Romans. In the late 18th century, Victor-Amadeus III, ruler of Savoie and Sardinia, opened the first Royal Baths, later patronised by the Bonaparte family and high society in search of cures for body and soul. Doctors peddled their trade on the steps and long before the advent of Social Security, the baths made provisions for the poor.

Today, medical treatment aside, there are dozens of well being options, from sauna and facials to mud wraps, shower massage –brought back from Egypt by Napoleon- or the futuristic spa jet with colour and sound effects, guaranteed to relax and exclusive to Marlioz. The Marlioz and Adelphia hotels specialise in freshwater treatments while the Thermes Nationaux use thermal waters. Whatever you fancy, take a look at the latter, their new Chevalley buildings for modern design and shafts of natural light and the extensive 19th century Pellegrini with the Art Deco hall and mosaic suite of the Aga Khan.

Then join a guided tour to see the eerie cave where it all started right under the town centre. Feel the heat as you approach the pool of green steamy water and the Well of Hell where patients were precariously lowered before the access tunnel was dug. But don’t worry, now the thermal waters are pumped up from 2200 metres below ground and emerge straight into the Thermes, 100% pure.

On the town trail

Start with the Roman baths (see the Tourist Office for visits) and the Temple de Diane, dedicated to the god of water and healing, and housing a small archaeological museum. On the square is the Arch of Campanus, nine metres high, the gateway between temple and springs.

Aix is easy to explore on foot but for the best introduction, take the lift to the 7th floor of the Tourist Information centre. The 360° panorama extends across town and lake, from the high ridge of the Revard to the bristling peak of the Dent du Chat on the Jura side, all that is left of the legendary feline said to whip up storms across the water.

This is the perfect spot to marvel at the villas and grand hotels of the Belle Epoque, Royal, Splendide, Excelsior, Europe where Queen Victoria stayed in private dwellings. They nestle among the trees, converted into apartments except the majestic Astoria, renovated in Art Deco and Nouveau styles, on a par with the casino.

All around, the old town is a maze of stepped alleyways and cobbled lanes festooned with flowers and wrought-iron balconies. There are turrets and dormer windows, potted palms and fountains, a bandstand, a château turned townhall and a covered market fragrant with saucisson and cheese. The green steeple of the parish church watches over it all and in the public gardens, 19th-century poet Lamartine muses on the passing of time and love expressed in his ode ‘Le Lac’.

Wild Waters

Did you know that Le Bourget is the country’s largest natural lake, a haven for rare plants and waterbirds?

Yet, for over 2000 years, water-loving Aix turned her back on the lake and its marshlands prone to flooding. Today levels are regulated but it’s a 3km walk from centre to shore, though bus number 2 by the mairie takes you there in a few minutes, free, like all town buses, if you request a carte d’hôte from your hotel.

The lake is a magnet for nature lovers. Herons nest in the reeds and there are crested grebes, coots, swans, tufted ducks and even cormorants. Myriad butterflies and 124 species of birds live in the poplar wood at the northern end and you find more varieties of fish than in any other lake in France. At dusk, beavers come out to build their nests along the Savière canal which joins the Bourget to the Rhône. You can bathe in waters reaching 25° C in summer, relax on a beach, sail, canoe, visit the aquarium or go on a cruise for superb scenery by day or magic and romance by night, after a pink and gold sunset.

Much of the ‘Wild Coast’ to the west is accessible only by boat but the road climbing over the pass offers spectacular views across the water to the Regional Park of the Bauges and the eternal snows of the Belledone range. To the west, hamlets nestle in the rolling hills where vineyards cling to the slopes and cellars invite you to taste the Vin de Savoie. You can drive around the lake, hike along the trails or just enjoy a stroll back in town, on the tree-lined promenade linking the marinas.

Not to be missed

If you visit only one site on the west coast, make it the Abbey of Hautecombe, at its most stunning when you approach by boat. Perched on a rocky headland, it lures you from afar with its strange Gothic tower rising like a beacon above the water. It was built in the 12th century, severely damaged during the Revolution under French occupation and abandoned as a romantic ruin until Charles Felix, king of Sardinia and the newly regained Savoie, ordered its renovation in 1824. The monastery is out of bounds but you can see the austere waterside barn from Cistercian days and the restored church, a flamboyant display of carved stone, painted ceilings and twisted pillars in neo-Gothic style, with over 200 marble statues and cenotaphs and tombs of the House of Savoie. The audio-visual guide is excellent.

Other picturesque spots include the pretty village of Chanaz with its working oil mill and its flower-draped auberges mirrored in the canal and Bourget du Lac which gave its name to the lake, when the Dukes of Savoie built a castle on the site. Little is left of the castle but tucked between mountain and lake, the village boasts a priory and church with superb13th century carvings and a string of gourmet restaurants at the water’s edge.

What’s for lunch?

Fish from the lake is top of the list, from delicate ‘lavaret’ to tasty char, salmon and trout or ‘perchettes’ whitebait, served according to season. Ten professional fishermen still work on the Bourget so you know the catch is fresh.

Savoie joined France in 1860 but the red and white flags flying through the streets remember the old dukedom and its long lasting traditions. The local cuisine is no exception, making full use of the abundant mountain cheese. Tome des Bauges, Beaufort or Comté, Reblochon or Vacherin, goat’s or ewe’s cheese, it’s all part of the irresistible ‘plateau de fromages’ but also complements the most scrumptious dishes.

Try a fondue, or cheese and wine dip, a raclette, melted cheese on anything you want, a gratin Savoyard (creamy potatoes with cheese) or a tartiflette with the addition of herbs and onions. There are crozets mini-pasta served with bacon and Beaufort, Diots sausages and cold meats such as you have never seen. Blueberry tart and light Gâteau de Savoie are fine desserts.

Aix has its own spring water, more refreshing than any other according to the locals, so you may enjoy that extra glass of wine without fear of dehydration. Red or white, it comes from the ancient vineyards of Chautagne and the hills to the west. End your meal with a fiery liqueur of Genepi, an alpine plant said to restore good health, or a Genepi-flavoured icecream.

Mountain views

When Queen Victoria visited Aix, her favourite outing was to the Chambotte belvedere rising above the east shore. They carried her to the top in a Sedan chair so she could enjoy the magnificent view and a traditional afternoon tea. The restaurant still serves scones and jam while the plunging panorama is guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine.

If you feel energetic, there are plenty of scenic trails around, Cat’s Mountain, Nivolet Cross, Fairies’Cave, some with different starting points which allow you to choose the length of your walk. Look out for wild mushrooms and berries, glistening waterfalls, an old abandoned barn, a forlorn chapel and sometimes, you might even spot a boar and her young foraging in the undergrowth.

But towering above Aix, at 1550 metres, the Revard beckons, sooner or later. You can drive to the top or walk up the steep trail, along the disused rack and pinion railway track. Up there, on a clear day, you see the lake in its entirety reflecting the everchanging skies, the Jura mountains heaving into the distance and the Alps topped by snow-capped Mont-Blanc. In winter, the Revard becomes a vast cross-country skiing field, in summer it’s a place to ramble through scented conifers and pastures among tinkling cow bells and clusters of lilies, blue gentians or wild cyclamens, the traditional flower of Aix.

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