People say it often — but this time it's sourced: Lake Annecy isn't just "a pretty place to fly", it's a global reference in paragliding. The world's leading free-flight magazine calls it "the most famous spot", its Tour du Lac ranks among the best routes on the planet, and the site has hosted world championships. Here's why, with the evidence, Annecy is one of the best paragliding spots in the world.
Annecy, a globally recognised paragliding site
- Called by Cross Country Magazine "free-flight's most famous spot" and "one of the most popular sites in the world"
- The Tour du Lac at Annecy selected among 20 of the best cross-country routes in the world
- A site that has hosted French and World paragliding championships
- The Col de la Forclaz, one of the iconic take-offs of Alpine free flight
What the international press says
The best proof doesn't come from a tourist website, but from the specialist magazine that is the authority in the free-flight world: Cross Country Magazine.
"Annecy, free-flight's most famous spot" — Cross Country Magazine, issue 228, April 2022 (Annecy on the cover)
And it's no one-off — a year earlier, the same magazine ran a feature on the Tour du Lac:
"Annecy is one of the most popular sites in the world" — Cross Country Magazine, issue 221, July 2021
On the French side, the Lake Annecy Tourist Office says the same: the lake is "renowned worldwide as one of the most beautiful paragliding spots", an "internationally recognised site".
The Tour du Lac, among the world's best routes
Cross Country Magazine published Classic Routes, a book dedicated to "20 of the best cross country sites in the world". Among them: the Tour du Lac at Annecy. There, Annecy sits alongside paragliding legends such as the Dolomites, Piedrahita in Spain, Governador Valadares in Brazil and Fiesch in Switzerland.
This Tour du Lac — a demanding loop around the lake — is a cross-country pilot's dream, famously flown by internationally renowned pilot Charles Cazaux. In a tandem, you glide over a piece of this world-coveted playground.
The Col de la Forclaz, a legendary take-off
Perched at 1,150 m, towering nearly 800 m above the south of the lake, the Col de la Forclaz is one of the most iconic take-offs in the Alps. Facing La Tournette and the Dents de Lanfon, above turquoise water among the purest in Europe, it's a natural balcony made for free flight — and a panorama few sites in the world can offer at launch.
Exceptional flying conditions
If pilots come to Annecy from all over the world, there's also a technical reason: the site combines rare flying conditions. The steady lake breeze, sun-facing slopes and thermal-generating terrain deliver reliable, gentle flying windows from spring to autumn. The result: a spot ideal both for big cross-country flights and for a first, gentle tandem.
A land of paragliding history
Annecy isn't just beautiful scenery: the site has hosted French and World paragliding championships (source: Lake Annecy Tourist Office) and remains, season after season, one of the great free-flight gatherings in Europe. Flying here means landing your wing where the world's elite come to perform.
And you — how to fly in Annecy?
The good news: this exceptional site is open to everyone. No need to be a pilot or an athlete — a tandem flight with a state-certified instructor is all it takes, from age 5, with no experience. You enjoy the world-famous scenery; the instructor handles the rest.
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