The 3.5-kilometre riverside path along the Thiou extends as far as Cran-Gévrier; at the same time, named stops tell the story of the area's industrial history. The promenade is open year-round. Heritage walks, an interactive science centre and other cultural venues offer different ways to make the most of your stay.
Along the Thiou: Paths and Heritage
The walking route “Au fil du Thiou industriel” runs from Île Saint-Joseph in Annecy to the former site of the Forges de Cran. It explores the Thiou's history, from its early days to the modern and contemporary eras. Visitor options along the Thiou include independent and group visits, as well as guided, educational and themed tours.
The “Le Thiou industriel” heritage walk also takes visitors to sites associated with industrial history, including Tissage à Cran and the Forges et Fonderies de Cran. From the Cran Bridge, you can see the buildings of the Forges et Fonderies de Cran and their waterfall. This brings together the historical perspective on the sites and a close-up view of the buildings from the stated vantage point.
Traces of Industrial History
At the Tissage à Cran site, cotton yarn was made into fabric on mechanised looms. The machinery was powered by water through a single waterwheel. Île aux vannes preserves the memory of craft and industrial activities that followed one another from the 18th century through the 1930s. The two sites highlight different aspects of industrial history: cotton processing and machinery powered by water at one, and the memory of successive activities spanning several centuries at the other.
In 2004, the municipality of Cran-Gévrier acquired an old turbine from the Brassilly hydroelectric power station. Today it stands beside the La Turbine cultural centre and helps preserve Cran-Gévrier's industrial heritage. Individual guided tours of the Brassilly turbine are available. Espace des Forges is housed in a former deconsecrated chapel and is intended to become a lively, multidisciplinary venue. Here, the focus is on the future: its planned role is that of a versatile venue.
Church, Science and Culture
Église Saint-Étienne du Pont-Neuf is dedicated to Saint Stephen, as was the first parish of Gevrier. This first parish was a Romanesque church founded in the 12th century and destroyed in 1793. The stained-glass windows of Église Saint-Étienne du Pont-Neuf were made by the Carl Mauméjean workshops in Paris. The church is also the final stop on a heritage walk designed by Annecy tour guides under the “Ville et pays d’Art et d’Histoire” label.
La Turbine sciences is a centre for scientific, technical and industrial culture. Exhibitions, talks and workshops actively involve visitors; as they explore, they can touch, experiment and discover freely. This hands-on approach sets the centre apart from the historic sites along the Thiou and offers a different way to engage with culture and knowledge.
Cinema and media are also part of the cultural offering: Cinéma La Turbine is an arthouse cinema bearing the “Art et Essai” label and an award for young audiences (“Jeune public”). Médiathèque La Turbine offers free access to its multimedia collections and a range of services. You can choose what interests you most: from industrial history and its sites to hands-on science, cinema and media.
Discover more destinations: Lucinges, Neuvecelle, Annecy-Le-Vieux, Saint-Jorioz, Seytroux, Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Annecy, Saint-Jeoire.
For the broader travel overview: Haute-Savoie.
