At Lac de la Balme-de-Sillingy, planning starts with a simple choice: a walk by the water, a longer hike or an outing with a view. The tour du lac takes about 30 minutes and is around 2 kilometres long; it is also suitable for pushchairs. There is also a fitness trail around the lake, other hiking trails and seasonal events. This lets you shape your stay around the distance you want to walk and your interests, without every outing having to focus on the same thing.
Walks and routes around the lake
Lac de la Balme-de-Sillingy is open year-round for family walks. As conditions can change, check the latest information before your visit. The tour du lac starts at the tourist office and, at around 2 kilometres and about 30 minutes, offers a manageable walk. Its stated suitability for pushchairs makes it a different option from longer hikes; no specific walking time is given here for those other routes.
If you are looking for a longer loop, consider the easy À travers champs circular hike. It is 7.3 kilometres long and starts in La Balme-de-Sillingy. The Route des Cerisiers offers two tourist routes starting at Domaine du Tornet. It is open year-round; check the latest access conditions before your trip. This gives you a choice of different route profiles: a short walk by the lake, an easy longer circular hike or one of the two routes starting at Domaine du Tornet.
The Parcours de santé Domaine du Tornet is a fitness trail around the lake. For 2026, it is listed as freely accessible year-round; check the information before your visit. A walk and the fitness trail offer different ways to enjoy the area around the water, while the hikes provide their own route options.
Summit views and protected nature
Marked trails on La Mandallaz lead to a viewpoint at the summit, offering panoramic views. La Mandallaz is also covered by a biotope protection order. If you want to include a route with summit views in your travel plans, as well as walks by the lake, this offers a different landscape to explore. No information about walking times or trail difficulty is provided here, so plan your outing using the route information that best suits you.
Nature also shapes the surroundings of Lac de la Balme-de-Sillingy: more than 300 cherry trees from 145 different varieties have been planted there. They form the Collection Nationale de Cerisiers Ă fleurs d'Asie. The collection gives the area around the lake a distinctive botanical appeal, while the paths and fitness trail offer other reasons to spend time outdoors.
Gardens, heritage and events
The Parc des Jardins de Haute-Savoie comprises 54 gardens created by the municipalities of the Usses et Bornes area. With its original floral designs, the park showcases local landscapes and heritage. Nature and regional culture sit side by side here: the cherry tree collection highlights a variety of cultivars, while the gardens interpret the landscape and heritage through their design.
The events calendar also offers different highlights throughout the year. The Festival des Arts Scéniques runs for a week and features daily theatre performances at Espace 2000. It takes place every year in the third week of March. The Foire de la Bathie is a traditional autumn fair that has been held every year since the 14th century. The programme includes a regional meal and stalls run by local producers.
Every summer, La Balme en FĂŞtes organises the FĂŞte du Lac in collaboration with the municipality. Together, these recurring events complement the walks and nature attractions: theatre performances take place in spring, the fair with local producers in autumn, and the lakeside festival in summer. If you want to plan your trip around an event, check the dates for your travel year before finalising your stay.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Jean-De-Sixt, Étrembières, Saint-Paul-En-Chablais, La Chapelle-D'abondance, Megève, Éloise, Thorens-Glières, Cusy.
For the broader travel guide: Haute-Savoie.
