Discover Andilly: Grand Parc, cultural trails and history

There are several ways to plan a trip to Andilly: explore the Grand Parc’s attractions, follow marked trails, or discover the area’s culture and local history. These different themes give you practical starting points for planning your stay.

Attractions and trails

The Grand Parc d’Andilly comprises four attractions: the summer park, the Grand Parc de Noël, the Hameau du Père Noël and Les Grandes Médiévales. Their names point to different themes, some of them seasonal; the programme may also change. Check the latest dates before planning so you can tailor your visit to the attraction that interests you.

The marked “Sur les traces des Graniteurs du Mont Sion” trail covers 10 km between Charly, Présilly, the Mont Sion passes and the Croix-Biche pass. The distance and named points give you specific details to help plan your route. As trail conditions may change, check them before setting out.

The Andilly heritage trail passes through the municipality’s three hamlets. Village squares, footpaths and the history of local houses are among the things you can discover along the way. The Graniteurs trail focuses on a clearly specified route between named points, while the heritage trail explores several hamlets and their local history.

Cultural history and landscape

The heritage trail in Charly offers unobstructed views across the Usses Valley and of the Bornes, Bauges, Vanoise, Chartreuse and Jura mountain ranges. The panorama thus takes in both the valley and five named mountain ranges, adding a landscape perspective to the local history.

The Cromlech of Andilly is a prehistoric megalithic monument at Place de la Crèche in Charly. The Chapelle de Charly, also known as the Chapelle Saint-Jacques, is a religious building dating from the 15th century. Jacques Fusier commissioned the chapel in 1454; after a fire in the late 15th century, it was rebuilt in 1541. Another fire occurred in 1787, after which it was given its present onion-shaped bell tower. This bell tower was classified as a Monument historique on 12 May 1975. The sequence reveals several building phases; the classification applies specifically to the tower.

The Andilly presbytery is now an exhibition space with a carillon and a medieval garden. The memory of former mills is also part of the history of the Grand Parc d’Andilly: the association “Le Petit Pays” restored the built heritage that preserves this memory.

Past work and pilgrim accommodation

The first cheese dairy in Charly was established in 1865 as a cooperative dairy with 57 members. The cheesemaker used the milk to make Emmental cheese or butter. The number of members illustrates the cooperative’s organisation, while the two products offer a glimpse of production at the time.

A municipal webpage updated on 5 February 2024 describes the Saint James Way stopover in Charly as a place for pilgrims to rest, with three dormitories and room for about ten people. If you would like to include this accommodation in your travel plans, check the details again before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Annemasse, Saint-Julien-En-Genevois, Chatel, Armoy, Cervens, Entrevernes, Thollon, Le Petit-Bornand-Les-Glières

For the main travel overview: Haute-Savoie.