Messery: Beaches, Forest Trails and Local History

Messery is a good choice for a stay where you can combine swimming spots, forest trails and a cultural look at the town. Highlights include the tree-lined Plage Sous les Prés, the Sentier « La Pointe » and the Église Saint Pierre. You can shape your time around swimming, exercise or architectural history.

Beach and water sports

Plage Sous les Prés is a tree-lined beach about 400 metres long. Water sports such as stand-up paddleboarding and pedal boating are available at this beach. Equipment is available seasonally; check availability before your trip if you plan to take part in either activity.

Plage de la Pointe is a small beach in the hamlet of La Pointe and one of Messery’s two designated swimming spots. This distinction is useful when comparing them: Sous les Prés is the place for stand-up paddleboarding and pedal boating; La Pointe is the small designated swimming spot.

Forest and circular trail

The Sentier « La Pointe » hiking trail starts in Messery and is a 5.1-kilometre circular route. It passes through forest and offers views of the lake. As a loop trail with a fixed starting point, it differs from a short stop at a swimming spot: here, the route length, forest and lake views shape your choice of outing. If you would rather focus on a route, its circular layout and length provide clear points of reference; forest sections and lake views define its landscape.

Activities at Parc des Sémiss

The forest discovery trail at Parc des Sémiss is accessible to people with reduced mobility. The park also has a picnic area with barbecue facilities. This offers two distinct options for an outing: an accessible forest trail and a picnic break with barbecue facilities.

A municipal notice about the pump track’s opening in October 2021 listed bicycles, scooters, skateboards and roller skates as permitted equipment; motorised vehicles were prohibited. If you plan to visit the pump track, check whether it is currently accessible before you go, and check its condition, facilities and signage on site.

Church and architectural history

The Église Saint Pierre was built between 1839 and 1841 and is designed in the Sardinian Neoclassical style. It is located between the centre of Messery and the village of Veret. For a stay with an interest in architecture, the church offers a cultural focus of its own: its date of construction and style provide clues to its history, while its location gives it a geographical connection between the two places mentioned.

Fishing on Lake Geneva

Anyone planning to fish on Lake Geneva should check the applicable requirements before setting out. Both commercial and recreational fishing on the lake require a fishing licence and are subject to a French-Swiss agreement. Check the official regulations before fishing.

Discover more destinations: Faucigny, Novel, Chatel, Abondance, Passy, Argentiere, Saxel, Leschaux

See the regional travel overview: Haute-Savoie.