Markets of Haute-Savoie

The market is still the best school for discovering a place’s food. In Haute-Savoie, you find the dairies’ cheeses, the salters’ charcuterie, the lake fish, the honey and the seasonal fruit, in direct contact with the producers. It is also a moment of local life, especially in the villages.

The big markets

A few markets stand out for their size and atmosphere. The Annecy market, in the old town along the canals, is one of the finest in the region: it is held several mornings a week, with a large market on Sunday. On the shore of Lake Geneva, Thonon-les-Bains has a well-known market, turned towards the produce of the lake and the Chablais. In the resorts and small towns, weekly markets liven up the week, smaller but often very characterful.

What you buy there

At a Haute-Savoie market, look first for the cheeses: reblochon, abondance, tomme, chevrotin, sold by producers or affineurs who let you taste. Then the charcuterie of Savoie, diots and dry hams. Depending on the season, you also find lake fish, honey, high-altitude red fruits, artisanal génépi and pasta such as crozets. It is the place to put together a picnic or a board.

Practical tips

Go early, especially in the tourist season, for choice and to avoid the crowd. Favour the producer stalls, recognisable by their farm signs, over the resellers. Don’t hesitate to ask to taste and to chat: producers gladly explain their work. Remember to bring change and a cool bag if you buy cheese or fish.

Where and when

Each town has its market day or days, which change with the seasons. The destination pages and tourist offices give the up-to-date days and times. To complete the market with a purchase at the source, see the cheese dairies and cooperatives and cheese routes pages.