The south shore of Lake Geneva, except at its eastern and western ends, belongs to neighbouring France. A mild Riviera atmosphere on the lakeshore, but the green hinterland rises steeply to the French Alps. To the west, the Genevois region encircles Geneva and joins the French Jura.

 
Abondance
Situated in the Haute-Savoie, 30 kilometres south of lake Geneva, Abondance is a mountain village where you'll have the holiday you always dreamt of. It is also the name of a variety of cows producing the famous Abondance cheese, a must-taste!
Altkirch
A small town in Alsace, which was fortified in the Middle Ages. Most of the wall has disappeared over the centuries, but it is still visible in the alignment of the houses and certain facades. Of the two original gates, only the western one, the Gate of Belfort, remains.
Annecy
Situated on the shores of the eponymous lake, the little town of Annecy is a beautiful tourist destination, just a half-hour drive away from Geneva.
Argentière
Argentière is a French village located in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc region. A ski resort in the winter, it attracts many hikers in the summer, especially to walk up to the impressive glacier that bears the village's name.
Avoriaz
A car-free mountain resort in the French side of the Portes-du-Soleil ski area, near Morzine. Easily accessible from Thonon-les-Bains (Lake Geneva) or from the Geneva-Chamonix motorway.
Châtel
One of the French resorts of the Portes du Soleil (a ski area ranking among the largest in the world with 650 km of marked pistes and 200 lifts, spread over 14 valleys in France and Switzerland).
Chamonix
The starting point to discover the Mont-Blanc region, one of the most breathtaking areas of the Alps. It's also a crossroads between France, Italy and Switzerland.
Chapelle d´Abondance
One of the French resorts of the Portes du Soleil (a ski area ranking among the largest in the world with 650 km of marked pistes and 200 lifts, spread over 14 valleys in France and Switzerland).
Col de la Faucille
This road pass culminating at 1323m connects the Pays de Gex, gateway to Switzerland, and the French Jura. A little below, the view of Mont Blanc is superb on a clear day. The top of the pass is a popular destination for hikers in summer and skiers in winter.
Eguisheim
Situated just a few kilometres from Colmar, the small medieval winegrowing town of Eguisheim is rightly considered one of the most beautiful towns in Alsace. Overrun with tourists, it is nevertheless a truly unmissable destination.
Evian-les-Bains
A French spa town on the southern shore of Lake of Geneva, nestled between the lake and the Chablais Prealps, just in front of Lausanne.
Ferney-Voltaire
The small French town of Ferney, at the gateway to Geneva, has long been known as Ferney-Voltaire. It was here that the philosopher and writer Voltaire (1694-1778) acquired a castle and spent twenty years near the end of his life.
Fort l´Ecluse
Fort l'Ecluse is a fortified military work built on the mountainside to control the defile where the Rhône flows to the west of the Geneva basin, a strategic natural passage between Jura and Alps. During the summer season, it hosts exhibitions and offers various activities and events.
Habère-Poche
High in the Vallée Verte (Green Valley), in Haute-Savoie, a small village in the heart of the French Chablais Prealps. An ideal starting point for hikes and gliding in this beautiful French region.
Hirtzbach
A typical long Alsatian village, a few kilometres south of Altkirch. Just one long street on either side of a stream which gives the village its name and a large church crowned with a stork's nest.
Maîche
Halfway between Montbéliard and Morteau and about ten kilometres from the Franco-Swiss border, Maîche is a small town in the Doubs department, in the French part of the Jura mountain range. It is the place of origin of the famous Comtois horse.
Morzine
One of the French resorts of the Portes du Soleil (a ski area ranking among the largest in the world with 650 km of marked pistes and 200 lifts, spread over 14 valleys in France and Switzerland).
Mouthe
A linear village in the French Jura, located in the Doubs department at an altitude of just over 900m, Mouthe is a winter sports resort and, in summer, a region offering great hiking opportunities.
Munster
At the end of a valley that runs from the Alsace plain into the Vosges mountains, this small town is the birthplace of the fragrant cheese used to gratinate flammekueche and its rooftops are a paradise for storks.
Novel
Novel is a well-kept secret hidden in a valley above the lake of Geneva, on the border between Switzerland and France: a small village at the end of a mountain road starting from the French part of St-Gingolph. A must for nature and tranquillity lovers.
Saint-Gingolph (CH/F)
This village, on the Franco-Swiss border on the south bank of Lake Geneva, boasts the longest beach on the lake, in a unique setting at the mouth of the Morge river, connecting the French Haute-Savoie with the Swiss Valais.
Saint-Hippolyte
On the road between Morteau and Montbéliard, Saint-Hippolyte is a very pretty village on the banks of the Doubs, with a rich architectural heritage including a 14th century church and an old Ursuline convent.
Salève
Mount Salève, the emblematic mountain of Geneva, is located entirely on French territory. Culminating at an altitude of 1379m, it belongs geologically to the Jura massif, but is considered a summit of the Pre-Alps.
Samoëns
Samoëns, in Haute-Savoie (French Alps) is a typical mountain village set in the broad valley of the upper Giffre river. Near the village is the stunning Cirque du Fer à Cheval, where grand cliffs form a horseshoe in front of the Dents Blanches mountain range.
Saut du Doubs
Near the villages of Les Brenets (Switzerland) and Villers-le-Lac (France), the Doubs river flows lazily between cliffs, then quickly drops 27 m at the Franco-Swiss border, before resuming its calm course further on.
Sixt Fer-à-Cheval
A natural amphitheatre located in the Natural Reserve of Sixt, the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval (Horseshoe Circus) is a popular destination for some 500,000 visitors each year. Overcrowded but beautiful.
Thonon-les-Bains
A town located on the French shore of Lake Geneva (southern shore), in the north of Haute-Savoie, approximately in front of the Swiss town of Morges.
Vosges
The Vosges are a medium-altitude mountain range located between the Lorraine plateau and the Alsace plain, north of the Jura chain. They reach an altitude of 1424m at the Grand Ballon and are a heavily wooded massif.
Yvoire
A medieval bourg on the Southern shore of Lake Geneva with many elements of its 14th-century fortifications: castle, doors, ramparts... A modest fishing village at the beginning of the 20th century, Yvoire is now one of the most beautiful villages of France.
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