Semnoz bicycle climb summary
Steepest ½ kilometer begins at km 15.1 (13.7%)
This is a local favorite around Lake Annecy. We saw several cyclist on the climb before 9 a.m. when we rode it May 30, 2018. 5,500 Strava members had ridden the climb as of May, 2018. We stayed in the wonderful town of Annecy (pop. 124,401, 2014) which is within easy striking distance of other climbing favorites Mont du Chat, the 4 routes up Col du Grand Colombier and Col du Forclaz (another climb starting near the shores of Lake Annecy).
Annecy:
“Le vieil Annecy ("Old Annecy"), (not to be confused with Annecy le vieux, another border town), was a settlement from the time of the Romans. Annecy was the court of the counts of Geneva or Genevois from the 10th century. It passed to the counts of Savoy in 1401. In 1444, it became the regional capital of the provinces of Genevois, Faucigny, and Beaufortain. With the advance of Calvinism, Annecy became a center for the Counter-Reformation, the old Bishopric of Geneva being transferred to it in 1535. Francis of Sales was born in Sales, France in 1567 and served as bishop of Annecy from 1602 to 1622 his relics are preserved in the cathedral. During the French Revolution, the Savoy region was conquered by France. Annecy became attached to the department of Mont Blanc, whose capital was Chambéry. The Catholic diocese was suppressed in 1801.[citation needed] After the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, Annecy was returned to the King of Sardinia and the Catholic diocese restored in 1822.[citation needed] When Savoy was annexed to France with the in 1860 with the Treaty of Turin, it became the capital of the new department of Haute-Savoie. Annecy was the site of the second round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks in 1949.” Wikipedia - Annecy
Top 10 things to do around Annecy.