The Annecy stud farm was a group of buildings dedicated to horses, built on a large park of three hectares. The place in the middle of the city is open to the public. A small restaurant is available. What is its history? How to get to the stud farm? What is the future of this site?
The history of the Annecy Stud
Annecy has had a stud farm since the First Empire. The aim was to group together stallions to ensure the reproduction of horses of good bloodlines, mainly for the army. Under the Third Republic, the current building was constructed between 1880 and 1885. At the time, the site was outside Annecy, but today it is in the centre of the town.
In 2005, it was decided to close it down following the restructuring of the national stud farms. The stud farm was classified as a historical monument in 2007, and was then bought by the town of Annecy.
The buildings were designed to be practical and straight, as desired by the architect Ruphy in 1880. This organisation was adopted at the time by all the French studs under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The central building was intended to house the saddles. The first floor was occupied by the vet. The staff were housed on the sides. A large covered riding arena is located on the right hand side, which was used at the end of the 20th century by the Cravache d’Annecy, which is still a renowned horse club in Annecy. The pretty house in the park was the home of the stud’s director. In total, more than 12 buildings are located on this site dedicated to horse breeding.
The stud farm of today and tomorrow
Since it is a municipal property, the site is open to the public except in winter. A small restaurant with a bar is offered with musical and theatrical entertainment. Beehives have been installed to allow the public to understandbeekeeping. The festival of Reblochon, an excellent cheese from Haute-Savoie, is organised every year.
It is a shady place, pleasant to have a picnic or enjoy the small catering (Armony Saveurs) during your holidays in Annecy. You can go shopping at the Galeries Lafayettes, which are located five minutes away on foot. From the pedestrianised centre of Annecy, you will need to walk about ten minutes to reach the stud farm.
Address: 19 rue Guillaume Fichet, 74000 Annecy.
Opening period: from the beginning of May to the end of September.
Anecdote: if you ask for your route to Annecy, you must ask for the stud farms, even if there is only one.
In the years to come, this site will be redeveloped to make it even more attractive:
- The current quarry will be transformed into a water garden to bring freshness. A landscaped public park will be created to order the existing vegetation.
- The natural park will be enlarged to allow visitors to enjoy this wooded and shaded area in the middle of the city.
- A gourmet market will be created to showcase the work of local producers while offering prices that are accessible to all.
- The Animation Film City will allow for permanent and temporary exhibitions to link with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival which takes place every year.
Work will begin in early 2022 for delivery to the public in 2024.
The 2021 season at the Haras
For this transitional year, before the major renovation work that is planned, the Annecy Stud is open from May 1st to the beginning of October from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6.30 pm. The sanitary rules in force must be respected: maximum group size of 6 people, compulsory wearing of masks. The restaurant“Le Cheval à Bascule” will be open if the situation improves. Exhibitions, concerts and events around the apiary are planned during the season with free open-air cinema sessions.
