Green Water

In the heart of Annecy, where the Canal du Vassé brushes against the mythical Pont des Amours, Green Water offers an altogether different way of experiencing the lake. Here, navigation becomes something deeply felt: a journey designed as a narrative, weaving together the memory of place, nautical aesthetics and contemporary sensibility. More than a means of getting from one shore to another, the company offers an immersion into the landscape.

At its helm is Dorian Etienne, a local of the region, who has cultivated an almost instinctive relationship with these waters since childhood. A former water-skiing instructor, he knows the lake like the back of his hand. "Lake Annecy is a living backdrop. Our role, alongside my partners Guillaume Jacquemoud and Emmanuel About, is to tell its story, not simply to travel across it," he says.

After a period in Switzerland, he returned with a clear vision: to restore breath and elegance to the wooden launches that had disappeared from the lake for several years, and to write them back into its history.

The fleet embodies this renaissance. Sleek contemporary vessels, inspired by the iconic Riva and designed in Brittany before being built in Saint-Nazaire, sit alongside two beautifully restored historic craft: Nelson (1936) and La Mouette (1950). All have been converted to electric power in-house, a first in France for this type of vessel, offering silent, zero-emission navigation. Here, luxury is quiet, almost meditative.

On board, every outing is an experience in its own right. Shared cruises, capped at twelve passengers, run in short formats from thirty minutes to an hour, just enough to encourage true immersion.

Far from the bustle of the shore, the lake's crystalline waters reveal Alpine panoramas, grand villégiature architecture and fragments of history, recounted by knowledgeable local pilots with a genuine passion for their surroundings.

Private charters extend this approach into something altogether more personal. Whether with family, close friends, or to mark a special occasion, guests step into an experience that feels entirely their own.

Yet Green Water Annecy is not simply about aesthetics or technical innovation. The company is part of a broader ambition: a form of tourism that is considered, sustainable and deeply rooted in its territory. Named Project of the Year 2024 and supported by the local tourism office, it has accumulated several hundred enthusiastic reviews. Perhaps most tellingly, a growing proportion of its guests are locals who are rediscovering their own heritage through a beautifully renewed lens.

Open from spring through to autumn, and present at landmark events such as the Venetian Carnival, the second largest in the world after Venice itself, the company continues to develop with quiet ambition. Further projects are in the pipeline, though details remain closely guarded for now.

Canal du Vassé – Pont des Amours, Annecy

www.greenwaterannecy.com