The Best of Chambery

Since Chambery is only 20 minutes away by bus, I've been going there a lot to both study and explore. The Old Town is so wonderful to just wander through. And there are a lot of nice patisseries, boulangeries, and other shops to eat at.

This little skyway is the only one remaining in Chambery because skyways like these allowed fires to pass from block to block, ravaging the town

Photobomb! My host sisters are hilarious…

 

Of course, we need to stop for Le Goûter (afternoon snack time in France)! This Chocolat Chaud (hot chocolate) was delicious, but super rich!

A yummy mango and citrus cake

The beautiful museum and library in the Chambery

On the opposite side, the Palais de Justice

The Place St. Leger, one of my favorite places in Chambery! It is so charming…

The cathedral

Inside, the whole church is decorated with Trompe l'oeil paintings! The paintings are made to look like stone designs, kind of giving an optical illusion. I guess this is one of the biggest examples of Trompe l'oeil in Europe!

The square of the church

A delicious Gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut) macaron at the Fountain

The Fontaine des Elephants, the most famous monument in Chambery. 

My kind French picture-takers explained to me that the fountain is called “the elephants without backsides” because you can only see the front half of the statues!

Some of the beautiful painted houses of Chambery. The town has many Italian influences (such as the housing architecture) since it is near the border.

The Charles Dullin Theatre in Chambery

The Chateau des Ducs de Savoie. The Counts of Savoy lived here in the Middle Ages. At that time, Savoie wasn't part of France; it only became annexed by France in the 1800s!