Chambery

Town of Art and History

Chambery offers to its visitors a very important conservation area vividly highlighted by the houses in the old streets and by its listed historical buildings.

Dominated by the castle of the Dukes of Savoy, the old town of Chambery is one of the most remarkable old neighbourhoods in France. A town of culture, Chambéry has prestigious buildings such as the Charles Dullin theatre, four museums, Sciences and Techniques Gallery, one of the biggest chimes in Europe, and in contemporary architecture the andre Malraux cultural centre, the Jean Jacques Rousseau Médiathèque and the Manège Congress Centre.

All this heritage is enhanced by a floodlighting programme which was awarded a first national prize of the Cities of Light by the Academy of Streets Performance.

As far as nature is concerned, Chambery is located nearby the most important ski resorts in Europe, the largest natural lakes in France, the Bourget Lake and the Aiguebelette Lake - the jewel of the Savoyard foothills.

Chambery is the gateway to the regional natural parks of Chartreuse and of the Bauges and to the Vanoise National Park.

Shopping:
Department stores are open 0900-1830 Monday to Saturday. Most shops are closed between 1200-1430. Food shops are open 0700-1830/1930. Some food shops (particularly bakers) are open Sunday mornings, in which case they will probably close Monday. Many shops close all day or half-day Monday. Hypermarkets are normally open until 2100 or 2200.

Post office:
Opening hours: 0800-1900 Monday to Friday; 0800-1200 Saturday.

Banks:
0900-1200 and 1400-1600 Monday to Friday. Some banks close Monday and some are open Saturday. Banks close early (1200) on the day before a bank holiday; in rare cases, they may also close for all or part of the day after.

Currency exchange:
Some first-class hotels are authorised to exchange foreign currency. Also look for the French equivalent of the Trustee Savings Bank, 'Crédit Mutuel' or 'Crédit Agricole', which have longer opening hours. Shops and hotels are prohibited from accepting foreign currency by law. Many UK banks offer differing exchange rates depending on the denominations of French currency being bought or sold. Travellers should check with their banks for details and current rates. Credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. Travellers cheques:Travellers cheques are accepted almost everywhere. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in French Francs.