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The tallest mountain of the Alps, Mt. Blanc, is in Haute Savoie, as are the popular resorts of Chamonix, Courchevel, Megève, and St Gervais, among others. The Olympic city of Albertville, the old royal capital of Chambéry and the Abbey of Hautecombe are in the much more agricultural département of Savoie, which produces excellent white wines.
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Savoie is the name
of an old country annexed by France in 1860. The traditional
frontiers of Savoie have not changed since the annexation: Savoie
lies East of France, West of Italy, and South of Switzerland
and Lake Geneva, at the crossroads of the Alps. Savoie measures
approximately 100km (60 miles) across, and 150km (90 miles) North
to South. The nearest international airports are in Geneva, just
across the border from northern Haute Savoie; Lyon, some one
hundred miles to the west, and Milan, in Italy, across the Alps
to the east.
The former country
of Savoie, whose six traditional provinces are shown in the map
at left, is now divided into two French départements
(states) called Savoie and Haute Savoie. Savoie, long an
independent nation, is now part of the nation-state of France,
though some 
Savoie and Haute Savoie are well known for their
ski resorts, but also for their beautiful 
The city of Annecy, with its lovely
canals, "Vieille Ville" (Old City) and hilltop castle,
is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe;
it hosts an international festival of animated films (every other
year, in May), as well as a huge fireworks display (La Fête
du Lac, in August). In addition, the old section of the city
is filled with restaurants that prepare the reknowned cuisine
of the region. It is a very popular destination for tourists
from around the world.