Excenevex

Village of nearly a thousand inhabitants, situated at an altitude of 395m, Excenevex welcomes more than 5 000 visitors each summer and offers numerous activities.

It is also a delightful holiday base for venturing out on the discovery of the lake and mountains.

You can discover here some sand-dunes where rare plants native of Mediterranean Europe are hiding.

At the exit from the village another particularity can be found, France’s one and only gold-beater, whose foils cover monuments throughout the world, as for example, the flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Nearby, the clock tower harbours a carillon capable of chiming 100 melodies..

Discover the local patrimony by chance on your walks: old farms at Excenevex and Chevilly; ancient dwellings like that of La Tour [The Tower] (formerly a prison, then seat of the law-court), wash-houses, church, chapels...

• Lakeside path and fishermen’s harbour in the foreground and, in the background, the Port du Moulin.

Appreciate the authenticity of the lake shore with its little fishing harbours (Port du Moulin and fishermen’s harbour), take the lakeside path which leads you from the landing stage up to the beach skirting a clayey-limestone cliff, observe the resident fauna (the public domain of the bay of Excenevex is also a site of international importance for the wintering and migration of the water-birds: League for the Protection of Birds) and let your eye roam from the lake to the mountains.

Excenevex is also a village with agricultural activity.

Excenevex is, above all, reputed for its natural beach of fine sand of almost 10 hectares and its lakeside, unique in the department. La Pinède (the pine-wood) which borders this place to the west of the little stream, le Vion, border with Sciez, gives it a certain Mediterranean air.

The beach, watched over in July and August, slopes gently down into the waters of the lake. It attracts numerous tourists in summer and offers supervised bathing for the children. Excenevex beach is a children’s paradise.

A play area, the volleyball pitches, a giant game of chess, a mini-golf, pedal-boats and various other hire items (motor-boats, deckchairs, beach-umbrellas) are at your disposal.

Fishing, French bowls, sailing, horse-riding and tennis complete the palette of leisure activities proposed to visitors.

Several boats enable excursions on Lake Geneva, and even to go to the market at Thonon-les-Bains on Thursday morning (in July and August – tickets on sale at the Tourist Office).

In winter, this beach is the refuge of a lacustral fauna that the specialists come to admire: ducks, swans, coots, sea-gulls, grebes, sandpipers, godwits, herons, aigrettes... which in times of strong wind rest in the calm waters of the Vion, this little watercourse winding through the Pinède campsite.

In summer, it is a place for bathing and relaxation sought after by numerous people.

The municipality devotes enormous efforts to maintain and render welcoming this free beach of which all the charges fall solely upon the parish of Excenevex. The parking fees charged contribute towards the beach maintenance expenses.

Walks on the discovery of Excenevex and its surroundings.

Depart from in front of the tourist office at 9am (return around midday).

These walks are guided by members of the tourist office and are open to all, small and large. Equip yourselves with good shoes, hats and drinks.

Registration free, up until Tuesday 6pm at the tourist office

• The walk circuits of Excenevex and Chevilly
• Walks in Haute-Savoie