Annecy or Bergamo?

Annecy has the better swimming because the lake is right in town. You can walk to the grassy lawns and jetties at Albigny and Marquisats, and quieter village beaches line the shore at Talloires and Menthon-Saint-Bernard. The water is clear and among the cleanest of any lake in Europe.

Bergamo has nowhere to swim in town. In hot weather you make a day of it at Sarnico or Lovere on Lake Iseo, or on the Lecco arm of Lake Como. The midsummer water is about as warm as Annecy's, but getting there takes planning, and you lie on pebbles, grass or concrete.

Both towns cook hearty mountain food built around valley cheeses. Bergamo eats better overall. In Annecy it's Reblochon melted into tartiflette and fondue, plus féra from the lake. The market mornings are the highlight, and many of the canal-side terraces serve the same menu at uneven quality.

In Bergamo the range is wider and more dependable: casoncelli with butter and sage, polenta with braised game, and cheese counters stacked with Taleggio and Strachitunt. Trattorias in the upper town and aperitivo in the lower town fill a day, and Franciacorta sparkling wine comes from nearby.

Annecy's heritage is the setting itself: canals, arcades, the island Palais de l'Isle and the château museum above it. It is lovely, and a single day covers it.

Bergamo has far more substance. The whole Città Alta is ringed by Venetian walls listed by UNESCO. Inside are Santa Maria Maggiore with its Baroque interior and the marble front of the Cappella Colleoni. Down in the lower town, the Accademia Carrara holds Renaissance paintings of real importance, from Mantegna to Lotto.

Neither town is for a big night out, but Bergamo has a little more going on. The evening starts with a long aperitivo, then wine bars along Via XX Settembre and in Borgo Santa Caterina. On summer nights, people drink in the squares and along the walls of the upper town.

Annecy's evenings centre on canal-side terraces and lakeside wine. Outside summer the town is quiet by midnight. For clubs, Bergamo points you to Milan and Annecy to Geneva or Lyon.

Annecy is the stronger choice for an active trip because the outdoors begins at its edge. You can walk from town up Mont Veyrier or Mont Baron for a view over the whole lake, and paddleboards, kayaks and sailing boats are on the water a few steps from the old town. The longer days on the Semnoz, the Parmelan or the Tournette and the paragliding launch above Talloires are a short drive away. In winter the Aravis ski resorts are under an hour off.

Bergamo also has green slopes close by. The wooded Colli park climbs from the walls of the Città Alta to San Vigilio. The real mountains are in the Orobie valleys, with rifugi and high lakes, and they are further out and easier with a car. Skiing is limited to small areas such as Foppolo.

Annecy has good outings. Geneva is under an hour north by road, Chambéry and the spa town of Aix-les-Bains are a short train ride south, and Chamonix makes a full day under Mont Blanc. Several of the mountain trips work best by car.

Bergamo has more within reach, and more of it by train. Milan's Duomo and the Last Supper are under an hour away, Lake Como's Lecco arm is about as close, and Lake Iseo with its car-free Monte Isola is nearer still. The factory village of Crespi d'Adda is half an hour off, and Brescia, Cremona and Verona each make an easy day out.

There is little to choose between them for families, so the choice depends on the kind of fun you want. In summer Annecy is all about the lake: beaches, pedal boats and the flat cycle path, with toboggan runs and treetop courses in the hills. Its streets are easy with a pushchair, but there is no zoo or theme park, and much of the appeal fades once summer ends.

In Bergamo the funicular ride is a treat in itself. Close by are attractions built for children that Annecy lacks: the Leolandia theme park, with rides for younger children and a miniature Italy, and the Le Cornelle wildlife park. The steep cobbles of the upper town are hard going with a buggy, though.

Bergamo is the slightly easier place to be without a car. Funiculars lift you from the lower town to the walls and on to San Vigilio. The airport is a short bus ride away, and direct trains run to Milan, Brescia and Lecco.

Annecy is compact and flat enough to walk everywhere, and a bike or a summer lake boat reaches the shore villages. For trailheads, the passes and Chamonix you really need a car, and summer traffic around the lake can be slow.

In both towns the shopping is mostly about food. Bergamo has a bit more range. In Annecy the best buys are on the market stalls: Savoyard cheese, sausage, génépi and honey. Rue Sainte-Claire adds cutlery, kitchenware and outdoor gear among the souvenir shops.

Bergamo's lower town has proper shopping streets, with mid-range Italian fashion under the arcades of Via XX Settembre and the Sentierone. The upper town's main lane is lined with delicatessens and wine sellers. For luxury, you'd go to Geneva from one and Milan from the other.

Bergamo is the more affordable stay. Hotels in the lower town are fairly priced, and so are trattorias and aperitivo. It costs little to ride the buses and funicular. Only rooms and tables inside the Città Alta are noticeably dearer.

Annecy is expensive all year because it sits so close to Geneva, and summer brings full resort rates. What softens that is how much of the town's appeal costs nothing: the lake lawns, the trails and the shoreline cycle path. A self-catering flat in the shoulder season helps too.

Bergamo has the stronger stage, and it is built on opera. Donizetti was born here, the Teatro Donizetti runs an opera and concert season with an autumn festival of his works, and Bergamo Jazz comes each spring. La Scala is also close enough for an evening.

Annecy's Bonlieu leans towards contemporary theatre, dance and circus. Summer adds a classical festival, and in August the Fête du Lac puts on huge fireworks over the water. For opera you would go to Geneva or Lyon.

Both towns are good places to slow down, in different ways. In Annecy the calm comes from the lake: slow lunches in Talloires, hotel spas by the water, and Aix-les-Bains or Saint-Gervais for real thermal baths. The town is far less restful in July and August.

Bergamo's equivalent is San Pellegrino Terme, a grand Belle Époque spa up Val Brembana, along with the old sulphur springs at Trescore Balneario. In the Città Alta, quiet early mornings on the walls take the place of time by the lake.