Annecy, France, is sometimes called the Venice of Savoie because of the peaceful canals flowing through the center of Old Town that connect to Lac d’Annecy. However, it is a stretch to compare Annecy’s two main canals named Thiou and Vassè with the 170 canals in Venezia. Savoie is a French department (a geographical and governmental area) within the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps.