Although Cezanne painted it and Churchill called it "the most beautiful place on Earth," the town of Talloires, named 1,000 years ago from the Celtic "Tall'eur" meaning "facing the moon," remains far less famous than her admirers.

The tiny village sits regally on Lake Annecy, the cleanest lake in Europe. The aquamarine water is more reminiscent of a Caribbean beach than a bay in the heart of the French Alps. The mountains -- sweeping, verdant, exquisitely shaped by thousands of years of glacial movement -- combine with the water to create an entrancing landscape.

I first came to Talloires as an 18-year-old college student attending a summer study-abroad program. Tufts University owns a thousand-year-old former priory 100 yards up a small hill from the lake. The idyllic setting was complemented by engaging studies in Ice Age anthropology and the politics of world health -- Talloires is just an hour from Geneva, headquarters of the World Health Organization.

Yet my favorite time of day was the break between classes. I'd position myself in the garden so as to take in the maximum amount of sun while enjoying an unobstructed view of the glimmering lake and the shapely mountains. I would munch on the baguette, tomato, and cheese my host mother packed for me each day, while dreaming of returning to Talloires one day to stay in the luxurious L'Abbey Hotel (a former abbey) next door.

On weekends our group would travel to Mont Blanc to hike glaciers, Paris to learn about art, and Dordogne to view cave paintings. While each trip was a treat, the promise of returning to beautiful Talloires and my warm and gracious host family in nearby Annecy was the real prize.

Despite my concentration in international relations, I never again studied abroad, for few experiences could live up to that summer in Talloires. Although I have now traveled throughout most of Europe, this place still has the pull of a first love. I continue to helplessly be drawn back.

The center of town consists of two blocks housing a handful of restaurants, the town hall, the post office, a bakery, a small market, a tabac and another store or two. One concession to the largely ignored outside world is the chunk of stone cut out of a corner building in order to allow a full-size bus to turn into the center of town.

The natural beauty of Talloires creates the opportunity for an active day or little activity at all. Sitting on a dock, drawing or reading, followed by a nap in the lakeside grass is as acceptable a pastime as any. For those with a little more energy, paddleboats wait on the lake, tennis courts are up in town, and opportunities to hike are plentiful.

On sunny days the panorama is filled with the green, orange, and red dots of hang gliders floating along the rim of the mountains. Each time I visit Talloires, I am intoxicated by the thought of joining them. Despite my fears, I can't resist the chance to one day enjoy the ultimate view of Talloires and Lake Annecy.

Annecy, the capital of France's Haute Savoie, is an elegant, flower-filled city known as the "Venice of France" for its canals and cobblestone streets offering urban diversions 20 minutes from Talloires by car or 45 minutes by boat. Boutiques, museums, wonderful restaurants specializing in crepes, and a 12th century castle are among Annecy's diversions.

Talloires has a special talent for bringing people of many walks of life together. French families from all over the country come to spend a few weeks hiking and camping during the popular vacation month of August. Campgrounds mix with rustic alpine inns and luxurious lakeside hotels.

Gourmands jet in for a weekend at Auberge du Pere Bise, famous for its first-class hotel and Michelin two-star restaurant. A warm summer night spent sitting at a lakeside table at Pere Bise eating and drinking as the sun sets is surely as close to heaven as you can get on earth.

A TGV train makes the trip from Paris to Annecy in three hours. A bus or train from Geneva to Annecy takes about an hour. From the Annecy train station, Talloires is a 20-minute taxi or bus ride away.

Kathy McCabe is assistant editor of Travel.USATODAY.com.

September 2002