Chambery is an attractive and lively town in the Savoie department of the Rhone Alps, about 50 kilometres north of Grenoble. The city has a long history linked with that of nearby Italy, and the Dukes of Savoy and Chambery only became permanent parts of France in 1861.
In recent years, Chambery has had something of a revival. It has been tidied up and important institutions such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts have re-opened. It is now bright and colourful and a really pleasant place to spend some time. It also has one of the most inhabited town centres in France; add to that a student population of about 11,000 students, and Chambery has a nice, lively atmosphere for most of the year.