| Vacations
- Swiss Riviera by Jay Bauder
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The Swiss Riviera is located
on the shores of Lake Leman stretching from Geneva
which is 99 km to the south and Montreux
to the north east. With an abundance of sailboats dotting its shores, Lake
Leman is the biggest fresh water lake in Western Europe and a pearl for
travelers visiting Switzerland.
Most of French-speaking Switzerland
is so appealing because it barely registers on the package tour circuit.
You can swap a bus full of Japanese tourists shopping for cuckoo clocks
in Lucern for a hillside of blooming narcissi
or a wine village with spell-binding views and a deep blue-green gleam
along Lake Leman.
Make your first glimpse of
the Swiss Riviera, a playground for the rich and famous, from the window
of a Panoramic train as it descends the snow-capped Alps upon French-style
farmhouses adorned with terraced vineyards just beside you and Lake Leman.
Lake
Leman possesses such grace with its calm azure waters and graceful swans
patrolling underneath the medieval Chillon Castle. However, Chillon's history
is no fairytale. During Switzerland's witchcraft purges, dozens of women
were tortured here while many others were incarcerated. Lord Bryon, who
visited in 1816, wrote an epic poem about Francois Bonivard, the prisoner
chained in the dungeons of Chillon.
Steep mountains and vineyards
terraces mirror in the crystal clear waters of the lake, providing a feeling
of complete harmony and relaxation. Discover the unique terraced vineyards
of the wine growing village of Lavaux which represents the culture of the
region. Why not take a stroll along exceptional landscape away from the
road traffic and into ever changing colors of the over 50 vineyards alongside
Lake Leman.
Montreux
is one of those places that seem to hold a certain tantalizing magic. With
a sought after and mild microclimate, Montreux is spectacularly located
at the shores of Lake Leman with the afternoon sunshine streaming across
the lake. Visitors can marvel at a wide variety of well kept tropical plants
lining the scenic ten km lakeside walk.
Lake Leman's summers are
definitely Riviera-like, reaching a sweltering 95 F in mid July. Be sure
to cool off at one of the many beaches and regattas in the summer months,
surrounded on all sides by the Swiss and French Alps. Relatively speaking,
winters can be quite mild, which explains the terraced vineyards and infamous
banana and palm trees along the lakeshore.
Take a day trip on a classic
Pullman rail car to the medieval village of Gruyere where you will witness
cheese making demonstrations the traditional way. In the afternoon, enjoy
Nestle's Callier chocolate factory located in Broc where you can indulge
in the taste of pure chocolate heaven.
In high summer, ferries ply
between the lakeside villages, spending much of your time afloat on the
lake. Ferries also go to such areas as Geneva bound for Yvoire and Lausanne
bound for Evian (source of the famous bottled water) in France. Such cultural
attractions as the Nestle food museum and farmers markets open along the
shores every Saturday to shoppers.
Ernest Hemingway, Charlie
Chaplin, Noel Coward, Shania Twain and Freddy Mercury all owned homes in
Montreux and neighboring Vevey. Charlie Chaplin spent the last 25 years
of his life in Vevey, with a statue of him along the lakefront. One can
only bask on a terrace at sunset and marvel at the huge expanse of green
land and presence of mountains beyond.
While the Swiss Riviera is
in some ways passe these days, new luxurious wellness centers have sprung
along its shores to entice visitors to come rest and play. Come relax at
such wellness centers as the Amrita Wellness Center at Le Montreux Palace,
the Givenchy Spa at Le Mirador, the Puressens Spat at Hotel Trois Couronnes
in Vevey and La Reserve Hotel and Spa in Geneva.
Switzerland is renewing its spa reputation and millions have been spent
to create everything you could possibly need to de-stress, detox, lose
weight, tone up and bring mind and body back to optimal health.
It's quite easy to understand
why once you catch a glimpse of the ambling quai des fleurs among the neighboring
towns and villages you will never want to leave its beauty. You'd never
tire of the ever changing panorama of lakes, alpine pinnacles, and twinkling
villages. Best of all, within a half-an-hour you can be high in the mountainous
Alps enjoy various winter sports.
The people of the Swiss Riviera
are very International. Don't worry if your French is a little rusty, as
they are English friendly (among Switzerland's four national languages)
and are happy to answer your questions. Make the Swiss Riviera your ideal
spot for your next vacation at any time of the year.
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About the Author - Jay is
the web owner of Rental
Cars, a website that provides information and resources on rental cars,
vacations, airfare, hotels, and travel. You can visit his website at: Discount
Hotels. |