Things to see and do Romandy

Housed in a building with cylindrical architecture, we turn around a large pylon to discover experiments staged by the team of scientists and graphic designers. Aimed at young and old alike, the Espace des Inventions is a place for learning about science and technology, discovery and experimentation. Around a chosen scientific theme, a set of games and experiments to be manipulated is proposed to the curious hands, critical eyes and agile brains of visitors. Ideal for little budding sunflower teachers!

Surprising to suggest a visit to a cemetery, but the architect Alphonse Laverrière designed it as a public park. The park is particularly well maintained, with hedges trimmed to the centimetre... Ponds, flowerbeds, beehives - a carefully considered plant decor. A brochure in the reception area lists the personalities buried here, including Pierre de Coubertin, the renovator of the Olympic Games, and Coco Chanel.

This cantonal museum, housed in the Palais de Rumine, comprises three departments: zoology, geology and botany. Aimed more at children, the Zoology Museum features 2,500 animals from the region's fauna and, to a lesser extent, from around the world, as well as an exceptional comparative anatomy section. If you can't see it diving, the museum also boasts the world's largest taxidermized white shark: 5.89 m! Numerous temporary exhibitions.

Located in the Palais de Rumine, the Geology Museum offers a permanent exhibition on three themes: fossils, crystals and the Alps. Two virtual exhibitions, on the origins of the world and Lausanne in the time of palm trees, are also on display. The mammoth on display is still very young: only 16,000 years old. However, it has undergone a two-year rejuvenation treatment to strengthen its bones, as the organic matter inside is still evolving!

Excellent! Within Plateforme 10, the MUDAC (Musée cantonal de design et d'arts appliqués contemporains), with its remarkable architecture, is dedicated to design in French-speaking Switzerland. On display are works in contemporary glassmaking, graphic arts, jewelry, ceramics, etc. The program consists of monographic exhibitions featuring young artists and established designers. In a didactic way, we display some very interesting works by the latter, brimming with creativity. A must-see!

Called Lousonna in Celtic, it was built on the heights, on three hills, to better defend itself. It became the seat of an important bishopric in the Middle Ages, and remained mainly agricultural until the ^19th century, when it embraced the ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers and became a tourist attraction from 1830 onwards. Today, the ^15th-century bishop's residence houses this interesting museum, recounting the city's history and exhibiting typical Lausanne artifacts.

The Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria (1837-1898), better known as Sissi, loved to stay in the region. She used to stay at the Grand Hôtel de Territet, which has since been converted into apartments and houses the Audiorama museum. Her walks took her to Caux, where she stayed in August 1898, before being assassinated on September 10 in Geneva. A statue has been erected in her honor in the Jardin des Roses. It reads: "To the memory of Her Majesty the Empress and Queen Elisabeth, in memory of her many visits to Montreux

The same Vincent Dubochet who built the Château des Crêtes also bought the land between his hill and the lake to build a series of villas, the famous Dubochet villas. No. 17 was inhabited in 1904 by Paul Kruger, defender of the Boers of South Africa and ex-president of the Transvaal, exiled in Switzerland. The Pretoria government acquired the villa in 1954 to turn it into a museum. Another of the villas is home to the environmentalist journalist Franz Weber. The whole complex is listed as a historic monument in the canton of Vaud.

Also known as "Swan Island" or "Rat Island", Salagnon is the last of the five islands in Lake Geneva (Peilz Island, Choisi Island, Harpe Island and Rousseau Island)... and the only inhabited island on the lake!

Until 1880, there was only one set of rocks, "les roches aux mouettes", in front of Clarens. During the construction of the railway from Le Bouveret to Evian, the Tonkin, the Montreux engineer Joseph d'Allinges loaded barges of Meillerie stones and poured them onto this set of rocks to form an island which he surrounded with a wall. He named it Salagnon in reference to the salt from Burgundy which was formerly presented to the customs in Clarens before being transported to Valais. The island was bought 10 years later by a French painter, Théobald Chartran, who had a sort of Florentine villa built there, by the architect Louis Villard, as well as a small port. Chartran used to organize sumptuous evenings there with illustrious characters and fireworks. When he died, the island was taken over by a Russian count, a Zurich merchant, and then an American, Mary Shillito. In 1947, Salagnon became the property of a Zurich resident, Baron Pflüger. Then in 1950, the small port of Le Basset is built, which will be quickly enlarged and which then seems to bring the island closer to the coast. The property was only accessible by boat; at the time, a boatman, who was rung with a bell, made the trip. Today the island, as well as the villa, are classified as cultural property of national importance.

You have to go up into Clarens to catch a glimpse of this astonishing red-brick building. Vincent Dubochet, a leading Montreux figure, had this château built in 1864 on the presumed site of Julie's groves described in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's La Nouvelle Héloïse . Léon Gambetta, former French Minister of Defense and close friend of Dubochet, stayed here on several occasions. The château changed ownership several times before being bought by German industrialists in 1985, who commissioned painter André Russo to restore it.

A 3-hour walk in the trees: 8 courses with monkey bridges, zip lines (250 m long), barrels and other ladders. Courses of increasing difficulty. More than 200 workshops are offered to entertain and educate you. You will enter an enchanted forest and maybe you will come across evil spirits. Didactic and educational, you will have fun while learning. For the thrill seekers, zip lines, suspension bridges and dizzying descents await you. Possibility to picnic on the spot (terrace and yurt).

The Bex Salt Works is the story of almost three hundred and fifty years of salt extraction. The first gallery was dug in 1684. Since then, it has been transformed to be accessible to the general public, but the place has kept its originality and the unique setting allows us to appreciate the gigantic labyrinth cut into the heart of the mountain, and to discover the underground world of salt mines. A small train takes you to the heart of the mine to continue 1 hour on foot in a vast maze of galleries, shafts, staircases, gigantic rooms ..

Many Locals and even Veveysans come to fill their barrels of this pure water!

The Montreux Museum, whose origins date back to 1874, presents many facets of the Montreux region in a group of reconstructed 17th century winegrowers' houses. The exhibition retraces the town and its region through 4 themes: history, terroir, tourism and hotels. Collections of coins, firebrands, planes and woodworking tools contribute to the understanding of the subject. A lady having donated her thimble collection to the museum, an additional room has been opened to accommodate 2,100 small pieces of jewellery!

Located beneath the Naye rocks, the Liboson chalet is home to a private center for literary, musical and fine arts studies. This atypical intellectual space houses a stained-glass workshop, an Egyptian crypt and an underground library. Conferences on philosophical themes, the Egyptian world or astronomy are organized on request (for two people or more). On-site bed & breakfast and private philosophy courses are also available. You can even make a retreat in this timeless place, for one night or several days.

This islet off the coast of Villeneuve would have emerged from the sands brought by the Rhone. Its history is perhaps romanticized: in the middle of the 19th century, two English fiancés go to swim in the lake; the stay turns into a drama because the young man drowns. At the place where his body is found, the fiancée builds the Isle of Peace. The Federal Council offers it to Queen Victoria during a stay in Montreux, but as she does not wish to pay the taxes, she returns the island to Switzerland! Today, only one of the three large plane trees planted in 1851 remains.

Criticized in its early days, it has become the emblem of Montreux. Given the lack of space between the mountains and the lake, Montreux couldn't really hope to expand. In the 1960s, when the town was back in the public eye, the question of new urban development arose. Economic and tourism obligations took precedence, and the tower was built. The top floor once housed a magnificent restaurant, but its six managers all went bankrupt. It was recently bought by a Russian millionaire.

Crousaz, one of the three hamlets at the base of the commune of Chexbres, was once a fortified village. Overlooking the lake, the castle is situated on a promontory which allows Chexbres to present itself as "the balcony of Lake Geneva". In spite of this, the castle was burnt down several times, and the building was rebuilt from 1603 to 1607. At that time it housed a courtroom. Today, the castle has become private property. Since 1999, it has been the headquarters of an international university network of researchers specialising in quality management.

Here's a very unusual discovery made in this town. In 1984, during the construction of the car park, twenty-three menhirs, lined up side by side over twenty meters and arranged in two rows, were discovered. They would date from 4500 to 4000 years BC and the largest would weigh 13 tons. An exceptional discovery and a unique alignment in the world, the significance of which is still being sought. The visit is quick but really worth a look!

The AstroPléiades course, designed for children and sponsored by astronaut Claude Nicollier, is divided into four stations giving information about the earth, galaxies, stars and the solar system. Each station presents three-dimensional models and fun activities. To extend the discovery, choose the Sentier des exoplanètes footpath linking Les Pléiades and Blonay in 2 hours of walking, always related to the space field.

Beautiful steam locomotives take you back in time. They're back in service again to pull an old train in which you'll be on board, on your way to explore the Chamby Railway Museum, the invention that enabled the development of the entire Swiss Riviera. When the Blonay-Chamby rail link closed in 1966, a team of volunteers created a tourist steam railway, museum depot and restaurant.

This magnificent ^12th-century château has belonged to the Blonay family since its construction, with the exception of the period from 1752 to 1806. In Blonay, the lords originally guarded the Château de Chillon, which belonged to the Bishop of Sion. Returning from a crusade, the bishop realized that Chillon was occupied by the House of Savoy. Around 1184, the Blonays built their castle to defend themselves against the Savoyards. Today, only the keep remains. It is classified as a cultural asset of national importance.

An architectural charm still intact for this religious building consisting of a nave and chapels dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It was part of the parish of Saint-Martin de Vevey. Like many churches, it underwent transformations when the Reformation was adopted in 1536. The polychrome paintings were then camouflaged like all the ostentatious signs of Catholicism. It was rediscovered that in 1924 the witnesses of a past construction with an authentic keystone of an old chapel and tombs in the choir.

Vevey's town hall is a French-style building, with belfry and staircase, which in 1327 was a hospital. Later, in 1702, it was taken over by nuns, resulting in a chapel, of which the Saint-Jean tower remains, behind the building (you can still make out the church door through the two arches surrounded by flowers). You can enter the building from the side and go upstairs to the "historic building" sign. Here you'll find beautiful wood-panelled rooms and historic features.

This sumptuous hotel, built in 1842, houses faux marble columns (which would have cost more than real marble!), fireplaces and fountains. Many personalities have stayed here: Gounod, Sacha Guitry, Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales to celebrate his 20th birthday..

The Hôtel des Trois Couronnes is one of Vevey's monuments to "visit" to climb the steps of the entrance staircase and look up at the courtyards and interior balconies. In the dining room, the paintings on the walls have been restored and, on one of them, you can still see a tiny square of the painting of the time: it's up to you to find it (by going there to drink a coffee for example)!

The 71 richly decorated rooms, which combine a classic style with more contemporary furniture, are full of historical elegance. The terrace, raised above the lake promenade, offers a magnificent view of the lake and the mountains. To live a majestic moment in this prestigious place, the gastronomic restaurant Les Trois Couronnes is open in the evening, from Tuesday to Saturday, and the restaurant Le 3C opens daily for lunch and dinner for a lighter cuisine.

Sunday brunch is served at the Trois Couronnes restaurant with a buffet of hors d'oeuvres and varied, high-quality dishes.

Puressens Spa. Indoor swimming pool with subdued light, underwater music and curtains allowing a view of the lake, hammam, fitness room and treatments in the most beautiful hotel in Vevey.

In the middle of the Place du Marché, you can see a large square slab, formerly a press stone, on which are engraved the dates of the winegrowers' festivals since 1797, with the motto Ora et Labora, or "Pray and work". As a reminder, the Fête des Vignerons is an event that can only take place a maximum of five times per century. The last one took place in 2019, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare for the next one! The square also hosts major concerts, such as Elton John's at the end of 2007.

The word "grenette" means granary. Thus, this hall, built in 1608 in the style of a Greek temple, was already at that time the gathering place for merchants. Apart from market days and festivities, the Grand-Place is a car park. The local authorities did try to build an underground car park, but the lake rises up to underneath it. With an area of more than 10,000 m², it is the largest square in Europe. It was large enough for Napoleon Bonaparte to gather his troops here in 1800 for the Italian campaign.

Situated high up (above the Russian church), this site may have been a Roman necropolis (tombs from this period have been discovered there). In 1497, a tower and four turrets were added to the first church. An architecture that greatly pleased Victor Hugo, who came several times to Vevey. So much so that he would have made a sketch of it to make a replica in the Pays de la Loire region. At the back of the church, a stained glass window represents Saint Martin dividing his coat in two.

The earliest buildings date back to the ^14th century, but the castle's current appearance is the result of enlargement work carried out in the ^16th century and renovation of the facades in 1729. The monumental staircase tower and the large portal in the western courtyard (1573-1576) bear the imprint of the Bodmer brothers, craftsmen from Vallesia (northern Italy). Bequeathed to the town of Lutry in 1854 by Juste-Charles-Antoine de Crousaz, a descendant of the family that had owned it since 1640, the château has housed the town administration since 1942. Tours available.

Internet page of the tourist office of Lavaux and the Vaud Riviera (from Vevey to Villeneuve). The Events and News column on the left-hand side allows you to quickly locate current shows and other events. It is also possible to book a hotel directly, to find ideas for hikes and sports in the region. It is an ally to organize your discovery and you can also book directly thematic experiences like Panoramic Vine, guided tours, musical walks..

The Regional Tourist Office is responsible for promoting the entire Swiss Riviera, Lavaux and the Vaud Riviera (Vevey, Montreux and surrounding areas). The website offers a wealth of information, including themed ideas, events and hotel and package bookings. In addition to the office on the quays, thirty information points are at your disposal, the "i" points in the canton of Vaud, events, cultural activities... full information.

Situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Château d'Ouchy is a 4-star hotel housed in a 12th-century castle in Lausanne. It's just a 9-minute walk from the Olympic Museum and 1.9 km from Lausanne Cathedral. Rooms are elegantly decorated in neutral tones and feature flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars and en suite bathrooms. Some rooms offer lake views and feature four-poster beds and/or high ceilings. Suites include a terrace and living area, with views of the harbor, lake or garden. The hotel offers breakfast at an additional cost, and features a chic bar/restaurant with a terrace overlooking the lake, serving Mediterranean cuisine. It also features an outdoor swimming pool and a spa with sauna and hammam. Château d'Ouchy offers disabled access, air conditioning, laundry service and free Wi-Fi.

In order to better pay tribute to the human hand and to raise awareness of its importance, Professor Claude Verdan, an eminent specialist in reconstructive hand surgery, has created this place which is entirely dedicated to it. The museum regularly organizes exhibitions and debates and lectures, not only on the hand but also related to science and medicine. Finally, Le Café de la Main for a coffee or a chocolate, a fruit juice or an organic pastry.

Housed in the former premises of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Forum d'architectures Lausanne is run by an association whose aim is to introduce professionals and the general public to authors, projects and achievements in the fields of visual expression and urban culture. To this end, it organizes exhibitions, conferences and debates related to the field of architecture in the broadest sense, open to all

Built in 1340, this former watchtower, 21 m high, is the last vestige of the ramparts that once surrounded the city. Its dimensions, 21 m high and 8 in diameter, made it one of the most spectacular elements of the town. The thickness of its walls reaches 1.75 m. The tower was classified as a historical monument in 1900 and restored in 1903. Just below, the rue de l'Ale, actually rue de la Halle but transformed by popular speech into rue de l'Aile and then l'Ale, leads to La Pinte Besson, the oldest bistro in Lausanne.

Catholic worship, abolished in 1536 by the Bernese, resumed in private homes in 1798 and, from 1812, in the new Mercerie temple. In 1832, the church of Notre-Dame du Valentin was built, the first Catholic church built in Lausanne after the Reformation. In 1992, it was elevated to the rank of basilica by Pope John Paul II. The church features a magnificent fresco by Italian Futurist Cubist painter Gino Severini (1883-1966).

Built in the 13th century on the ruins of an old church dating from the year 1000, Saint-Laurent is the first Protestant temple founded by the Bernese. Having survived with difficulty through the ages, notably because of the fire in Lausanne and certain acts of vandalism, a new temple was built between 1716 and 1719, and the main façade was renewed again in 1762. Today, the Reformed Church of St. Lawrence offers visitors the opportunity to observe its beautiful baroque façade with a clock tower.

Cantonal museums, cramped for space in the Palais de Rumine, use this space for temporary exhibitions. The neoclassical building, inaugurated in 1841, was built thanks to Vaud painter Louis Arlaud to house a drawing school and art museum. The site was given a new lease of life in 1997 under the name Espace Arlaud. It presents the work of Swiss and international artists through temporary exhibitions on the themes of photography, art, history, geography... The museum is only open during these exhibitions, consult the website.

For a long time, this square was regarded as the failure of Lausanne's urbanization. Since 2008, the site has welcomed new activities, such as concerts on July 31 to celebrate the national holiday on August¹, and a garage sale every first Sunday of the month. The Miam Festival is held every Pentecost weekend, with stands showcasing world cuisine. Concerts and culinary workshops for adults and children are organized. Other concerts are organized throughout the year.

Rue de Bourg, which runs down from the Bessières Bridge to Saint-François, was the main artery through which all traffic passed until the early 19th century. At that time there was a horse relay in Saint-François. In the 19th century, the rue de Bourg was opened on the lake, with perpendicular streets and passages, such as the Saint-François gallery, the only one in Europe built with stairs. There you will see the oldest shop in Lausanne: Blondel. Its chocolates are a must! Today, the rue de Bourg is emblematic of luxury shopping.

The Château Saint-Maire, a real fortified castle, was built between 1394 and 1430 at the request of the Lausanne bishops to make it their new residence, considering that the old residence, the current Historical Museum, was not big enough. Since 1803, this building has been the seat of the Vaud cantonal authorities and is therefore not open to the public. It is therefore unfortunately not possible to visit it from the inside. Nevertheless, you can always walk past it on your peregrinations and it is possible to visit it online.

The Lausanne skyscraper was the subject of much controversy at the time of its construction and was designed by the architect Alphonse Laverrière in 1932, one year after the Empire State Building. The property developer was in New York and also wanted a large-scale building for Lausanne. Built straddling the Place Bel Air and the Flon "hole", this impressive tower rises to 54 m from the Place Bel Air and 68 m from the Rue de Genève. It houses the Salle Métropole, a listed building.

Historic site located in a one-hectare park on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Centre général Guisan is a privileged space for meetings, studies and remembrance. The property, then called Verte Rive, was the home, until his death in 1960, of General Guisan, Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Army during the Second World War. Nowadays, the space offers various rooms for rent, and also organises numerous events throughout the year. The military library and the park are also open to the public.

Once the residence of bishops, this ^12th-century château retains only the keep tower from its past. Towards the end of the ^19th century, Jean-Jacques Mercier commissioned architect Francis Isoz to build a luxury hotel in the neo-Gothic style that was very much in vogue at the time. A few years ago, there was talk of turning it into a casino, but the Loterie Romande, which bought the château, was unable to obtain a license. It therefore leased the château to Lausanne Palace & Spa, which manages the new hotel and its marvellous terrace overlooking the lake.

A real living museum at the foot of Montriond hill and a stone's throw from the Milan park and its playgrounds, the Botanical Garden cultivates more than 6,000 species of plants from all over the world in its rock gardens, water features and flowerbeds. This little corner of paradise is overflowing with colour and offers a serene and pleasant visit. The museum and the garden offer temporary botanical and artistic exhibitions to make the visit more enjoyable.

This English-style park surrounds a mansion built for wealthy financier Vincent Perdonnet (1768-1850). The family motto is inscribed on the rear façade: Toujours agité, jamais abattu!

The bourgeois residents of Rue de Bourg often owned a second home outside Lausanne, when the city was still surrounded by fortifications and vineyards (the vineyards belonged to the bishop, then were bought by private individuals, including the city of Lausanne). At the time, these residences were known as "maisons de maître", and the park surrounding them as "campagne". Thus, we also speak of the Désert countryside and the Hermitage countryside.

In front of the house, the Olympic rings on the ground evoke the original headquarters of the Olympic Committee. In 1756, the owner of the property, Philippe de Gentils, Marquis de Langallerie, had a theater built, where Voltaire presented plays during his visits to Lausanne. He also built a "folie". In the ^18th century, this was the name given to holiday homes, with their original, mixed Gothic, Baroque and medieval architectural styles, conducive to daydreaming, gallant encounters and invitations to travel, hidden away in the parks of castles or in the countryside. In fine weather, the pavilion offers light refreshments and pastries.

In summer, concerts and film screenings take place in this superb setting with waterfall, grotto, underground passage and aviary populated by superb macaws.