Places linked to a character to visit Switzerland

Located 200 m from the Clock Tower, on the second and third floors of Kramgasse 49, this museum is a reconstruction of Einstein's apartment, where he carried out his early work on the theory of relativity. Portraits, photos, film, copies of documents and letters help us to better understand this genius. The tour takes you back to the life of Einstein, his wife Mileva and their son Hans Albert, between 1903 and 1905. Stroll through the two floors, surrounded by period furniture. A guided tour is also available.

One of Vevey's legendary gourmet addresses, this inn was where Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed in 1730. A plaque quotes a highly poetic passage from Confessions: "I went to Vevey," he says, "to stay at La Clef. I took for this city a love that followed me in all my travels." Rousseau first came to Lausanne at the age of 18 to prepare for a music competition. Having finally opted for writing, he wrote Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse in Switzerland, using Clarens as the setting. It is said that he could see Mme de Warens' house from his window.

In the Geneva countryside, a 1710 manor house was the setting for one of the most famous and first science fiction novels. It was in this sumptuous mansion, formerly called Villa Belle Rive, that three young writers (Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley) played a perilous game of writing a terrifying novel. By morning, Mary Shelley had written Frankenstein. The world's most famous science fiction novel was born in the canton of Geneva. The villa is privately owned and unfortunately cannot be visited.