Monuments to visit Vevey

It was in Vevey that Henri Nestlé perfected the recipe that has made the group so successful and mothers so happy to feed their children: powdered milk. Nestlé's reputation soon soared and contributed to the town's development. In 1950, the company decided to build its administrative headquarters here and commissioned Swiss architect Jean Tschumi to draw up the plans. Influenced by Le Corbusier, its overall Y shape, first floor on stilts and glass façade make it a fine example of the international style in Switzerland.

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.

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.

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.

Built by two architects, Philippe Franel and Jacques-Louis Brocher, between 1840 and 1846, this whimsical château bears witness to the troubadour style in vogue at the time, which had little influence in Switzerland. Its architecture can also be described as neo-Gothic. In 2007, it was sold for a symbolic CHF 1 to a German, who undertook a titanic renovation over a period of almost ten years (30 million Swiss francs and ninety different contributors) to respect its heritage and house luxury apartments.