During a week of travelling around Switzerland, my friend and I visited the charming lakeside town of Vevey – famous for being the home of milk chocolate as well as the last hometown and resting place of comedy star Charlie Chaplin…
Vevey was a welcomed change after exploring exciting—and sometimes chaotic—Lausanne and Geneva. The easy going and pristine city was made even more so by the beautiful Grand Hotel Du Lac, where we spent two wonderful nights.
As an avid fan of Switzerland, I’ve compiled a list of 10 reasons to visit Vevey (and actually don’t regret about our trip now):
Switzerland isn’t just all mountain tops—it’s also home to some of Europe’s largest and most beautiful lakes. Vevey is a town on the north shore of Lake Geneva, and offers a stunning view.
Vevey is noted for being the final town in which the legendary entertainer Charlie Chaplin called home. To discover the life and work of Charlie Chaplin, take a five minute drive to Chaplin’s World, where you can peek into the his home and the world of silent films.
It is no secret that Nestle is dominating this little town. I suppose half of the town’s population works in Nestle. The Alimentarium Museum, a modern museum opened in Vevey in 1985 by Nestlé, is very impressive. It features a permanent exhibition of cooking, eating, purchasing food, and a history of Nestlé.
An important landmark on the water along Lake Geneva and the emblem of the town of Vevey is a huge fork. Made of stainless steel, it reaches 8m in height and was designed by Jean-Pierre Zaugg, a sculptor from Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
The most picturesque part of the town is the walk along the Rue du Luc, which lines Lake Geneva and offers a great view of the French and Swiss Alps. The snow-capped mountains and scenery makes this one of the most beautiful and pleasant walks I have experienced anywhere in the world.
These vineyards that offer fantastic views of Lake Geneva, the alps and grapevines. These vine terraces can be traced back to the 11th century.
You can take this railway to go up and see the magnificent panoramic views on the Alps, Vevey and Montreux. It really is worth it!
We spent one evening feeding the birds at the lake. It’s surprising how tame the birds were and how they tried to grab the food (we had some homemade crusty bread) from our hands. BUT don’t follow our example, be wary of birds that approach and remember that they can still be aggressive, particularly the larger waterfowl such as swans and geese. Remember to throw their food directly onto the water, and not on the nearby land.
The best in the world. You can’t leave Swittzerland w/o these two things.
Entirely renovated by Pierre-Yves Rochon, the hotel shines like a jewel on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Despite spending just 2 days at Hotel Du Lac, I fell for this beautiful place and I’ll explain to you why.
The hotel itself looks impressive when you first approach it, standing proud on the shores of Lake Geneva—it’s said to be the gem of Vevey.
Grand Hotel Du Lac is steeped in history, first founded in the 19th century. Even though it was entirely renovated in 2006 they have still kept the character of the building! It’s utterly charming.
From the first minutes of entering the hotel, we found it to be such a friendly and welcoming place to stay. We were personally greeted and treated as if we were guests of the owner. It was Sunday, and a lot of people were having brunch in the casual dining restaurants La Veranda and Les Seasons. Everyone was smiling, talking, and enjoying the views to the harbor, Lake Geneva, and the majestic Swiss and French Alps. Needless to say, I felt it was a home away from home immediately.
After a late check-in, we spent some hours walking around the old town, and finished our day on the harbour watching the sunset over Lake Geneva. Lapping waves and the occasional shriek of a seagull lent tranquility to this lake, so much so that I felt as though I could stay there forever.
When we arrived at the hotel, I’d felt drained. After all the exhausting travelling, it was quite predictable (poor bloggers’ life, hah). I decided to cut through my anxiety and stress in the Health&Wellness centre. Sauna, massage, and long talks with my friend always help me to relax and unwind. It clears my mind and gets me in the right mindset for the day.
We spent the next day exploring the city and again ended it in the Spa Area. My only regret is that I didn’t try the popular high-tech skin advancements and remedies at Dr. Burgener Switzerland Care & Spa. The integration of the brand Dr Burgener in the Spa of the Grand Hotel du Lac, member of Relais & Chateaux, is the perfect blend of beauty and luxury.
On the last morning before catching my train (on to Grindelwald), I had just enough time to enjoy an idyllic morning stroll along the promenade, taking in the wonderful weather, and then had the tastiest breakie on the balcony.
As I mentioned before, the views from the balcony were breathtaking. We could see the harbour in its full glory when it was lit up at night as well as stunning snow-capped mountains of Saint Gingolph in France on the other side of Lake Geneva. Vevey, it sure was a pleasure to meet you and I hope to be back one day.
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