Saturday, 6 July 2013

Lake Geneva - Part 1




After my Grandpa relocated to Bursinel, Switzerland became my new home away from home. Right on the lake, its the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away! The area surrounding Lake Geneva is breath takingly beautiful and the view from Bursinel does not disappoint - on a good day you can see across to France and sometimes (if your lucky) Mont Blanc. The edge of the lake is littered with cute little towns in both France and Switzerland and visiting these places is not difficult. There a boats going from Switzerland to France throughout the day and driving around the whole lake would only take 2 hours and 50 minutes.


View from Bursinel (day and night)







Neighbouring Bursinel is Nyon and Rolle - both typical Swiss villages. Right on the lake they both have a lot to offer. When visiting, daily trips to Rolle are essential, usually to visit the local fromagerie or patisserie (probably the best cakes I have ever had were at Patisserie Ch. Moret)! Apart from the local tasty food, Rolle has a beautiful walk route by the lake. There is also a lovely chateau you can tour round too and local markets at certain times during the year. Yet the charming city of Rolle has more to be grateful for (as if it weren’t enough) than its spectacular front-row seat on the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva. For it sits below rolling hills smothered in vineyards that form part of the famous Route Du Vignoble in the lush wine producing region of La Cote, an area renowned for gastronomy and fine wine as well as culture and heritage.  









Nyon is a slightly bigger version of Rolle. The streets are small and winding dotted with antique shops and 'chocolateries'. Nyon is one of the many places you can take a boat to France and it is also home to the prestigious Castle of Nyon which is situated up from the Lake. The Historic Museum occupies the entire building, allowing visitors to explore the Castle itself and absorb its atmosphere.










Take a day trip to France

One fine morning we decided to sail across to Yvoire. A mere 20 minutes away on a boat (which go on the hour) its the perfect place to spend a morning. This medieval village is bursting with personality, restaurants and even the odd tourist attraction. There are beautiful gardens and a medieval chateaux which are definitely worth a visit if your up for a bit of French culture. There are plenty of cute little restaurants by the lake serving typical French cuisine and on a summers day the views of Switzerland are beautiful. Another option is to amble along the lake and feed the ducks - we were lucky enough to stumble across some gorgeous baby swans whilst we were visiting. 


















Lausanne

This buzzing city played host for dinner one evening during our visit. Sadly, as we had limited time in Lausanne our tour was cut slightly short however there was time for a tasty yet cheap meal followed by a stroll round the city. I must warn you though, Lausanne is smack bang on a hill, with the centre at the top. This results in LOTS of stairs - its no wonder the people who live there are all so skinny! Even though the steps were (extremely!) tiring, it did give a certain aspect of character to the city as well as amazing views out across the lake. Lausanne seemed mysterious with little pubs down side alleys, or in dark corners, however bustling with people nonetheless. There are a mix of high street/high end and vintage shops scattered around and for such a busy place, traffic didnt seem to cause any problems. Another thing to be aware of is due to the University, ive heard Lausanne has amazing nightlife even though i am yet to experience it myself - ill have to save that for my next trip!  











Expect lots more of Switzerland - I intend to visit again sooner rather than later! 

Until next time, Bon voyage x 



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