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
Les Diablerets
From first appearances its look like a small and quaint town - however after a closer look, Les Diablerets has a lot more to offer..
Firstly, there is plenty of skiing to be done. Les Diableret plays host to three different mountains, one which runs down into two different valleys opening up even more options. There is ample choice when it comes to runs, ski parks and there is also a glacier to keep the pros interested.
For beginners: Isenau is by far the best place to learn to ski. The slopes are wide and easy and its ski friendly with hardly any snowboarders around.
The Glacier and Meilleret are larger mountains with a variety of runs leading off to different resorts and valleys. Even though there are some blue and green runs on these mountains, there are less options available for learners.
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Restaurants and Nightlife: On arrival, expectations of a good night life were low. Luckily we were staying with some Les Diableret residents who quickly showed us the ropes and introduced us to the local haunts. There is a small but fun club called Discotheque Le Pot - however Friday and Saturday nights are the only nights when its busy - we attempted going on a Wednesday and we were quite literally the only people there.
There are an array of restaurants available, however I would suggest going to a typically Swiss eatery. Order a Fondue or Raclette - i promise they wont let you down! If you are on a budget, like most ski resorts eating on the mountains is expensive..however the local COOP is great and will cater all your needs. There are plenty of picnic areas on all mountains so i would advise making your own lunch and taking it with you!
Day trips: Take a trip to Gstaad if you fancy a bit of luxury. Apres ski is big and the locals dress up to the nines (as much as one can dress up in winter get up). Head to Apple Pie for a Vin Chaud and a slice of pie and watch the world go by. If are tempted to stay the evening, try and get into the exclusive club at the Palace Hotel, GreenGo (the only club ive been to which has a pool by the dance floor).
Villars is also just across the valley where they all get involved in Apres Ski in a slightly more casual fashion - if your a fan I would suggest making the trip over.
This hidden gem really does have a bit of everything for all, I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Bon voyage x
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