Vevey
Vevey is one of the main towns of the Swiss Riviera, in the Lake Geneva Region of Switzerland.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]Trains between Geneva and Montreux travel along the northern shore of Lake Geneva and stop in Vevey. From elsewhere in Switzerland, you need to change in Lausanne. From Geneva the ride is about an hour and as of 2018 a return ticket costs Fr. 58.
1 Gare de Vevey.
By bus
[edit]Take bus 1 from Montreux or Chateau de Chillon to Vevey's city centre and funicular.
By car
[edit]Vevey is next to the east-west autoroute A9, and A12 connects the city to Berne in the northeast. For a more scenic drive, there's always the lakeside highway 9 from Lausanne or Montreaux.
Get around
[edit]
Map of Vevey
You can walk most of the old town but for an excursion take the mountain railway to Pleiades for some great views and skiing in season. Make sure you get the Riviera Card at your hotel, you'll be able to use the bus for free.
You can also get a free bike for whole day with Fr. 20 deposit, which just in front of "COOP" super market next to the train station.
See
[edit]
- Beautiful views from the lake and the lake shores.
- Musee l'Histoire de Vevey (from the main train station take the main street, turn left and go along until you'll encounter the signs).
- Monument de Henryk Sienkiewicz (in the Grand Hotel du Lac). The famous Nobel-prize winning writer's monument is in the Grand Hotel's garden, but the hotel's personnel is happy to help and talk about it. The writer was living and working there during his political emigration from occupied Poland.
- 1 Alimentarium, Quai Perdonnet 25. Tu - Su 10:00 - 17:00, from October to March closes one hour earlier. Food Museum (Nestle) Adults Fr.13.
- 2 Fork of Vevey. 8-metre-tall stainless steel fork on the shore of Lake Geneva.
- 2 Fork of Vevey. 8-metre-tall stainless steel fork on the shore of Lake Geneva.
- 3 [dead link] Villa Le Lac, Route de Lavaux 21 (in the Corseaux district, west of downtown). Designed by Le Corbusier in 1923, this is one of 17 of his buildings to be listed as a world heritage site.
- 4 Chaplin's World, Route de Fenil 2, 1804 Corsier-sur-Vevey (3 km from city center), ☏ +41 842 422 422. The vast estate, near Vevey, where supreme movie legend Charlie Chaplin lived with his family from 1953 to his death in 1977. The museum has been 15 years and an estimated Fr. 60 million in the making, and has two parts: the actor's house, and "the Studio", a newer building with a reconstruction of a Hollywood studio, that allows visitors to enter Chaplin's artistic environment.
- 5 Le Nest, Chaussée de la Guinguette, ☏ +41 21 924 40 40. Museum about Nestle's History
- 6 Swiss Camera Museum (Museum suisse de l’appareil photographique).
- Museum de la Confrérie des Vignerons.
- 7 Musée Jenisch, avenue de la Gare.
- 8 Swiss Museum of Games (Musée suisse du jeu), Au Château, ☏ +41 21 977 23 00.
- Roman Catholic Church of Notre-Dame.
- Orthodox Church.
- Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Martin.
- 9 Aile Castle.
- 10 Chemin de fer Blonay-Chamby, Gare de Blonay (regular local trains run from Vevey to Blonay, on the line from Vevey to les Pleiades; Chamby station is served by trains on the Montreux-Oberland-Bernois railway from Montreux to Zweisimmen). Trains operate weekends from May to October, plus Pentecost Monday. Switzerland's premier preserved railway and one of the most significant in Western Europe. Both steam and vintage electric trains operate over this metre-gauge line, part of the former Chemins de fer Electriques Veveysans. Passengers can also visit the museum and shed, which houses a large collection of metre-gauge trains and tramcars from all over Switzerland, as well as France, Germany, and Italy. On the last Sunday of each month and on Pentecost Monday trains operate all the way from Vevey, at extra cost. Day pass Fr. 20 adult, Fr. 10 children.
Do
[edit]- 1 Mountain Pelerin. From the main train station take the Bus 1, direction Vevey-Funiculaire (ticket Fr. 2.80). Alternatively, it's a walk of seven blocks. The ticket for the funicular costs Fr. 10.80 (return) and offers nice views. The views and atmosphere on the Mont Pelerin are marvelous, but do take the hike trip to it's summit where the telecommunication tower is located. It takes a bit more than an hour to get there, following an asphalt path through the rural area, yet, sometimes it is rather sloppy but nothing special. The elevator for the tower costs Fr. 5 (Fr. 3 for children <16yr, but it sells only children tickets due to a fault) and is fully automatic. It offers magnificent panoramic views on the Alps, Vevey and Montreux.
- In the summer you can rent a pedal boat or motor boat and take a trip on the lake. Rates vary from Fr. 18 for 1/2h on a pedal boat up to Fr. 220 for the largest motor boat for which you'd need a boat drivers license.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- National Bar. Expect the service to be a little slow when it's busy but if you're not in a hurry and are out for a good time the great atmosphere makes the wait worthwhile. The food is great and they keep changing the menu every month. During the summer they have a great terrace and in the winter it's the best place to go. It's just outside the main square on the right side if you're facing the lake.
- Restaurant des Trois Sifflets, Rue du Simplon 1, ☏ +41 21 921 14 13. The cheese fondue arrives with quite the fanfare.
- Restaurant Denis Martin, Rue du Château 2, ☏ +41 21 921 12 10. Tu-Sa from 19:00 onwards. If you're into molecular cuisine à la Heston Blumenthal. From Fr. 280.
Drink
[edit]- Charlies (just outside the main town square). During the summer they open the bar right on the border of the lake, it's the best place in town to relax and have a couple of beers until sunset.
- Le Ve.
- The Rocking Chair.
- le Bout du Monde. Drink a toast to "the end of the world".
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]- Riviera Lodge backpacker, Grande place 5, ☏ +41 21 923 80 40, info@rivieralodge.ch. Rooms 2, 4, 6 or 8 beds from Fr. 27.
Mid-range
[edit]- Les Negociants, Rue du Conseil 27, ☏ +41 21 922 70 11, info@hotelnegociants.ch.
- Egli Bed and Breakfast, Chemin du Petit-Centenaire 8, 1802 Corseaux, ☏ +41 21 922 60 87. They have a cat, so beware if you are allergic. Views of the lake are amazing. You are staying in someone's home though. Nice place to start the wine hike or go up the funicular for dinner.
Splurge
[edit]- Hotel Du Lac, 1 Rue d'Italie, ☏ +41 21 925 06 06. It opened in the winter of 2006 and it's an absolutely beautiful hotel, get a room facing the lake.
- Astra Pavillon, Place de la Gare 4, ☏ +41 21 925 04 04, info@astra-hotel.ch.
- Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, Rue d'Italie 49, ☏ +41 21 923 32 00, info@hoteltroiscouronnes.ch.
- Modern Times Hotel, Chemin du Genévrier 20, ☏ +41 21 925 22 22, info@moderntimeshotel.ch. This hotel is right after the highway exit, has nice view over the city. You need a car if you stay there.