Lake Geneva (Lac Léman): visitor guide

What to expect at Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) is the largest lake in Western Europe, 73km long, up to 14km wide and 310 metres deep at its maximum, shared between Switzerland (the eastern two-thirds, with the cities of Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux and Nyon) and France (the western portion with Geneva and Évian-les-Bains). The lake lies in a trough between the Alps to the south (the snow-capped peaks of the Dents du Midi and Mont Blanc are visible across the water from the Swiss shore on clear days) and the Jura Mountains to the north, a geographic situation that gives the western end of the lake a protected microclimate supporting the vineyards of Lavaux, a 30km UNESCO World Heritage wine landscape of terraced vineyards dropping to the lake shore that produces some of Switzerland's finest white wines from the Chasselas grape.

Lavaux UNESCO Vineyard Terraces

Besides, the Lavaux UNESCO Vineyard Terraces between Lausanne and Montreux are the finest single landscape element on the Swiss it shore, terraces of Chasselas vines rising from the lake shore to the hillside crest, the terraces retained by stone walls built over centuries, the villages of Cully, Rivaz, Epesses and Chexbres embedded in the vineyard landscape. Also, the Lavaux walking route (a 3-day GR marked trail from Lausanne to Montreux, or individual day sections) gives the best experience of the terraces, walking between the vines at lake level, with the Alps across the water and the sound of the wind through the leaves, is one of the top gentle walking experiences in Switzerland. Wine tastings at the cave (cellar) of individual domaines along the route are generally welcoming of individual visitors without advance booking.

Château de Chillon

The Château de Chillon (Montreux, entry about CHF 16) is the finest medieval castle in Switzerland and one of the most visited historic buildings in the country, a 12th-century fortress built on a rocky island in the lake, its towers and halls preserved in remarkable condition, containing an exceptional sequence of Gothic frescoed halls, torture chambers (notably the dungeon in which Lord Byron inscribed his name on a pillar during a visit in 1816, inspiring 'The Prisoner of Chillon'), weapons collections and lake-level cellars where the lake water laps against the foundation walls. The castle's island position, with the Alps immediately behind and the lake before it, gives the best single architectural-landscape composition on it.

Montreux

Montreux itself, beyond Chillon, is famous primarily for the Montreux Jazz Festival (held annually in early July since 1967, the world's second-largest jazz festival, attracting about 250,000 visitors). The festival fills the lakefront concert venues for 16 days with performances ranging from free outdoor stages to paid indoor concerts in the Auditorium Stravinski and the 2002Saal. Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, B.B. King, David Bowie and virtually every significant name in jazz, blues, soul and rock have performed here since 1967.

The festival's archive is one of the most significant in popular music history. Outside festival season, Montreux is an attractive if quiet lakeside town whose Freddie Mercury statue on the lakefront (the singer lived here in his final years and is buried in the town) has become one of the most visited monuments in Switzerland.

CGN lake steamers

The CGN lake steamers connecting the Swiss and French shores of it are among the finest public transport experiences in Switzerland, historic paddle steamers and modern vessels connect Geneva, Lausanne, Evian, Montreux and Chillon in journeys ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours, the changing landscape of Alps, vineyards and lakeside cities providing continuous visual interest. In fact, the Swiss Travel Pass gives a 50% discount on CGN fares. Besides, the lake steamer from Lausanne to Montreux (about 2 hours) is the best introduction to the it landscape available and far superior to the parallel train journey that runs inland through the vineyards.

It is reached by direct train from Geneva Airport (Genève-Aéroport station, trains to Lausanne take 45 minutes, CHF 26). Lausanne is the largest Swiss city on the lake (approx. 130,000 people) and the best base for exploring the Lavaux wine region and the eastern shore. Geneva itself is a major international city of significant museums (the ICRC Museum, the Ariana Museum of ceramics, the Museum of Art and History) and the United Nations European headquarters. Even so, its primarily diplomatic and financial character makes it less characterful than the smaller lake cities to the east.