10 Reasons to Visit the Lake Geneva Region of Switzerland

10 Reasons to Visit the Lake Geneva Region of Switzerland
The Lake Geneva Region offers lakesides, mountains and glaciers to explore as well as plenty of culture, vineyards, gourmet breaks and city breaks.

1. Audrey Hepburn et Hubert de Givenchy: An elegant friendship
Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy, an exhibition at the height of elegance in Morges. Three of the town’s museums are taking part in this event highlighting the relationship between the couturier and his famous muse, who lived in the region.

Between 20 May and 17 September, three Morges museums will be dedicated to a major retrospective entitled “Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy, an elegant friendship”. The living legend of style deliberately chose the town of Morges, on the shores of Lake Geneva, for this exhibition, the actress having lived for thirty years in the neighbouring town of Tolochenaz, where she now rests.

This exhibition looks back at the work of Hubert de Givenchy, one of the most eminent designers of the 20th and 21st centuries and showcases around 50 original gowns, hats, accessories, about sixty sketches created especially for the occasion along with some hitherto unseen photographs.

Morges and area have never before hosted such a retrospective, involving three of its museums, each with their own perspective. Fondation Bolle will focus on the relationship between Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy, with a display of sketches, dresses, photos and a documentary movie. Morges Castle will offer a retrospective of Hubert de Givenchy’s work including garments, accessories and designs. Finally, the Musée Alexis-Forel will present a homage to Audrey Hepburn by Hubert de Givenchy, featuring sketches, Audrey Hepburn’s dresses, photos and magazine covers.

This exhibition will delight lovers of haute couture as well as admirers of these two legends of the cinema and fashion, especially since so far only two exhibitions have been solely dedicated to Hubert de Givenchy: one at Musée Thyssen-Bornemiza in Madrid and the other at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. Plus, Hubert de Givenchy was heavily involved in setting up the Morges exhibition, even choosing to exhibit some designs for the first time. www.fondationbolle.ch

2. ArtLab: culture, art and science under one roof

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the ArtLab project, implemented at the EPFL, combines three spaces all under one roof, creating a connection between arts, culture, science and technology. The focus is on developing technologies that allow us to better understand our cultural heritage, while also educating the public about the great scientific challenges of our century. The building, which makes arts and culture accessible through leading-edge technology, opened its doors in early November 2016.

The primary event space is housed in the Montreux Jazz Café, which offers capacity for 120 people. The high-tech café showcases the Montreux Jazz Festival archives, which is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The terminals within the café’s booths allow visitors to search and listen to the music database, which includes some 5,000 concerts by artists such as Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz or Lady Gaga. The Experimental Exhibition Space sits at the centre of the ArtLab building and hosts various exhibitions throughout the year. The third element of ArtLab is the DataSquare, designed to share knowledge and interact with the general public by showcasing EPFL’s flagship big data research projects. www.artlab.epfl.ch

3. The Michelin and Gault&Millau guides for 2017 confirm the excellence of Vaud gastronomy

Numerous top chefs have received awards for the quality, originality, and excellence of their cuisine. 13 restaurants with a total of 19 stars are listed in the Guide Michelin, whereas the GaultMillau registers 97 restaurants with 1368 points in total. These results place the canton of Vaud at the top of the Swiss list of awards, confirming its position as a gourmet destination par excellence. The Hôtel de Ville in Crissier keeps its three stars which reward the work of the Violier team headed by Franck Giovannini and Brigitte Violier, who has been managing the establishment since her husband’s death. It is the only restaurant in the world which has seen a succession of four three-star chefs: Fredy Girardet (1993-1996), Philippe Rochat (1996-2012), Benoit Violier (2012-2016), and now Franck Giovannini. www.restaurantcrissier.com

4. A two-day festival introducing Vaud wines

From 3 to 4 June 2017, over 300 wine cellars will open their doors across the Lake Geneva Region. Bonvillars, Chablais, La Côte, Vully, Côtes de l’Orbe and Lavaux: six wine-making regions and six authentic settings in which to discover Vaud wines. Entry is by a Caves Ouvertes passport (CHF 20.-), which entitles the holder to the event’s glass, to sample local products and to ride free on the shuttles from the region’s main stations. This all-access pass can be purchased at the first wine cellar visited. ete.myvaud.ch

5. The Winegrowers’ Festival «Fête des Vignerons» of Vevey has been listed as intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO

The intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage confirmed the Swiss candidature submitted on 3 March 2015. This decision underscores the importance as well as the social and cultural value of the winegrowers’ festival. Ever since its first celebration in 1797, the festival, unique in the whole world, takes place once every generation on the market square of Vevey. Surrounded by the Alps and the lake of Geneva, it is organized by the local winemakers’ fraternity and mobilizes the entire region each time. Numerous professional artists together with thousands of amateur actors, singers, and dancers participate in the festival. The spectacular event combines ancient traditions with contemporary issues, and increases the awareness of Vevey and the canton of Vaud on a regional, national, and international scale.

The last festival took place in 1999 and included some 5,200 actors and extras performing on a total of 15 days, and attracting 16,000 spectators each time. The next winegrowers’ festival is planned for 26 July to 11 August 2019. www.fetedesvignerons.ch

The canton of Vaud and UNESCO
So far, there are five UNESCO world heritage listings from the canton of Vaud which illustrate the cultural abundance within the canton. Le Corbusier’s villa “Le Lac” is one of them, together with the vineyards and terraces of Lavaux, and the prehistoric palafitte settlements at the lakes of Geneva and Neuchâtel. Also listed is the collection of recordings and videos of the Montreux Jazz Festival as part of the «Memory of the World», and of late, the winegrowers’ festival of Vevey as part of the intangible cultural heritage.

6. At Villars-Gryon and Les Diablerets, free access is in season

The Free Access Card is offered to all overnight visitors and to children up to age 9. It features a host of free activities and games as well as free public transport. From June to October, in Villars-Gryon and Les Diablerets, the Free Access Card can be used for close to 38 leisure activities and sports as well as public transport. Among them are: mountain scooters, mini-golf, rope park, tennis, swimming pool, adventure circuit, mountain railways and cable cars, or theme trails. As an addition to this wide scope of offers, also comes with bouncing castles and three introductions to golf per week in Villars. Available from May 25 to October 22. www.free-access.ch

7. AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium in Lausanne

AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne is a unique project in Switzerland and Europe. It presents animals through a totally immersive and interactive scenography using innovative digital technologies. It will take position as the largest freshwater Aquarium in Europe. Discover the aquatic fauna and flora of the 5 continents with close to 2 million litres of water for some 50 aquariums/vivariums/terrariums. AQUATIS is a recreational area, a pole of environmental education and a platform for exchanges between the general public and scientists. Opening Autumn 2017. www.aquatis.ch

8. New Skylounge at the Royal Savoy, Lausanne

A panoramic 360° view of Lausanne, the Lavaux region, Lake Geneva and the Alps. The new Skylounge at the Royal Savoy Hotel will give all that and make discover the world with its exotic menu. With a capacity of 50 people, the Skylounge is the ideal location for a private event or a relaxed moment. From lunch to dinner, this is the perfect place to enjoy aperitifs and refined meals in a cosmopolitan and sophisticated atmosphere.

The Swiss hotel tradition is renowned worldwide. The Royal Savoy, built in 1909 in the pure architectural style "Art Nouveau" has been restored with the utmost care so that the art of receiving and resting is sublimated. Opening: end of May 2017

9. Béjart Ballet Lausanne - 14 to 21 June 2017

For the first time at the Théâtre de Beaulieu, this masterly spectacle is, in the words of Maurice Béjart: "an extravaganza that transports us into the pure poetry of childhood and genius, then, and more particularly, a precise, rigorous, inspired ritual." Alternating magical and comical scenes, this ballet is a faithful stage production of Mozart’s score and loses none of its elevated philosophical message. This Lausanne event is part of the celebrations for the year 2017, marking thirty years of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne and ten years since the death of Maurice Béjart. www.bejart.ch

10. Montreux Jazz Festival - 30 June to 15 July 2017

Created in 1967 by Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazz Festival rapidly became a major international cultural event attracting 250,000 visitors each year. While the festival was originally inspired by jazz, other musical genres quickly emerged inspired by the the mixture of genres and experimental acts that Montreux holds dear. Unique thanks to its ambitious programme, the two-week event is a favourite with musicians and revellers alike. This year's 51th edition will welcome Pet Shop Boys, Michael Kiwanuka, Passenger, The Lumineers, Peter Doherty, Tom Jones, and many others. www.montreuxjazzfestival.com

For further information visit www.lake-geneva-region.ch