Getting Oriented
Lac Léman is a graceful swelling in the Rhône River, which passes through the northern hook of the Valais and channels between the French and Vaudoise Alps before breaking into the open at Bouveret, west of Villeneuve. The lake is shared by three of Switzerland's great French cities, grandes dames of the Suisse Romande: Lausanne, Montreux, and Geneva. Though the lake's southern shore lies in France's Haute-Savoie, the green hillsides of the north portion and the cluster of nearby Alps that looms over its east end are all part of the canton of Vaud.
- La Côte. Studded with wine villages, this region is famed for its châteaux—Prangins displays Swiss history, and Morges has 10,000 miniature lead soldiers in residence. But don't miss waterside Nyon, founded by Julius Caesar.
- Lausanne. Not quite the city it was when Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Victor Hugo waxed passionate about its beauty, Lausanne is largely a modern maze, but here and there you'll enjoy a burnt-orange jumble of medieval rooftops, shuttered windows with flower boxes, and misty Lac Léman and the Alps. Happily, the art and nightlife scenes are lively.
- Lavaux Vignobles and Riviera. Set amid wine villages, the gorgeously picturesque Corniche de Lavaux heads toward Vevey, home to food giant Nestlé. Globe-trotters have always loved this romantic town—Rousseau, Henry James, and Ernest Hemingway are just a few who enjoyed taking walks here. More modern is Montreux: spilling down the hill to a sunny bay, this usually tranquil city goes hot-cool when the Jazz Festival takes over in July.
- Les Alpes Vaudoises. Framed by a stunning castle, Aigle is the gateway to many of the small, family-friendly resort towns high in the mountains above. Just across the steep summit of the Col des Mosses lies Château-d'Oex, home to hot-air balloons and richly carved wooden chalets unique to the Pays d'Enhaut highlands.
