4 Best Sights in Vaud, Switzerland

With its lakefront setting, small port, lawns for sunbathing, and pier, the endearing village of Céligny provides the best swimming opportunities for miles around. The enclave, 6 km (4 miles) north of Coppet, is wholly charming: rows of vineyards, a historic (but private) château and church, and a village square adorned with flowers and a stone fountain. Richard Burton made his home here during the last years of his life. You can visit the village cemetery, where you'll find Burton's simple grave in the smaller area, hugging the edge of the forest.

The Montreux–Oberland–Bernois railroad leads to the resort village of Les Avants and then on to Château-d'Oex, Gstaad, and the Simmental. Noël Coward bought his dream home in Les Avants, and Ernest Hemingway wrote to his family and friends of the village's fields of daffodils—and, more in character, of its bobsled track.

About 12 km (7 miles) northeast of Nyon, the lakefront village of Rolle merits a detour for a look at its dramatic 13th-century château, built at the water's edge by a Savoyard prince. While in town you can visit the Moinat Antiques and Decoration shop for a sample of what it takes to furnish a grand country home.

This village, 2 km (1 mile) northwest of Morges, is known for its namesake château, a 15th-century Savoyard palace with a massive donjon and four lesser towers, all trimmed in fine Piedmont-style brickwork. It's privately owned, but the grounds are open to the public.