To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
Montreux, Switzerland
Located at one extremity of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), Montreux is known for its Jazz festival that takes place in May. Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury (both have statues erected by the lakefront) as well as other famous people have lived and continue to live on the Vaud Riviera covering Vevey, Montreux, and surrounding areas. We thought it would be a good idea to present Montreux for the month of December, 2010, for their Christmas market is extremely well-known and loved.
There are many things you can enjoy in a day, even if you already live there! If you live further away you may drive, use the train, or take a cruise on the lake to your destination. Here are just a few ideas to get you going.
To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
A day trip to the flower of Lake Geneva
Submitted by Maria Murphy, www.lulaloo.ch
Whenever we feel like going on day trip and can’t decide where to go or what to do, we always do the same thing: we look at the map of Lake Geneva and choose a town we’ve never visited before and just go. Last weekend we chose Morges – the flower of Lake Geneva!
I am a big fan of tulips and flowers in general (they are a great inspiration for my designs), and this is a place I had always wanted to visit. We arrived a bit late for the tulips (there is a festival in June lasting six weeks with over 100,000 tulips), but as you can see from the pictures I took, not for the dahlias. I did not know so many different varieties of dahlias existed. I counted over fifty! The flowers are arranged all along the lakeside, so you have the lake on one side and the dahlias on the other. Not a bad walk!
The kids really enjoyed the flowers as well; they were busy picking the petals on the ground and trading them as if they were paninis... It is a good idea to bring scooters or bikes: there are bike lanes all along the lakeside. There are also a good number of parks and playgrounds.
If flowers are not your thing, the town offers other attractions, both for adults and kids. The main street is very nice and jovial, with more of an “old Europe” flavour than you might find in Geneva or Nyon. You can also take a train ride from Morges to Bière (about 18 km, 11 miles from Morges) and visit the small country villages in the Jura. If you’re looking for something fun to do around Christmas, Morges’ is said to have the biggest (covered) Christmas market in French-speaking Switzerland (8th – 12th December). Be sure to check out the Morges Tourism website for more information about these and other activities: www.morges-tourisme.ch/en/
Take a look at some of the other photos which Maria took In Morges...
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To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
Aix les Bains
www.aixlesbains.com
If you’re looking for an interesting day out with the family this month, you might like to venture a little further afield and try visiting Aix-les-Bains. It is situated just beyond Annecy in the direction of Chambéry.
This small French town has a little bit of everything to offer its visitors, including shopping, eating and relaxing. If you go on a Saturday morning, you must visit the farmer’s market – and remember to take your camera with you – it’s an impressive sight!
If the weather’s good and you have plenty of time, treat yourself to a cruise along the lake and the Canal de Savières – The Compagnie des Bateaux du Lac du Bourget et du Haut-Rhône offers a wide choice of outings ranging from one hour to all day. Take a look at their website (www.gwel.com) for more details.
A new youth orchestra has just been set up in Geneva, aimed at providing young musicians aged between the ages of 8 and 18 the opportunity to play together in a relaxed and friendly environment.
The Geneva Youth Ensemble will provide students playing a string, woodwind, brass or percussion instrument the opportunity to learn a variety of skills including teamwork, listening whilst they play, and how to follow a conductor. The choice of music will vary from classics and movie themes to popular tunes and marches, as well as seasonal selections.
According to Pianoforte Productions Director, Julie Tompkins-Wagner, who will lead the new Ensemble, and who also runs the popular Summer Music Program for children, the young musicians will take part in at least two public performances per year. She says the students will be working with and learning from professional and experienced musicians, who will sit with them and sometimes play during rehearsals.
Rehearsals will take place on Wednesday afternoons from 4:15 - 5:30 at the Geneva English School in Genthod. Prospective musicians should not worry if they have missed the auditions – they should just email Julie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit the website at www.Julie-music.com and fill in the online application form.
Instruments required in the ensemble include:
Strings: violin, viola, 'cello, double bass, harp
Woodwinds: flutes, recorders, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, saxophones
Brass: trumpet, trombone, french horn, baritone, tuba
Percussion: mallets, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, assorted small percussion -- sorry, no drum kit.
The cost for participating in the Geneva Youth Ensemble is CHF 300 per year. Payment will be due once the student has been accepted into the ensemble after auditions.
