The city of Vevey in Switzerland is located right on the shores of Lake Geneva. It is quite tiny, but the clean air and inspiring landscapes have made it one of the most popular resorts in Europe. Starting from the 19th century, the city was visited by aristocrats, monarchs, cultural figures, and monuments to some of its guests today can be seen on local streets and squares.
Vevey in Switzerland: photos and general information
The city lies within the French-speaking canton of Vaud between Lausanne and Montreux. A settlement in this place existed even in antiquity, but nothing outstanding was noticed behind it. Today, much more attention is riveted to the city, because it is one of the resorts of the Swiss Riviera.
Vevey is located in the northeast of the largest lake of the Alps. This is a unique place where you can see the high snow-capped mountains on one side and the palms on the other hand, completely unusual for Switzerland. Alpine ranges protect the city from the penetration of cold winds, creating a special, almost subtropical, microclimate. That is why magnolia, laurel, cypresses and other vegetation, which is usually found in more southern regions, grows here.
Vevey in Switzerland is a quiet and neat town that attracts attention with picturesque landscapes and a certain provincial dimension. The low hills around it are occupied by terraced vineyards. Higher mountains begin higher, which can be reached by hiking trails.
Artists, composers and writers often came here to relax or work on their works. Nikolai Karamzin, Vasily Zhukovsky, Henrik Senkevich, Victor Hugo, Ernest Hemingway visited the city. Nikolai Gogol worked here on Dead Souls. Today in Vevey, a monument is dedicated to him, as well as the famous comedian Charlie Chaplin and the Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu.
What to see in Vevey?
The city is cozy and very compact, in just a day you can explore all its main attractions. Vevey is particularly famous in Switzerland for the large Marchés Folkloriques market, which opens on Saturdays and Tuesdays. In addition to ordinary goods, craft products are sold here, craftsmen hold master classes and folk groups perform.
In the center of the square is the Grenet Tower. In the past, it served as a granary, and now it houses a tourist center. The streets of the old city with various cafes, restaurants and shops diverge from the square. On one of them is the church of St. Barbara, erected in the North Russian style by Count Shuvalov in the 19th century.
Among other outstanding buildings of the city: the Notre-Dame Catholic Church, the Swiss Reformed Church of St. Martin in 1530, the palace of the municipality, the building of the Hotel Three Crowns (Hôtel des Trois-Couronnes), built in 1842.
Near Vevey is Mount Pelerin, you can climb one of its terraces by funicular. It delivers only to a height of 800 meters, but from here the city opens in all its beauty. Higher is the TV tower and another observation deck, but you need to go up to it already on foot.
Winemaking
Wine is something that must be tasted in Switzerland, and Vevey is perfect for tasting. Here they grow a variety of gamay, a moody and demanding pinot noir, as well as a white variety of shashla. Together with Lausanne, the city belongs to one of the largest wine-growing regions of the country - Lavo. It covers 805 hectares with rows several tens of kilometers long. You can try local products at the annual fairs and festivals held in summer and autumn.
The cultivation of grapes on these lands was still done by the Romans. The Benedictine monks who lived here in the 11th century continued the tradition. They equipped the slopes of the sunny hills with stone-walled terraces and comfortable paths along the rows. The successful combination of natural landscapes and human activity is now under the protection of UNESCO.
Four or five times a century in the city held a grand celebration of winemaking, which attracts tens of thousands of people. Like terraces, it is part of the World Heritage Site. The last time it was held in 1999, and the next celebration is scheduled for 2019.
Office and Museum Nestlé
The transnational corporation Nestle is present in ten countries of the world and includes dozens of large companies. And it all started with the city of Vevey in Switzerland. In 1867, pharmacist Henri Nestle founded a small business and began developing a nutritious dry formula for feeding infants. A few years later, the product was in demand in most European countries. Currently, the brand, founded by a modest pharmacist, is known worldwide and produces everything from condensed milk and cocoa to broths and animal feed.
Nestlé's head office is still located in Vevey. Next to it is the Nutrition Museum, which opened in 1985. Here they talk about the first steps of the company Henri Nestle and his revolutionary invention, show films about proper nutrition and, in general, talk about the culture of food. On the embankment of the city you can see a large fork stuck in the lake. Her museum was staged in honor of his anniversary.
Charlie Chaplin
One of the most famous guests of the city of Vevey in Switzerland is Charlie Chaplin. His monument is located at the very lake of Geneva, opposite the giant fork Nestlé. The monument depicts a comedian with a bowler hat and cane in the famous image of a tramp.
The comedian arrived in Vevey in 1952 when accusations of aiding the communists fell upon him in the USA and Great Britain. Due to a number of incriminating films, his relationship with the FBI and the American government was strained. And once, after a trip to Europe, he simply was not issued an entry visa to the United States. Together with his family, the comedian settled in the commune of Corse-sur-Vevey near the city and lived there until his death. Chaplin’s grave is in the Cimetière de Corsier cemetery, and his son still lives in his father’s house.