|
French-speaking Switzerland, or Suisse-Romande , occupies the western third of the country, comprising the shores of Lake Geneva and the hills and lakes leading north almost to Basel. The ambience here is thoroughly Gallic: historical animosity between Calvinist Geneva and Catholic France has nowadays given way to a yearning on the part of most francophone Swiss to abandon their bumpkin compatriots in the east and embrace the EU. The short train-ride from the Swiss-German cities of the Mittelland crosses more than just a linguistic boundary - it seems to span a whole continent of attitude. Geneva , at the southwestern tip of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French) was once a haven for free-thinkers from all over Europe; now it's a city of diplomats and big business. Halfway around the lake, Lausanne is full of young people, an energetic, funky town acclaimed as the skateboarding capital of Europe. Further east, the lakeshore is lined with vineyards and opulent villas - Montreux is particularly chic - although you can still taste the unspoilt paradise, evoked by the stunning medieval Chateau de Chillon , which drew Byron and the Romantic poets and which inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein . Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest mountain (4807m), is visible from Geneva city centre, while Montreux and neighbouring Vevey have breathtaking views across the water to the French Alps. On a sunny day, the train ride around the vineyard-rich northern shore is memorably scenic, but taking advantage of the lake's excellent boat service (IR no discount; ER & SP free; www.cgn.ch ) will help bring home the full grandeur of the setting.
Your Tip for Suisse-Romande
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Suisse-Romande - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Suisse-Romande - visit the main Suisse-Romande forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Suisse-Romande webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
