Holiday destinations in Switzerland

The two little towns of Avenches and Payerne are set on the wide Broye Plain in the canton of Vaud, near its border with Fribourg. The gentle rolling hills between the Lakes of Murten and Neuchâtel, the vineyards and the nature reserves are ideal for walking and cycling. Avenches, formerly Aventicum, the capital of Roman Helvetia, boasts a unique heritage from Roman times. Payerne is the site of Switzerland's largest Romanesque church.

Situated half-way between the classy resort of Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland and the small town of Gruyères in the canton of Fribourg, Château-d'Oex and Rougemont offer a wide range of diverse sporting activities in both summer and winter. The wonderful Vaud mountainscapes and the old, decorated chalets are typical for the villages of the Pays-d'Enhaut. Thanks to its favourable micro-climate, Château-d'Oex has developed into a metropolis of hot-air ballooning.

Lausanne, the second-largest city on Lake Geneva, combines a dynamic commercial town with the locality of a holiday resort. The capital of the canton of Vaud is also a lively university and convention town. Sports and culture are given a high profile in the Olympic capital.

The Vallée de Joux with its lake is a world of its own in rugged and unspoilt countryside nestling between Jura Mountain Ranges. Families and athletes enjoy varied opportunities do be active, from water sports to hiking, mountain biking and riding on horseback in wild and unspoilt countryside. Interesting museums, such as the watch museum, round off the range of things on offer. In winter the frozen lake, extensive cross-country skiing paradise and small family ski regions attract visitors.

Leysin, located on a terrace at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level above Aigle in the lower Rhone Valley, in addition to affording fantastic views of the Rhone Plain, Mont Blanc, Dents du Midi and Diablerets is an attractive family holiday world. It's also an ideal destination for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, climbing and paragliding.

The town of Montreux nestles in a sheltered Lake Geneva bay, surrounded by vineyards and against the breathtaking backdrop of snow-covered Alps. The Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place in June/July and features concerts on a variety of stages and parks is very famous.

Morges, the small town on Lake Geneva near Lausanne, in addition to interesting museums and sights mainly offers a lot of excursion destinations in the immediate vicinity. The La Côte vineyards deserve particular notice. The small towns and villages of Rolle, Aubonne, Vufflens-le-Château, St. Prex, St. Sulpice and their Romanesque churches are worth visiting.

The little town of Nyon is situated on Lake Geneva, half way between Geneva and Lausanne, amid the vineyards of La Côte. Many excavations and sights from the times of the Celtic Helvetians and the Romans, and from the Middle Ages, bear witness to its eventful history. Nowadays the town is the starting place for many excursions into the area around Lake Geneva.

The Jura village of Saint-Cergue (1041 m), in the foothills of the Jura high above Lake Geneva, enjoys wonderfully wide views of the Savoy Alps as far as Mont Blanc. The sunlit woods and high alpine meadows of the Jura in the Vaud Jura Park and the impressive peak of La Dôle are ideal for long walks. In winter, the Vaud Jura is a paradise for cross-country skiers.