CANTON DE VAUD
Although our main goal in our Swiss Spotlights is to have our members share the unique traditions, customs, and sights of their home towns, we also want to introduce new places to people not familiar with Switzerland. This month’s focus is on the Canton of Vaud. We’ll just highlight a few unique things about this large and diverse Canton and hope that you’ll explore it further on your own.
As you drive along the Lake Route from Geneva in the direction of Lausanne, you’ll drive through lovely little towns, each special in its own way. At the entrance of Nyon you’ll notice three Corinthian columns on a hill overlooking Lac Léman. A reminder of the Roman era. If you want to have a truly Roman experience you’ll want to visit Avenches and enjoy an opera held at the Aventicum Roman Arena. For a lighter fare, attend the Avenches Tatoo, an international festival of music.
If you’re a foodie and like cheese, you’ll definitely want to go back to the Nyon area to find a restaurant serving Malakoffs and a glass of a local white wine. There is a lot of folklore on the origin of this fried cheese dish & its name. I like the suggestion that the recipe was brought back from the Crimean war by Swiss mercenaries who contributed to the fall of Fort Malakoff which protected Sevastopol in 1855 against the enemy. The link (in French) will show you how they are prepared. Vaud is well known for its fine wines. If at all possible plan to participate in the Wine Harvest Festival in Lutry and the “Caves Ouvertes”. For SFr 15 you can buy a wine cellars passport which will give you access for the weekend of wine tasting in more than 300 cellars in the wine making regions of Lavaux.
As you leave the Canton of Vaud in the direction of Bern, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Château-d’Oex, the alpine capital of lighter-than-air activity and the globally recognized center of excellence in découpage (Scherenschnitt in German, paper silhouette cutting in English)
Enjoy the Web sites &Videos by clicking on the highlighted links above
Although our main goal in our Swiss Spotlights is to have our members share the unique traditions, customs, and sights of their home towns, we also want to introduce new places to people not familiar with Switzerland. This month’s focus is on the Canton of Vaud. We’ll just highlight a few unique things about this large and diverse Canton and hope that you’ll explore it further on your own.
As you drive along the Lake Route from Geneva in the direction of Lausanne, you’ll drive through lovely little towns, each special in its own way. At the entrance of Nyon you’ll notice three Corinthian columns on a hill overlooking Lac Léman. A reminder of the Roman era. If you want to have a truly Roman experience you’ll want to visit Avenches and enjoy an opera held at the Aventicum Roman Arena. For a lighter fare, attend the Avenches Tatoo, an international festival of music.
If you’re a foodie and like cheese, you’ll definitely want to go back to the Nyon area to find a restaurant serving Malakoffs and a glass of a local white wine. There is a lot of folklore on the origin of this fried cheese dish & its name. I like the suggestion that the recipe was brought back from the Crimean war by Swiss mercenaries who contributed to the fall of Fort Malakoff which protected Sevastopol in 1855 against the enemy. The link (in French) will show you how they are prepared. Vaud is well known for its fine wines. If at all possible plan to participate in the Wine Harvest Festival in Lutry and the “Caves Ouvertes”. For SFr 15 you can buy a wine cellars passport which will give you access for the weekend of wine tasting in more than 300 cellars in the wine making regions of Lavaux.
As you leave the Canton of Vaud in the direction of Bern, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Château-d’Oex, the alpine capital of lighter-than-air activity and the globally recognized center of excellence in découpage (Scherenschnitt in German, paper silhouette cutting in English)
Enjoy the Web sites &Videos by clicking on the highlighted links above
