© all photos Lisa Cirieco
Being in Europe, we are spoiled by the amount of castles on every hilltop and town center. How lucky we can just have so many at our doorstep around Lac Léman, Lac de Neuchâtel, and Thunersee. Whether with guests or your own family, you will surely find a few on this small list that we have taken out of our latest ©Know-it-all passport®!
Abbaye de St Maurice
Av. d’Agane 15
1890 Saint-Maurice
website
Famous for its Merovingian treasure and 1,500 years of history. Augustine monks are still active as teachers here. Guided tours only (1.5 hours), at set times. You may request a tour in English. Price Fr. 16.-/adult, Fr. 10.-/children 6-16. Open Tuesday to Friday 10h-17h30, weekends 11h30-17h30. Check website before going.
Château d’Aigle and the Musée de la Vigne, du Vin et de l’Etiquette
Place du Château 1
1860 Aigle
024 466 21 30
website
Aigle Castle was built at the end of the 12th century and is situated in the middle of vineyards. It harbors a wine museum with old wine-making traditions and tools, as well as a terrific collection of wine labels. Note: It’s fun to go to Swiss Vapeur Parc (see below) in the morning through lunch (there is a mini Château d’Aigle there!), then drive over to the life-size Château d’Aigle in the afternoon. Price: Fr 11.-/adult, Fr. 5.-/age 6-16. Family and group packages available. Open daily during summer 10h-18h.
It is another hot summer so we thought that a few local outdoor swimming pools will keep you cool over the holidays if you remain in the area. Remember to call ahead to check if these outdoor pools are open when the weather is threatening. If you are a resident of the commune where the pool is located you may be eligible for a special discount.
In order to avoid queues at the ticket counter, most places have set up an instantaneous attendance warning system on their website and/or online ticket sales. We strongly recommend that customers take note of this information before visiting pools.
©Excerpt from Know-it-all passport® so This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. us if you would like to replicate this list. All dates and prices are correct at the time of this article. Scroll down to see Geneva, Vaud, and neighboring France.
Outdoor Swimming Pools in Canton Geneva
La Plage Publique des Eaux-Vives
022 546 76 00
website
This free beach is twice as big as that of the Bains des Pâquis. This public beach was opened in 2020 and is beautifully located in the heart of Geneva and accessible to all. The swimming site, about 400m, goes right up to the Baby Plage and can accommodate 6,000 to 8,000 people on beautiful summer days! Take advantage of the excellent quality of Lake Geneva's waters following the many efforts made to clean it over recent years.
The beach is not made of sand but rather small pebbles so no need for shovels and pails. Shower stalls and toilets are onsite. A drink stand will be open all summer.
Bains des Paquis
30, quai du Mont-Blanc
1201 Genève
022 732 29 74 main
022 738 16 16 restaurant
website
Lake beach offering sunbathing platforms, a life guard, warm showers, changing rooms, toilets, and towel rentals. Hammams are open over the summer Fr. 10.- includes towel rental. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Usually open during summer daily 10h-18h30. However the beach is accessible 24h/7. There are 2 sandpits for toddlers and kids as well as 2 wading areas (50cm deep) and 2 cordoned-off areas for swimmers. Price: Fr. 2.-/adult, Fr. 1.-/child. The Restaurant Buvette des Bains is open year-round 7h-23h.
NOTE: Les Aubes musical start to the day - from 17 July through 20 August 2023 from 5h30 (am), see schedule and weather permitting.
Image: ©La Gruyère Tourisme
Gruyères = Medieval City. The total number of inhabitants is about a hundred people. The city also gave its name to the "commune" of Gruyères which includes the villages of Pringy, Epagny, Moléson-sur-Gruyères and Gruyères.
La Gruyère = This is the name of the district of La Gruyère, it corresponds to the whole region. The four main touristic sites are Bulle, Charmey, Gruyères and Moléson.
Le Gruyère AOP = This is the name of the famous cheese produced in our region. Here are a few of its features:
Whether you're traveling alone, as a couple or with your family, leave the stress and monotony of everyday life behind you and enjoy unforgettable moments on Switzerland's lakes and rivers. This carte journalière de navigation opens up a wide range of possibilities offered by the 15 major navigation companies throughout Switzerland.
I just bought my 6 day passes for CGN or participating navigation companies around Switzerland. Don't miss out! Fr. 21.95/ticket gives you a day pass to hop-on, hop-off boats on the day of your choice.
This really is a tremendous deal and the tickets are valid all season (through October 2023). Maximum 6 per person.
The tickets are available for purchase through 26 June 2023... don't delay! While supplies last.
NOTE: In comparison, if you buy a day pass through the CGN site you will pay Fr. 90.-/person or Fr. 45.- if you hold the demi-tarif pass. Some communes also offer day passes (but you must specify which day you would like); the prices are usually around Fr. 45.- as well. In any case, this Interdiscount deal for Fr. 21.95/ticket cannot be missed!
Just our usual reminder at this time of the year, that the autoroute vignette, which is necessary for those who travel on any portion of the Swiss autoroute (highway/motorway), can now be purchased. These stickers are available at gas/petrol stations, shops, tabac/kiosks, border crossings, post offices, and other locations. The price is once again Fr. 40.- for the calendar year, and you have until 31 January 2023 to display it on your windscreen.
Drivers must remove expired stickers from the windshield to avoid obstructing visibility. Kits with a scraper are sold separately or with the vignette to help remove the old stickers. The best time to remove them is when the weather is cold so the glue doesn't stay on the windscreen. However, if some glue remains, just cover with the new vignette.
Introduction of the electronic vignette during 2023
The electronic vignette will be introduced during the year 2023, but certainly not before next 31 January 2023. The Federal Council is expected to decide on the exact date during the first quarter of the year. The electronic vignette will not replace the current sticker, says the Office fédéral de la douane et de la sécurité des frontières (OFDF). The two models will be used in parallel. The electronic sticker will be available through a link on the OFDF website.
Discounted vignette price
If you haven't already taken advantage of the first days of December to buy discounted vignettes at certain supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl, you can still take advantage of this one at Denner. If you buy Fr. 100.- worth of goods from Denner, you can purchase the vignette for only Fr. 35.-. instead of Fr. 40.-. This is NOT valid on purchases of hard alcohol, online wine purchases, Bordeaux 2018 and 2019, tobacco products, autoroute vignettes, taxed garbage bags, etc. However, wine counts! So stock up on a couple cases of wine for the holidays and take advantage of this deal (while stocks last)!
Read below more information supplied by the Swiss Customs Website about the vignette protocol and validity.
