Discover Spring in Switzerland

For this blog post, I would like to share with you some of my favorite places to enjoy Spring in Switzerland! We have had some mild weather lately and it feels like Spring already! We aren’t planning any travel in the coming months, so we will be taking advantage of these local spots to enjoy the Spring season.

For other Switzerland related content, see below blog posts.

• Best Gorge Hikes in Switzerland
• Want to know the Secret Spots in Switzerland?
• Cool Things to See in Flims Switzerland
• Spring in Switzerland
• Biking the Heart Route in Switzerland
• 9 Activities Not To Miss in Switzerland
• 3 Day Itinerary in Ticino Switzerland
• 5 Lakes Walk in Zermatt Switzerland – a Must-Do!
• 9 Top Spots near Interlaken Switzerland
• E-Biking in Switzerland
• Discover Adelboden Switzerland in Summer
• What to See in Meiringen Switzerland
• Unexpected Excursions in Lugano
• Best of Appenzell Switzerland
• Awesome Autumn in the Swiss Vineyards
• Schynigge Platte Things to Do
• 2 Days in Basel Switzerland
• Pizol 5 Lakes Hike
• Switzerland Destination Page

Lavaux Wine Region of Lake Leman

The Lavaux region is one of the prettiest places in Switzerland and was named as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2007. The origins of this area date back 15,000 years ago when the Rhone Glacier declined and created steep slopes. In the 12th century, the Cistercian monks built miles of stone walls and terraces for winegrowing.

The reason for the successful wine in Lavaux is due to three sources of heat including the sun, the bouncing sun rays off of Lake Geneva, and the heat given out by the stone walls at night. Popular wines from Lavaux include Chasselas, Pinot Noir and other grape varieties certified by three AOC (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées in French) labels: Lavaux, Dézaley and Calamin.

The rolling paths along the 2050 acres (830 ha) of vineyards are well isolated from car traffic and provide exceptional walks with breathtaking scenery. A popular starting place for the walks is in the town of Chexbres, but the vineyards stretch from Vevey to Cully. There are several cute villages you can walk through and even stop to sample the local wines.

This area is beautiful year-round but I especially like to take walks or ride bikes through the vineyards during the Springtime.

For more information about Lavaux, check out this website. We are very lucky to live close to such an amazing site of natural beauty!

Vevey Lakeside Walk

I’ve lived near Vevey since 1997 and go there often for shopping or walking. This vibrant town is situated on the border of Lake Geneva between Lausanne and Montreux.

Vevey is the home of the international food and beverage company, Nestle, established in 1867. Milk chocolate was invented in Vevey in 1875 with the help of Henri Nestle and Daniel Peter. Nestle has a special nutrition museum called the ‘Alimentarium’ and is well worth the visit. You can spot the location of the museum by the giant fork sculpture protruding from the lake.

Vevey is also known for being the residence of British American actor Charlie Chaplin, where he lived from 1952 until his death in 1977. There is a popular statue of Charlie Chaplin in Vevey by the lake. In recent years, his residence was converted to a museum called Chaplin’s World. The museum is located in a smaller village just above Vevey. I still haven’t been, but everyone says the museum is fantastic!

We go to Vevey often to walk along the lakeside path with gorgeous views of the French Alps across the lake. In Spring, the many lakeside trees will blossom and provide great photo opportunities.

In Vevey, you will find an abundance of birds, ducks, and swans in the lake. Many people bring dry bread to the lake to feed the wildlife.

Montreux Promenade

If you’ve never heard of the town of Montreux, you will definitely want to experience this tropical-looking paradise. Due to the natural setting below mountains protecting it from northerly and easterly winds, you will find a wide variety of trees, bushes, and flowers along the promenade. The town does a tremendous job planting lovely flowers during each season.

Montreux is known for international events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, held for two weeks during mid-July every year. There are two large concert halls hosting big-name bands and artists. The name of the event is misleading because it’s no longer only jazz music but all sorts of music to please its many visitors from around the world.

Montreux is also known as the place where Freddie Mercury lived. In 1978, the singer came to the Montreux Jazz Festival to record the album “Jazz” with Queen. He fell in love with Montreux and Lake Geneva and decided to settle there. In memory of Freddie Mercury’s presence in Montreux, they constructed a bronze statue of him in 1996 in the main square of the town, Place du Marché.

Montreux was the inspiration for the famous song ‘Smoke on the Water’ by the band Deep Purple. The band traveled to Montreux in December 1971 to record the ‘Machine Head’ album. The lyrics of the song describe the events of December 1971, when a fan attending a Frank Zappa concert set the Montreux Casino on fire with a flare gun. The fire sent smoke across Lake Geneva and destroyed the casino.

We love the Montreux promenade as it is long (3.5km/2 mi) and filled with colorful flowers at every turn. You can walk along the lake from Clarens to the 13th century Château de Chillon, made famous by Lord Byron’s poem “Prisoner of Chillon”. The chateau is one of Switzerland’s best-known pieces of architecture.

One thing you’ll notice in Montreux at any time of year is the many tourists. People from all over the world come here during their Switzerland tours. I may be biassed since I’ve lived here a long time, but I truly think it’s one of the prettiest areas in this country.

Morges Tulip Festival

The town of Morges on Lake Leman hosts an amazing tulip festival every year in April and May. The event is free of charge and well worth a visit to see brightly colored tulips and flowers planted in the large lakeside garden.

Morges is a small village between Lausanne and Geneva. There is a nice car-free cobblestone street filled with boutiques and bakeries. There is a majestic four-tower castle next to the lake and the tulip park.

It is important to organize the best timing to see the majority of tulips in full bloom. If you want award-winning photographs without people in them, it is best to go in the early morning or late afternoon. In past years, we have ridden our bikes along the lake from the Montreux area to Morges to see the tulip festival. It made for a great full-day outing.

I absolutely adore every variety of flowers at this festival and can never take enough photos! For more info about this festival, refer to their dedicated website here.

Narcissus Walk in Les Avants

An annual tradition for us is to see the fields of narcissus flowers in a nearby village called Les Avants. You can reach this area by train or car within 20 minutes of Montreux. There are several easy walks you can do to see the white-covered fields which look like snow from a distance.

Narcissi have been the symbol of Montreux and the higher surrounding for over a century. From 1897 to 1957, the Narcissi Festival was the flagship event of Montreux and included International orchestras, ballets, and operas. I would have loved to witness this festival.

The timing of your visit is important to see the fields in full bloom. For more info about when to go and which walks you can do, this is a great website!

Many local people from the region do the Narcissus Walks and unfortunately, many people pick the flowers within reach from the path. There are signs forbidding the picking of the flowers. If you decide to break the rules, be sure to cut the stem and not pull the root from the ground.

The narcissus flower has a very strong perfume smell that some people love and some people hate. I personally enjoy the smell of these flowers and look forward to seeing and smelling them each year.

Château de Vullierens

This is the most recent place I visited to see the massive gardens of Iris flowers that bloom here in Spring. The location is near the town of Morges, between Geneva and Lausanne.

The chateau was completed in 1712. The property is known also for its vineyards which extend south of the Château for over 6 hectares. They produce 5 wines from the “Grand Cru”, Morges appellation: a chasselas, a pinot noir, a gamaret-garanoir, a gamaret-garanoir rosé and a galotta.

You can walk for hours among the many different varieties of irises. The entrance fee is 15 Swiss francs and well worth it to see the colorful and well-manicured gardens during the Spring.

I took so many pictures when I visited the Château de Vullierens. It is a true photographer’s delight to capture the details of the intricate flowers.

There are over 80 unique sculptures to admire and an enchanted forest area with fairy sculptures hidden amongst the trees.

You can finish your tour by having a bite to eat at the restaurant near the entrance and sample some of the local wines.

Summary of Spring in Switzerland

I hope my photos have inspired you to visit Spring in Switzerland! I know that I will enjoy the coming months to take in the sights and smells of this delightful season. If you can’t make it to Switzerland this year, hopefully you can enjoy the upcoming Spring months where you live (in the northern hemisphere of course).

Spring for me represents a new beginning and a fresh new start after the cold winter months. The warmer temperatures and sunny longer days invigorate me and give me tons of energy. I am looking forward to gardening in my new yard and planting flowers around my house.

What are you looking forward to as Spring approaches? Leave a comment and inspire all of us with your ideas!

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