Lakeside Luxury on the Swiss Riviera: the Lake Geneva region has beckoned elite travellers for more
Palm trees and snow-capped mountains in the same landscape? This apparent juxtaposition of climatic impossibility jars the mind in the few places in the world where this scene is a reality. One of them is found in the micro-climates of Lake Geneva, where a few privileged towns along the Swiss Riviera enjoy their palm/snow mountain views―as do the visitors who have made their way here since the days of the Grand Tour. A small part of a small part of the world, Lake Geneva and its legendary beauty and serenity are very real. The Swiss shore of Lake Geneva, known as Lac Léman in French and Genfersee in German, is some of the most coveted real estate on the planet. For decades, the rich and famous have made their homes here in discreet penthouses or expansive hillside villas. Why? Why come to Switzerland, and to the Swiss Riviera in particular? After all, there are many beautiful places in the world. Yes, this is true, but there is only one Swiss Riviera.
(above: The stunning Leman Suite at the Grand Hotel du Lac.)
Switzerland's unique geographical location at the heart of Europe makes it a highly appealing place to live, one with four official languages and a history of welcoming those from other countries over the centuries. From the historical Sardinian enclave in Carouges, now a district of Geneva founded long ago to challenge the dominance of that city across the river, to Montreux's famous and fabulous Clinique La Prairie, where the discreet charms of the bourgeoisie are given the medical treatment they need, the Swiss Riviera is home to a surprisingly cosmopolitan array of non-Swiss residents and long-term visitors who came for a variety of reasons―convalescence, flight from persecution, investment, even happenstance―but all stayed for the same ones.
(above: Lavaux grapes and vineyard, plus Clarens Harbour and the vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.) Despite the joie de vivre of Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton of Ticino and the éminences grises of Zurich's powerbrokers, the French language and culture of Suisse Romande has legions of ardent admirers and what better place to enjoy all the good of French culture without the bad than in the country next door, where Gallic charm is mixed with the living stereotypes of Swiss organisation and precision?
(below: Lutry vineyard and some Swiss wine (which is excellent but virtually unknown outside the country!)
Geneva, a city whose fame is far larger than its size, serves as the international gateway to its eponymous lake. With banks on its banks and hotels in its hôtels, Geneva is a city where business as usual often includes many digits and no decimal points, whether it be for buying, selling, or saving for the château of one's dreams.
Banking in Switzerland has always been one of the country's economic mainstays, and the comings and goings of international visitors in the city specifically for their banking needs is quite high. The fine Mandarin Oriental Hotel is a hotel of choice for the banking class and serves as a perfect Geneva base before continuing on to other parts of the Riviera. Efficient staff place luggage in rooms almost immediately, no matter how many suitcases arrive at once.
(above: The Mandarin Oriental Geneva is a journey into luxury.)
With a private lift to the upper floors, where the lavish Mandarin Suite is located, elite travellers feel at home in this establishment well familiar with their needs. Not to be missed is a meal at Rasoi by Vineet, the hotel's outstanding Indian restaurant (below.)
Like its reputation, Geneva's size also belies its cultural importance. Some of the city's wealthy residents have left a legacy beyond bank accounts. The impressive Fondation Martin Bodmer, for example, where the history of the world is presented through an astonishing collection of priceless books arranged for display in chronological order, beginning with papyrus documents of ancient Egypt and working through the centuries to modern-day masterpieces. Included in the collection are glorious Persian manuscripts and a fascinating assembly of books related to astronomy, complemented by beautiful globes both terrestrial and celestial. Those interested in Asian arts should not miss the Collections Baur, another private collection displaying a wide range of objects from the Far East.
The aforementioned Clinique La Prairie, (including the stunning architecturally designed indoor pool, top right), located in Montreux's Clarens district, is the world's leading wellness facility and anti-ageing institute. It certainly attracts an exclusive clientele; this powerhouse in the world of svelte figures and smooth faces knows no real competitor. No other facility can begin to match the extreme dedication to scientific innovation, not to mention the long pedigree of the company that introduced the La Prairie range of skin-care products to the world. That successful enterprise, and its name, was sold off years ago―only for the company to replace it with a superior line of new products, appropriately called Swiss Perfection; it is only available at the clinic itself.
Clinique La Prairie (above) has an obsession with perfection which is all the benefit of its clients, who constitute a veritable United Nations of wellness seekers. Whether members of the polo set in Argentina, the industrial oligarchy of Russia, or the newly wealthy from China, they all come for the same reason: to feel and look better than when they arrived. Among these staff members are more than sixty doctors, ranging from physiotherapists and dietitians to neurologists and cardiologists. The brand leads the world in anti-ageing treatment through its revolutionary research using the embryonic cells of sheep. Only black sheep will do, as they are the most resistant to illness and Clinique La Prairie maintains its own sheep farm in a remote area so as to totally control the entire medical process from start to finish. It is not unusual for clients to return for follow-up to previous treatment or to stay for extended periods; one client stayed for a whole year. With luxurious accommodation on the premises, oftentimes husbands and wives will come to the clinic together for simultaneous treatment.
(above: The next Montreux Jazz Festival will be held from June 30th-July 15th, 2017).
Montreux, located at the other end of the lake from Geneva, has the lushest of palm-tree promenades along the landscaped lakefront. Home to a number of esteemed educational institutions attracting students from across the world, the city has a surprisingly young ambience to contrast with the historic Belle Époque architectural style that predominates among the city's most outstanding buildings. Every year in the month of July, Montreux is thrust into the international music spotlight thanks to its famous jazz festival, which attracts some of the world's biggest stars―and those are just the ones in the audience there to hear the sounds of their friends, colleagues, and idols.
Having grown in popularity over the years, the festival (above) features events which now take place at several venues in town. Montreux is also the terminus for the Golden Pass Panoramic train which weaves its way into the beautiful heart of Switzerland. The upstairs VIP seats at the very front of the train immerse travellers in a scenic 3D experience. There are only eight seats in this private section located above the driver's compartment; for total privacy, reserve the entire section before alighting in Gstaad or one of the other stations further along the route.
(above: Wine is part of history on Lake Geneva.)
Between Lausanne and Montreux is the small town of Vevey, a place with all the charm of the Swiss Riviera and none of the tourists. Vevey (once the home of Charlie Chaplin), is now a home finally turned into a museum after many years of preparation. Vevey is also home to not one but two of the Swiss Riviera's hotel jewels. (below: The incredible view from the Grand Hotel du Lac.)
Grand Hôtel du Lac, (above) a small, lakefront palace reminiscent of a private manor house, is gorgeously decorated with dashing style combining the 19th and 21st centuries in effortless elegance.
(above: Le Salon Oriental at Grand Hôtel du Lac, Vevey)
Close by, also along the lakefront, is Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, (below) where enormous suites exuding Old World affluence are complemented by the faultless service provided by the staff.
Humbler accommodation is found at Hostellerie de Genève, which despite its name is also located in Vevey, right on the main square, Place du Marché. This small inn is owned by the Meylan family, collectively a formidable force in the world of watches.
(above: Sailing on Lake Geneva.)
Around the corner from the Hostellerie is the watch studio where family patriarch Lionel Meylan offers a watchmaking experience wherein participants take a watch apart and put it back together again―a great way to understanding the inner workings of watches, so vital to the Swiss economy both as products themselves and as an attraction for the many thousands of visitors to Switzerland who want to purchase a Swiss watch in the land where it is produced. The annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) showcases the best of the world's watches in Geneva each January. SWISS International Air Lines offers nonstop flights to Zurich from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Delhi, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, providing a deluxe inflight experience in the new Business and First Class cabins. Immediate connections from Zurich's user-friendly airport to Geneva make the journey very easy. Conversely, intercity rail connections are also available directly from Zurich Airport to the Geneva, Lausanne, and Montreux. A pass issued by Swiss Travel System can be obtained before arrival and serves as a passport to Switzerland's entire ground transport network as well entry to hundreds of museums around the country.
swiss.com
myswitzerland.com www.swisstravelsystem.com
laprairie.ch/en
mandarinoriental.com/geneva
grandhoteldulac.com
hoteltroiscouronnes.ch
goldenpass.ch/en
fondationbodmer.ch/en
sihh.org