Travel to Switzerland

Festival de la Cite

This is an all out, all over town festival that has been going on in Lausanne every year since 1970. The first few times this fest was staged, it was mostly devoted to beer, of all things! Then it was wisely decided to add some culture to the mix and these days, you will find everything from classical music concerts to street performers, taking place both indoors and outdoors, for free and not-so-free. These nine days in July are really a celebration of summer by both artists and the people who live here.

Fête de la Musique

One day, 1000 musicians. It is hard to believe 1,000 bands can find places to play in Lausanne, on the same day, but they can and they do! From mid-morning until late evening, concerts of every type imaginable - jazz, rock, folk, house, classical - take place throughout the city, both indoors and out. Check out their website for more details closer to the date. This festival takes place on one day, in June.

Bellerive-Plage Swimming Pool/Beach

If you cannot find a way to amuse yourself on this enormous site, then pack your bags and head on home. Sound harsh? Maybe, but Bellerive-Plage is just like an amusement park but more wet! It has an Olympic-size swimming pool, a 10-metre high diving board, access to Lake Geneva, beach-volleyball courts, kids' games, cafes... The pools are supervised so bring the kids along. If you still don't feel like jumping in the water, no problem: sip something cool at the cafe overlooking the lake and take in the sights. Costs Sfr4.50 per adult and Sfr3 for children; cheaper after 5p.m. Also note that weather and poor attendance may affect opening hours. If it looks like a lousy day, call ahead to make sure they are open. Season: mid-June to late August..

Place de la Palud

  This quaint cobbled stone square is filled not only by the Town Hall but with the wonderfully coloured buildings, each with its own window box of geraniums and pastel coloured shutters. The square is home to the Fountain of Justice, whose basin dates from 1557 making it the city's oldest. The original Statue of Justice was made in 1585 but is now replaced by a copy. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, a market is held on all surrounding pedestrian streets where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The overall atmosphere of the square is very laid back, making it a good place to relax in the outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Montchoisi Swimming Pool and Skating Rink

  Seasons mean little inside this place: in the winter, you can skate, and in the summer, bring your bathing suit because it becomes one giant pool. The pool, open from mid-May to the end of August or the first week in September, has big waves all afternoon so if lazing on your back like your grandfather used to do is your idea of swimming, come here in the morning when things are usually more calm. As with all outdoor pools, opening hours can vary depending on weather and on attendance

Ecole de Voile d'Ouchy

As there is no actual office for this sailing school, the owner, M. Doll advises you to just go and ask around at the port as everyone knows him. We recommend that you call his portable to set up an appointment. M. Doll offers private and group lessons and has been known to take people on nighttime rides (can't beat that!). You can also rent a boat for week-ends or for a full week. His most popular boat is the Comet 800, 8 metres long and slick. Costs Sfr60-Sfr99 for private lessons, less for groups. NOTE: No credit cards; open from April to November.

Valais

The Valais region is a long, narrow, shaped like a L valley, cut by glaciers between two alpine mountain ranges. The main cities in the region are found along the river Rhone, that cuts through the the valley. Valais has an incredible diversity of landscapes, we can find the highest glaciers and mountains of the Alps, and nearly subtropical places! This is the place of some of the best spring skiing in the world, with high prices but not so high as you would expect.

Sion

Sion is a town in Switzerland, on the Rhône River and located in the canton of Valais, of which it is the capital. In 2002, the population was 27,700.The Roman Catholic diocese of Sion is the oldest in Switzerland and one of the oldest in the north of the Alps.
The city has a great architectonic heritage, 3 castles, 2 of them sadly in ruins, and the Gothic cathedral from the 13th century. Sion was an Italian Colony, German Colony and French Colony, and the multi cultural heritage can be appreciated in it´s old streets, full of history.
Nowadays, the official language of Sion is French, has an international airport and is visited by thousands of tourist every year, specially in winter, for it´s great location in the middle of the Alps, ideal for winter sports like ski and snowboard.
Sion is considered one of the nicest city of Switzerland to live in, due to the variety of activities to do and the urban style.

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is an amazingly beautiful mountain any day of the year. The beautiful postcards of the peak set against a clear sky are either altered with a computer to remove clouds or taken on an extremely rare day. Most days, there is a trail of clouds floating off to the left of the mountain, almost as if the mountain itself were smoking. I think the smoke trail makes the mountain all the more mysterious. If you are a climber, try to negotiate your way past the many Japanese tourists with their humungous cameras and designer climbing outfits, and head towards the summit. (It was absolutely amazing the number of Japanese tourists that were in Zermatt, and they all wanted to climb the mountain!) For the less adventurous, there is a series of cable cars that will take you up the mountain for a beautiful view of the peak. You won't get all the way up (I don't even think we made it high enough up to hit snow), but it's worth the cost of the ride anyway. At the top of the last cable car you can get out and walk around the mountain and explore the area, or pick up the trail and walk a ways further towards the top.

Lausanne's Cathedral

Lausanne's Cathedral is the biggest, most beautiful gothic building in Switzerland. Though inaugurated in 1275, the north tower is still missing! During the day, you can climb to the top of the tower for a magnificent view of the city; and don't miss the stained-glass. From 10p-2a, the town crier shouts out the hour from the four sides of the tower as has been the tradition since the Middle Ages; the last to do so in Europe. The Cathedral often hosts classical concerts.