Switzerland Vaud

Montreux is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. Montreux is home to several Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire urban village of Territet / Veytaux as well as the Caux, Montreux and Villas Dubochet areas are all part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. Montreux hosts several noteworthy annual festivals. Montreux boasts one of the most beautiful walks along the lake, stretching from Villeneuve all the way towards Vevey. The main square of the town, features a statue of Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva. The Château of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva and can be easily accessed via bus, train, walk or boat.

Lausanne boasts 46 sites that are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance including museums and religious sites. The entire old city of Lausanne and the Vernand-Dessus region are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. The Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, the Lausanne Opera and the Ensemble vocal de Lausanne provide a diverse and rich musical life. In January, the Prix de Lausanne, a dance competition, takes place at the Palais de Beaulieu, attracting dancers from all over the world. Each July, the Festival de la cite is held in the old part of town, as well as other annual music festivals. Lausanne is also the home of the Bejart Ballet.

Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva and is the seat of the district of Nyon. The municipality is located between the Jura Mountains and Lake Geneva. Nyon Castle and the Museum of the History of Porcelain, the Roman Colonia Iulia Equestris, the Swiss Reformed Church of Notre-Dame, the Manoir at Rue Maupertuis 2 & 4, the Roman Museum and the Union of European Football Associations are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire old city of Nyon is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

Vevey is located in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. Vevey is home to the world headquarters of the food giant Nestlé, founded there in 1867. Milk chocolate was invented in Vevey by Daniel Peter in 1875, although the first chocolate bar was produced in Bristol, UK in 1847 by Fry and Sons. There are 14 structures in Vevey that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance including four museums, three churches, as well as the Administration Building and Historical Archives of Nestlé SA, Aile Castle, the Cour au Chantre, the City Hall, the Hôtel des Trois-Couronnes, the La Grenette and Place du Marché and the Saint-Jean Tower and Fountain.

Morges is home to several prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site. The De La Croix Blanche Inn, the buildings at Grand-Rue 54 and Grand-Rue 94, Morges Castle along with the Military Museum of Vaud, the City Hall, the Bronze Age shore front settlement Les Roseaux/La Grande Cité and the Temple are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire old city of Morges is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. The four prehistoric settlements are all part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site of Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps.

Les Diablerets is a village and ski resort located in the municipality of Ormont-Dessus in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The village lies at an altitude of 1,160 metres on the north side of the massif of the Diablerets in the Swiss Alps. It can be accessed by train (Chemin de fer Aigle-Sepey-Diablerets) or by road from Aigle. The Col du Pillon (1,546 m) on the east give access to the Bernese Oberland region and is the Glacier 3000 cable car lowest station. Les Diablerets hosts the Festival International du Film Alpin Les Diablerets every year since 1969.

Yverdon is located in the heart of a natural setting formed by the Jura mountains, the plains of the Orbe, the hills of the Broye and Lake Neuchâtel. It is famous for its thermal springs and is an important regional centre for commerce and tourism. There are nine sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance in Yverdon, including public buildings, one religious building, as well as Clendy, a littoral settlement and prehistoric megalithic site and Eburodunum, a Celtic oppidum, a Roman vicus and a medieval and modern village. The prehistoric settlement at Baie de Clendy is part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aigle is the capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is on the east edge of the Rhône valley, at the foot of the Swiss Alps. Aigle includes the villages of Le Cloître, Vers Pousaz, and Fontanney. Aigle Castle and Museum De La Vigne, the Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Maurice and the De la Dîme House are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire town and castle of Aigle are listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

Chateau-d'Oex hosts the world famous "Balloon Week" each year since 1979 in the last week of January. Up to 100 balloonists gather for the festival each year. The Breitling Orbiter 3, the first hot air balloon to circumnavigate the earth, took off from Chateau-d'Oex on 1 March 1999. Commemorative insignia (pins) are created for each festival and are sold as pass-tickets to the museum and sportive manifestations for the whole duration of it. A museum dedicated to Montgolfier type balloons is located in the center of the town.Skiing is a key activity in the area with the ski station of La Braye accessible via cable car (also open in Summer) from the heart of Chateau-d'Oex village.

Coppet is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The municipality is located along the banks of Lake Geneva on the Lausanne-Geneva road, the Route Suisse. Coppet Castle and the Institut Européen De L’Universite De Geneve, Centre D’Archives Europeennes along with the Temple (former church of the Dominicans) are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire small city of Coppet is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

Grandson is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The town is built on moraines on the west side of the Lake of Neuchatel near where the Gransonnet brook flows into the lake. It is at the foot of the Jura Mountains in the northern-central part of the canton of Vaud. It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site. Grandson Castle and the Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire town of Grandson is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

Payerne is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. The Payerne Abbey church and former convent buildings, the Ancien Tribunal, the Swiss Reformed Church of Notre-Dame and the Fountain du Banneret are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire old city of Payerne is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. The Payerne sausage is local variant on the regional Boutefas or Saucisson vaudoissausage. It is a cold smoked pork sausage in a natural casing and has been a traditional dish since the mid 19th century.