In Morges we stayed in the centre of town at the Hôtel de la Nouvelle Couronne and the breakfast was included in their room rates. It was a very nice breakfast that had many different offerings. However, Scott`s plateful of the wonderful meats and the gooey cheeses was not the healthiest of the choices available. It is a good thing that inclusive breakfasts are not the norm here in Switzerland. The unlimited coffee was also excellent.
With our stomachs completely full, we headed out under mixed sun and cloudy skies, shortly after 10 am. Really quite perfect for cycling. Today`s ride was a relatively short 40 kilometres to the town of Montreux located at the eastern end of Lake Geneva. We started off leaving Morges up a short hill and then following cycle routes 1 and 46 that go down to the lake. The shore path was crushed gravel and wove it's way through bushy areas and passed a wonderful bird viewing area.
I took this shot through a telescope that is provided to look at the birds.
Leaving the lake shore for a bit, we headed back up to the main road and followed the cycle route to Lausanne. Lausanne seems to be a fairly large university town with a well-developed lake area including large grand hotels, a variety of plants and trees, a lakefront plaza and an extensive promenade. Quite attractive area and popular with the tour bus crowd.
Perfectly symmetrical building in Lausanne. There are many historic hotels on the shores of Lausanne.
Lausanne has a beautiful waterfront with many old trees and gardens. The trunk of this tree is massive. You can just barely make out my bike on the left side of the trunk.
Scott AndersonWe biked through Lausanne on our tour from Innsbruck to Geneva twenty years ago, almost to the day - I didn’t journal it, but it must have been roughly September 10th. It’s a place I wanted to see mostly because I so loved The recording of Keith Jarrett’s concert from Lausanne. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
We rode along the promenade and were again routed back to the main street. But noting a lower track beside the lake, we headed in that direction. We found a very narrow and crudely built elevated path right beside the lake with a ¨no cycling¨ sign. But it was very quiet, so we walked / coasted about one kilometre further along the lake never feeling quite welcomed when we did have to pass the rare walker. Back to marked cycle routes!
No one on the lake shore walking path except the birds.
Bill ShaneyfeltWhen herons become habituated to humans, they can become somewhat intrusive. I've had them checking out my bluegills on a stringer about 6 feet away! Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Leaving the unsanctioned shore path, we once again headed to the street before being directed by our planned routing to leave the lower road and begin heading up the hill. After cycling relatively flat areas, this new section required more than just changing gears....changing mindset! We were soon rewarded with great views and few cars as we climbed. At one point the route took us along empty narrow concrete paths cut through the vineyards. It was just amazing to ride here.
Leaving the vineyards in the Lavaux region took us down a massively steep hill that would have been impossible to ride up and took both brakes firmly applied to slowly make it back to the main road. We found ourselves in the charming streets of Vevey where we had a late coffee stop at a waterfront cafe. Continuing on along the last seven kilometres, we cycled a mix of road and shoreline until we approached Montreux. In Montreux, the promenade was busier with pedestrians and the roads with cars but we found our hotel quite easily on the main street.
Charmaine RuppoltI will be on a bike trip this summer in Switzerland, from Geneva to Interlaken, renting an e-bike. Looks like the terrain would warrant using an e-bike - do you agree? Reply to this comment 8 months ago
Scott FenwickHi Charmaine,
E bikes are becoming the norm in Europe and as tourers go we are in the minority with "normal" bikes. But because we travel with our bikes, battery powered are not allowed on aircraft. You could certainly plot out a relatively flat route between Geneva to Interlaken but everyday has some sharp inclines no matter where you ride. As well there are some routings that you may choose that cross through mountains as Switzerland is, of course, full of them! If you are asking - I would say go ebike and you will be able to enjoy and handle anything that comes your way. Reply to this comment 8 months ago
We headed out to have dinner at a local Italian restaurant on the water. The evening sky was amazing. After dinner we walked along the promenade and back along the main street. We thought the town was very quiet for Friday night. Overall Montreux did not really grab us but it certainly has a beautiful setting. Maybe too big and new looking causing it to have no special character and then maybe we just missed it. Tomorrow, we head up the Rhone with a bit longer ride.
Fun fact: "Smoke on the Water" a song by English rock band Deep Purple, (1972), chronicles the 1971 fire at Montreux Casino. ¨.¸
