Évian-les-Bains, France でやるべきこと

クイックファクト: Over 120 slot machines and 13 tables for roulette, blackjack, and poker form the backdrop of this elegant building. The view of Lake Geneva and the French Alps from the terrace is a bonus that comes free of charge.

見どころ: The casino terrace looks directly onto Lake Geneva, so you can enjoy an aperitif while watching the Swiss shoreline and the Mont Blanc line on the horizon. It was right here in the mid-19th century that European aristocrats who came for treatment at the local thermal baths would gather, and the salons still preserve that spirit of old-world elegance.

クイックファクト: On the shores of Lake Geneva, this building welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year who come for exhibitions and concerts. Degas, Monet, and other impressionists often stayed in the area and found inspiration in the light that shimmers across the water.

見どころ: In the basement of the building hides an old thermal spring that still flows today at 34 degrees, a remnant of this city's former glory as a spa resort. During the 2006 renovation, workers discovered original mosaics and marble staircases from 1912 that had been hidden for decades beneath layers of paint.

クイックファクト: This spring water has been bottled since 1826 and was the first mineral water in France to receive official recognition from the state. The spring emerges at a temperature of 11.6°C and produces around 350,000 liters of water daily.

見どころ: What is truly special is that the water is now bottled industrially at a nearby factory, but visitors can still drink directly from the spring completely free of charge, just as French aristocrats did two centuries ago. In the 19th century, the Parisian elite traveled a full three days by carriage just to take a sip of this water, which was believed to cure kidneys and digestion.

クイックファクト: This park spans five hectares and is adorned with more than 40,000 flowering plants that change with the seasons. From its terraces, there is a view of Lake Geneva and the French Alps that stretches all the way to the Swiss shore.

見どころ: A hidden gem is the underground passage that connects the garden to the thermal baths, allowing guests to walk in their pajamas directly to the spring. The fountain in the center of the park dispenses water from the healing spring that was discovered here back in 1824, and visitors can still drink from it for free today.

クイックファクト: This 13th-century church hides rare 15th-century frescoes that were only discovered in the 1960s during restoration. It is only 28 meters tall, but its bell tower dominates the entire old town.

見どころ: Beneath the layer of lime that had covered the interior for centuries, restorers in 1962 discovered an impressive cycle of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas. The frescoes are so vivid that the figures seem to look straight at the visitor, and the colors still shine as if they were painted yesterday.

クイックファクト: Here, Lake Geneva meets a charming town that became famous for its mineral water. The pier extends nearly 800 meters along the shore, offering views of the Swiss Alps across the lake.

見どころ: Interestingly, large tourist ships that connect the French and Swiss shores of the lake also dock here, so you can sail directly from Lausanne in an hour. When you walk down the steps toward the water, you will notice that the water is so clear that the bottom is visible even at two meters deep.

クイックファクト: The climb of 72 meters in elevation takes only three and a half minutes, and the ride through a nearly vertical cutting offers a view that changes from second to second. The cars have been operating for over 120 years and carry around 400,000 passengers annually, including local schoolchildren who take this route to school.

見どころ: The best moment is not at the top, but halfway up, when the car suddenly tilts and the entire city with the lake suddenly fits into the frame like a postcard. The cars were authentically restored according to the 1904 blueprints, so they still creak and sway as if time stands still, which is a special experience for fans of retro technology.

クイックファクト: Here, millions of liters of mineral water are drawn daily from a spring 400 meters deep, and only a small part ends up in bottles. The interior is adorned with mosaics and stained glass depicting stories from Greek mythology, and the water is still dispensed from the historic tap that visitors used more than a century ago.

見どころ: Completely unexpectedly, among the marble staircases and gilded details hides a tap that dispenses for free the same water that European aristocrats used for treatment when this was the most famous spa on the continent. In one of the rooms, the acoustics are so perfect that a whisper from one side of the room is heard perfectly clearly on the other, which is why it was once used for secret meetings and diplomatic negotiations.