The French-speaking Switzerland is a collective name for the French-speaking areas of Switzerland and includes the cantons Geneva, Vaud, law, Neuchâtel as well as parts of the cantons Bern, Freiburg and Valais. The region will too Western Switzerland or Welschland called. If you want to deal with French-speaking Switzerland further, you will find the travel guide Two weeks in French-speaking Switzerland a suggestion for a two week trip.
Regions
French-speaking Switzerland consists of seven cantons
- Valais (French Valais)
- Vaud (French Vaud)
- Geneva (French Genève)
- Neuchâtel (French Neuchâtel)
- law
- Bern (French Bern, pronounced the same as German, French is spoken especially in the Bernese Jura and around Lake Biel.)
- Freiburg (French Friborg, partly French speaking)
French-speaking Switzerland also has shares in all three major geographic regions of Switzerland. These would be the Jura, the Central Plateau and the Alps. While the Valais is a pure Alpine canton, the Vaud stretches from the Jura across the Central Plateau to the Vaudois Alps. The canton of Jura and the canton of Neuchâtel are entirely in the Jura, as is the French-speaking part of Bern. Freiburg is a canton of the Mittelland, which, however, also extends into the Alps.
places
To anticipate something. There are some places in French-speaking Switzerland that are almost a must if you are touring the region
Lausanne offers a diverse range for tourists with its early Gothic cathedral, which is the best preserved in Switzerland, the lake promenade in Ouchy, an intact old town and great shopping opportunities. However, you should plan at least a whole day that there is a lot to see.
In Geneva you can sniff international flair. The city shines with the Jet d'eau, the fountain in Lake Geneva that is so characteristic of the city, with a variety of shopping opportunities, with the beautiful promenade with the mighty Belle-Époque hotels and with the Jardin Anglais.
Freiburg in Üechtland has one of the best preserved and largest contiguous old towns in Europe and shines with its Gothic cathedral. You can also climb its tower, but there are 368 steps to climb! The gorges through which the Saane has eaten and crossed with imposing bridges are also very impressive.
Neuchâtel is the pearl on Lake Neuchâtel and is sometimes almost Mediterranean influenced. The city shines with its college and the cathedral that towers over the city and with the Tour des Prisons has a very special tower that should not be missed. You should also go to the Place Pury, which opens picturesquely to Lake Neuchâtel and is surrounded by beautiful old town houses.
Manners shines with its extremely beautiful cityscape, above which the ruins of the castles Valère and Tourbillon drone on two hills. Anyone interested in music will be delighted with the oldest still playable organ, and Sion also has a beautiful cathedral.
Biel/ Bienne presents itself as a bilingual, multicultural watch metropolis. The city set standards in flat roof construction at the beginning of the 20th century and still shines with a wonderfully preserved old town.
Montreuxthat is mainly the jazz festival, which takes place every year in July and lasts about 16 days. In addition, Montreux has a beautiful promenade with Belle-Époche hotels.
Canton of Vaud
Canton of Geneva
- Capital Geneva
Canton of Neuchâtel
Canton of Jura
- Delémont/ Delémont
- Porrentruy/ Puntrut
- Saignelégier
- Saint-Ursanne
Canton of Friborg
- Capital Freiburg (Üechtland)/ Friborg
- Cop
- Murten/ Morat (bilingual)
- Estavayer-le-Lac
- Romont FR
- Gruyères /Gruyeres
Canton of Valais
Canton Bern
- Biel/ Bienne (bilingual)
- Moutier
- St-Imier
- Tramelan
- La Neuveville
- Tavannes
- Sonceboz-Sombéval
- Courtelary
Other goals
- The Creux du Van is the largest gorge in the Jura Mountains and lies on the border of the cantons of Neuchâtel and Vaud. It measures 4 kilometers in length, 1200 meters in width and 500 meters in depth. The rock walls drop vertically 160 m. Chamois and ibex also live here. It can only be reached on foot. There is a hiking suggestion on the website.
- The Rochers-de-Naye is a 2041 meter high mountain range above Montreux. He is famous for the great 360-degree panorama. You can see the Eiger, Mont Blanc and the Friborg Alps, but also Geneva, the Jura and the Vaud Central Plateau. You can take the cogwheel train from Montreux from 1892 to get there. Cost: CHF 16.60, one way, second class. The journey takes around 1 hour. The Jardin alpin de la Rambertina is one of the oldest alpine gardens in Europe. More than 1000 species of plants grow there. Opening times: mid-June
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry is included in the cog railway ticket.
- The Mont-Soleil is a 1289 meter high mountain in the Bernese Jura near St-Imier. A Rack railway leads up the mountain. The operator's website is only in French. The journey takes only 4 minutes and the way from St-Imier station 12 minutes. The trip costs CHF 6.- for one trip.
- The Saut-du-Doubs lies with Lac de Brenets in the Jura. You can climb it in Les Brenets ship, which leads across the lake to the Saut-du-Doubs. The Saut-du-Doubs is a waterfall that plunges 27 meters into the depth. The boat trip costs CHF 9 for a one-way trip, which takes around 20 minutes. The Saut-du-Doubs also forms the French / Swiss border here.
background
If you look at the history of French-speaking Switzerland, you can see that the common history only began in 1815, when the cantons of Valais, Geneva and Neuchâtel also joined the newly founded Switzerland. The Lake Geneva region and large parts of Vaud belonged to the Savoy in the Middle Ages, and later to the Bernese. The Valais was subordinate to the Bishop of Sion. The canton of Friborg formed its own full member of the Confederation as early as the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, the Jura belonged to the Bishop of Basel, then to France, before it was awarded to the Canton of Bern at the Congress of Vienna. It has formed its own canton since 1979, making it the youngest member of the group. The canton of Neuchâtel belonged to Prussia for a very long time, until this canton also joined Switzerland in 1815. About the mentality of the residents, it can be said that they approach everything a little "easier" than their Swiss-German colleagues. They are also more patriotic than behind the Röstigraben. The Röstigraben is a fictional border between German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland. It is said that the German-speaking Swiss eat a lot of hash browns, in contrast to the Romands. Hence this "ditch". But it also symbolizes the differences between these two language regions. Culturally, French-speaking Switzerland is certainly (a little) oriented towards France, but of course there are also clear differences here. It must be said that the Romands do not want to be French and that they clearly express this with their patriotism.
language
In French-speaking Switzerland, French is spoken, and in some municipalities also Patois, which is strongly reversed. Patois are French dialects, some of which differ greatly from standard French. A community where patois can still be heard Evolène in Valais.
There are some municipalities on the border with German-speaking Switzerland that are multilingual. However, this should be treated with caution. There are municipalities in which German clearly predominates, such as Biel / Bienne or Murten / Morat, but also municipalities in which French is clearly the preferred language, such as Freiburg im Üechtland (Friborg) or Siders (Sierre). Especially in the last two cities mentioned, it is not a matter of course to find someone who speaks German. The majority of the population only speak French. However, the chance is significantly increased.
There are also places that have a German-speaking name, but the population is only French-speaking. Examples would be Sion (Sion), Delsberg (Delémont), Gruyère (Gruyères) or Pruntrut (Porrentruy). Here you can rarely hope that someone speaks German, but it doesn't cost anything to ask.
getting there
By train
French-speaking Switzerland has excellent connections to the Swiss rail network. Some of the most important connections are:
Railway line Bern - Lausanne - Geneva Airport - There are two express trains that serve this line:
- IC St-Gallen - Bern - Friborg - without stop to Lausanne - without stop to Geneva - Geneva airport
- IR Lucerne - Bern - Friborg - without stopping to Lausanne - without stopping to Geneva - Geneva Airport
from Bern all stops are listed. These express trains run every hour.
Railway line of the southern foot of the Jura - This route is served by two express trains:
- ICN Basel - Delémont - Moutier - Grenchen North - Biel / Bienne
- ICN St-Gallen - Zurich Airport - Zurich HB - Olten - Biel / Bienne - Neuchâtel - Yverdon-les-Bains - Lausanne
- ICN Zurich HB - Olten - Biel / Bienne - Neuchâtel - Yverdon-les-Bains - Geneva - Geneva Airport
from Delémont or at the second and third ICN from Biel / Bienne, all stops are listed. These express trains run every hour.
Geneva - Brig (-Milan) or Simplon line - This route is served by two express trains:
- IR Geneva Airport - Geneva - Nyon - Morges - Lausannen - Vevey - Montreux - Aigle - Martigny - Sion - Sierre - Leuk - Visp - Brig
- IR Geneva Airport - Geneva - Nyon - Morges - Lausanne - Vevey - Montreux - Aigle - Bex - St-Maurice - Martigny - Sion - Sierre - Leuk - Visp - Brig
All stops are listed here. These express trains run every hour. The only difference between these two express trains is that the second has four additional stops and therefore the journey from Geneva Airport to Brig takes around 10 minutes longer. They are coordinated in such a way that there are half-hourly intervals between most cities.
Here are some travel times:
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By individual ECConnections Romandie has direct connections to Milan. The TGV connects Lausanne, Geneva and Neuchâtel with Paris without changing trains. Current and exact departure times are available from Swiss Federal Railways.
In the street
Several motorways run through French-speaking Switzerland, these are:
- A1 (Border Germany - St.Margrethen - St. Gallen - Zurich -) Bern - Yverdon-les-Bains - Lausanne - Geneva - Bardonnex - border France
- A5 (Connection A1 - Solothurn -) Biel / Bienne - Neuchâtel - Yverdon-les-Bains. Not finished yet.
- A9 Orbe - Lausanne - Vevey - Sion - Sierre (- Brig) and then as the main road over the Simplon Pass into Domodossola, Italy, and on to Milan.
- A12 Bern - Friborg - Vevey - connection to the A9
- A16 Border crossing Delle / Boncourt - Porrentruy - Delémont - Moutier - Tavannes - Biel / Bienne - connection to the A5. This motorway is not yet fully developed and is called Transjurane.
An attractive method of getting here from Germany and German-speaking Switzerland for the Lower Valais (Sion region) is the car transport near Kandersteg to Goppentstein. Here the Price link. Runs every 30 minutes, at peak times every 15 minutes or more frequently.
By plane
With the Geneva airport French-speaking Switzerland has an international airport. This is connected to the Swiss railway network with a train station. Especially after Delémont or Moutier the travel time takes toBasel-Mulhouse airport but much less long, namely around 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 hour 20 minutes, in contrast to Geneva Airport, which is around 2 hours away by train. The city of Biel / Bienne has to airport Zurich, Geneva Airport and Basel-Mulhouse Airport each 1 hour 30 minutes. It is therefore worthwhile to compare prices. Bern-Belpmoos is another airport, which is only attractive for the cities of Biel / Bienne and Friborg and has fewer flight movements than the other three mentioned.
By boat
French-speaking Switzerland is not by the sea, it is above the sea Lake Geneva connected with France. So it is possible to reach some cities on this lake by ship. There are four ferries which run from the CGN operate in a regular timetable at any time of the year:
- N1 Lausanne - Evian-les-Bains
- N2 Lausanne - Thonon-les-Bains
- N3 Nyon - Yvoire
- N4 Nyon - Chens-s-Léman
The Prices are for the second class, one-way trip.
mobility
Almost every municipality and village in French-speaking Switzerland can be reached by public transport. There are various railway lines, which are served by express trains, S-Bahn, but also ordinary regional trains. Trains usually run every half hour or every hour. Buses usually too, but especially in rural areas the timetable can be thinned out so that a bus only leaves every other hour, or especially on weekends there are maybe only two to three or especially in Gros-de-Vaud no bus courses. These lines are operated by many operators, but tickets are accepted among each other and you can e.g. You can also buy a ticket for the Transports publics fribourgeois buses from the Swiss Federal Railways. There are also many narrow-gauge railways and suburban trains, such as the Chemnin de Fer Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher or the Chemins de Fer du Jura. Especially Seeanstösser communities are developed with tourist boat courses. More on this under excursions. In the Dreiseenland the bike is recommended because it is really very flat there.
Tourist Attractions
Castles
- The Chillon Castle is one of the most famous Swiss castles and is located in Lake Geneva near Montreux in Vaud. Here is the website for Chillon Castle. The castle was first mentioned in 1150. It belonged to the Savoy, but was forgotten and was only "rediscovered" by the Bernese. When Vaud became an independent canton, renovation work began, which continues to this day. Here is the link to the Prices and opening times. For example, entry for an adult costs CHF 12.- and CHF 6.- for a child.
- The Gruyeres Castle located in Gruyères (Gruyeres) in the canton of Friborg. The name Gruyères probably comes from the heraldic animal of the Counts of Gruyères, which shows a crane. In any case, 19 counts are attested from the 11th century to the 16th century. A museum has been located in the castle since 1938. Opening times: April to October: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and November to March: 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Entrance fees: CHF 9.50 for an adult, CHF 3.- for children. There are also other reductions.
- The Grandson Castle (Website only in French) is located on Lake Neuchâtel near the town of the same name in the canton of Vaud. What catches the eye with this castle are the five towers. It was built in 1050. In addition to the castle museum, there is also a vintage car museum. Entry costs CHF 12.- for an adult and CHF 5.- for a child. There are other discounts. Opening times: from April 1st to October 31st daily from 8.15am to 6pm. It closes an hour earlier from November 1st to March 31st.
- The Nyon Castle (Website in French only) is elevated above the old town of Nyon and Lake Geneva. It was built at the end of the 13th century and first belonged to the Savoy, then to the Bernese. From the castle you have a great view of the city and Lake Geneva. The castle houses a historical museum and a porcelain museum and has the following opening times: November to March from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from April to October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays. General public holidays, which are on a Monday, are excluded. The prices: Adults: CHF 8.- and children under the age of 16 are free. There are further reductions.
- The Oron Castle is located in Oron-le-Châtel in the canton of Vaud. It was probably built in the 13th century. It houses a castle museum with a library. However, it is only open from April to September and only on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The entrance fees are CHF 9.- for adults and CHF 5.- for children. For more information, call 021 907 90 51. The secretariat is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8.30 am to 12 noon and from 1 pm to 5 pm. Address: Associaton pour la Conversation du Château d'Oron, Case postale 6, 1608 Oron-le-Châtel.
- The Aigle Castle (Website only in French) is located in the Rhone Valley near the town Aigle in Vaud. Its current appearance dates from 1475 when the Bernese rebuilt and expanded it. Today it houses a castle museum and the museum of winemakers and wine. Hours of Operation: From March 19 to October 30, daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission prices: adults CHF 11.-, children CHF 5.-.
- The Yverdon Castle located in Yverdon-les-Bains and houses archaeological finds, as well as Egyptian antiquities, but also art from the region. The museum was opened as such in 1761. Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday from October to May: 2pm to 5pm, from June to September: 11am to 5pm. Admission prices: Adults CHF 8.-, children CHF 4.-. You can now also take a tour of the castle with the iPot.
- The Château de Maire stands in the middle of Lausanne and has an eventful history. Built as a bishop's palace, it was conquered by the Bernese and was the seat of the Vaudois government for a while. Today it houses a history museum. Opening times: Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices: Adults CHF 8.-, children under 16 years are free.
- The Tourbillon and Valère castles in Sion are very special. Some of them are only ruins, but a lot of the old building fabric has been preserved. From both castles you have a great view over the Rhône plain and over Sion. The oldest still playable organ in the world is located in the Chappelle de Valère. Both castle ruins are illuminated at night.
- The Wine museum in Boudry Castle (Website mostly only in French) is, as the name suggests, dedicated to wine. It's in the town Boudry on Lake Neuchâtel and was built at the end of the 14th century. Opening times: Wednesday-Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission prices: Adults CHF 7.-, children free.
Churches & monasteries
- The St. Niklaus Cathedral is located in Freiburg (Üechtland) (French Friborg). It is kept in the Gothic style and has a beautiful tower, which can be climbed from April 4th to October 30th using 74 steps. The ascent to the tower costs CHF 3.50 for an adult and CHF 1.- for children. Opening times for climbing the tower: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday and public holidays: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Entry to the cathedral is free, please refer to the website for opening times.
- The Lausanne Cathedral is located in Lausanne and was built in several stages. It was built in the Gothic style and is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Switzerland. Guided tours are offered. Please refer to the website for more information. The opening times are listed under the note "Timetable". The website also shows how to get to the cathedral.
- The St Pierre Cathedral is in the old town of Geneva and is built in the Gothic style, but was started in the Romanesque style. Today the church is reformed and can be visited.
- The Collegiate Church in Neuchâtel is the main landmark of the city Neuchâtel. It was built in the Gothic style and can be visited today. Neuchâtel Castle is behind it. From the church you have a wonderful view over Lake Neuchâtel and the old town of Neuchâtel.
- The Notre-Dame-du-Glacier Cathedral is in Sion and dates from the 15th century. The tower was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style and is still standing. The tower is one of the most beautiful Romanesque buildings in Switzerland. $
- The City Church of Yverdon is in Yverdon-les-Bains and is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Switzerland. It was built from 1753-1757. The baroque facade is striking.
- The Romainmôtier Monastery was built between 990-1030 and is one of the oldest Romanesque buildings in Switzerland. The monastery is in the community Romainmôtier-Envy.
- The Collegiate Church and the St-Ursanne Monastery is in Saint-Ursanne and was from 12.-14. Century built. It is kept in the Romanesque style, but already shows Gothic influences. The cloister is very nice to visit.
- The Romanesque monastery church and monastery in Payerne is the largest Romanesque building in Switzerland and was built between 1040 and 1050. The choir of the church is 16 meters high and the central nave is 67 meters long. Only the capital hall remains of the monastery building. There is an exhibition on Romanesque buildings in Switzerland. Opening times: in summer daily from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. In winter it closes at 5 p.m. Admission prices: Adults CHF 6.-, children CHF 3.-.
Historic cities
There is an abundance of beautiful, picturesque and well-preserved medieval towns in French-speaking Switzerland. Here is a selection:
- Saint-Ursanne - This is certainly one of the most beautiful towns in the Swiss Jura, if not all of Switzerland. It is embedded in the narrow Doubstal on the banks of the same river. A stone bridge from 1728 leads into the town. Most of the houses date from the 14th to 16th centuries. Century. Another attraction is certainly the collegiate church. For this, please see the churches one column higher.
- Orbe - Nicely situated on a ledge, Orbe is surrounded on three sides by the river of the same name. At the top there is a castle, or a keep and a tower. The townscape is shaped primarily by citizens and patrician houses from the 16th to 19th centuries. Century. The reformed town church was built in the flamboyant style.
- Villeneuve - Located on Lake Geneva, but a little offset. The old town consists of typical Vaudois houses and there is a beautiful lake promenade to stroll through. There is a small island in front of Villeneuve, the Ile de Peilz. This island is just big enough to fit a single tree. This tree is over 160 years old. The town house is also worth seeing.
- Murten - In French Morat, since the city is bilingual, shines with a preserved city wall, the castle, the beautiful arcades in the old town and of course the lakeside promenade.
- Romainmôtier - You think time has stood still. This gem in the canton of Vaud is something very special, shines with a few, but very beautiful old town houses, and with its Romanesque church, which belonged to the monastery and is unique in Switzerland.
- Lutry - Above all, these are beautiful and old Vaudois houses that nestle against Lake Geneva. Together they create an extremely picturesque townscape.
- Saint-Prex - This little town was laid out in a triangle and is home to many intact old town houses and a beautiful church. In addition, this place is very traffic-calmed and also nestles beautifully on Lake Geneva.
- Gruyeres - This little town is known by tourists, it really does give a wonderfully closed bid. At the very top the castle is enthroned and if you turn right from the main street, you will come across the town church, which shines with beautiful church windows.
- La Neuveville and Le Landeron - These two towns are both located on Lake Biel and perform as a duo because they are very similar in structure. They both consist of just one alley that widens into a square in the middle. On the left and right are Bernese military houses.
- Payerne In addition to the abbey church, which is absolutely worth seeing, it also has a very beautiful old town, which consists of Bernese houses. If you are not deterred by the traffic that plagues the town a little, you should go on a voyage of discovery.
- Avenches In addition to its amphitheater, it also shines with a very intact old town, a beautiful town church and a beautiful castle. It is definitely worth going on a voyage of discovery.
- Porrentruy - The town used to be the seat of the prince-bishops of Basel and therefore has a fortified castle that the clergy built. The old town of Porrentruy has a bit of a "morbid" charm, as many of the houses have not yet been renovated and have been left to a bit of decay. However, the main street of Porrentruy has been largely renovated and shines with an extremely beautiful town hall.
activities
Shipping
Scheduled ships on Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva offers boat trips all year round. The operator of these lines is CGN. Most ships sail in summer. With the ship you have beautiful views of many beautiful castles, cities and vineyards, for example this LavauxA trip across the entire lake from St-Gingolph to Geneva takes 5 hours and 40 minutes, which is worth it daily ticket For CHF 60.- (2nd Class).
Here are some travel times between the destinations:
- Lausanne Ouchy - Geneva around 4h, CHF 41.80
- Lausanne Ouchy - Vevey 1h, CHF 19.40
- Lausanne Ouchy - Chillon-Villneuve 1h 45 min., CHF 26.60
- Lausanne Ouchy - Montreux 1h 20 min., CHF 24.80
- Lausanne Ouchy - Nyon round 2h, CHF 32.-
- Geneva - Nyon round 1h 15 min., CHF 20.80
The prices are for 2nd class and are for a one-way trip.
Course trips on Lake Neuchâtel & Lake Murten
There are liners which connect Neuchâtel with Estavayer-le-lac and Yverdon-les-Bains. The operator is NAVIG, which also operates the round-trip boats on Lake Murten.
Driving times:
- Neuchâtel - Estavayer-le-lac 1h 15 min., CHF 20.20
- Neuchâtel - Yverdon-les-Bains 2h 45 min., CHF 35.-
- Yverdon-les-Bains - Estavayer-le-lac 1h 25 min., CHF 20.20
- Tour of Neuchâtel-Estavayer-le-lac - Neuchâtel 3h
- Round trip Estavayer-le-lac - Yverdon-les-Bains - Estavayer-le-lac 3h 15 min.
- Round trip on Lake Murten 1h 10 min., CHF 19.-
The prices are 2nd class, single journey.
Important: In spring and autumn, only the small tour Neuchâtel - Portalban - Neuchâtel is offered on Lake Neuchâtel. The round trip on Lake Murten is then only offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Scheduled boats operate on Lake Biel in spring, summer and autumn. Most of them drive from Biel / Bienne to Erlach, which is the operator BSG.
Driving times:
- Biel / Bienne - Erlach 1h 15 min., CHF 29.-
- Biel / Bienne - La Neuveville 1h 5 min. , CHF 23.-
Tour of three lakes
The three-lake tour begins in Murten on Lake Murten and leads via Neuchâtel and through Lake Neuchâtel to Biel / Bienne on Lake Biel.
Driving times:
- Whole trip (Murten-Neuchâtel-Biel / Bienne) around 4 hours, one course per day.
- Whole trip (but not via Neuchâtel) 3h 15 min., One course per day.
Price: CHF 54.-, 2nd class, one way.
kitchen
The best-known specialty is certainly that Saucisson. They are available in different versions. For example the Vaudois or the Freiburg Saucisson. A specialty from Vaud is that Papet-Vaudoise, it is a leek and potato dish, which is prepared in a similar way to mashed potatoes and is often served with the Vaudois Saucisson. The canton of Friborg is known for its cheese. So comes the variety Freiburg's Vacherin, Geyerzer and the Moitié-Moitié fondue from this canton. In addition, French-speaking Switzerland is known for its Wines.
Saucisson vaudois
Papet-Vaudois
More on this topic can be found at Eating and drinking in Switzerland
nightlife
If you're looking for clubs, you're sure to find them in Geneva and Lausanne. Also in other larger cities, such as B. Neuchâtel or Freiburg (Üechtland) there are some options for the exit. In many villages there are bars where the youth (but not only the youth) meet. However, it is difficult for people who do not speak French to make friends there.
security
French-speaking Switzerland is very safe. In the larger cities, however, you should watch out for pickpockets. The emergency number for the police is 117, that of the fire brigade is 118.
climate
The climate in French-speaking Switzerland is not uniform. Snow-free winters occur in the lowlands of Lake Geneva, especially in the city of Geneva. In the high valleys of the Jura, as well as in the Vaud and Friborg pre-Alps, as well as in the (lower) Valais Alps and Alpine valleys, however, there is a lot of snow in winter, as well as a closed snow cover. That is why these regions are extremely suitable for winter sports. Snow is not uncommon in the Gros de Vaud, but also in the Broyetal on the Neuchâtel and Bielersee, in the city of Friborg (Üechtland) in the Rhône valley or in the higher urban areas of Lausanne, but it does not stay there all winter. Spring usually begins in these regions around mid to late March. A little earlier on Lake Geneva itself, but not until around April or sometimes even May in the high Jura valleys or in the foothills of the Alps. Summer is pleasantly warm in all regions, with Lake Geneva being the warmest all summer at over 20 degrees. The nights are of course cooler. Autumn also begins later on Lake Geneva than in the high valleys of the Jura or the foothills of the Alps. With the exception of Lake Geneva, most regions get snow by November or December at the latest. In autumn, but especially in winter, many regions are below 1000-1500 meters under a closed blanket of fog. Only the highest Jura peaks and the foothills of the Alps protrude from the fog. The best time to travel is certainly summer, but spring is also pleasantly warm, especially on Lake Geneva. Autumn is particularly beautiful in the wine regions (Lake Geneva, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Biel, Rhône Valley ...) because then the grape harvest takes place. In conclusion, one can certainly say that the climate on Lake Geneva is almost a little Mediterranean, which can also be seen in the palm trees growing there.
trips
- Wenn man im Westschweizer Jura unterwegs ist, ist es ein leichtes, schnell einen Abstecher ins Französische Jura zu machen. So zum Beispiel nach Pontarlier, Saint-Hippolyte (Doubs) oder Delle.
- In Lausanne und in Nyon fahren Fähren ans französische Ufer. So nach Thonon-les-Bains, Evian-les Bains, Yvoire and Chens-sur-Léman.
- Von Genf ist es ein Katzensprung nach Annecy.
- Wenn man in Biel/Bienne ist, auch mal einen Abstecher in die Deutschschweiz mache, z.B. nach Solothurn oder nach Büren an der Aare. Touristische Schiffe fahren vom Bieler Hafen auf der Aare bis nach Solothurn. Fahrzeit circa 3 Stunden.
