I had a good time going through pretty Swiss villages and enjoying some of the local food as well as the relatively common fresh water fountains to quench my thirst. After spending a night in Orbe, I hiked all the way to Lausanne where I spent a few days relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
Lausanne is a truly amazing city sitting on the northern shore of Lac Léman (most commonly known as Lake Geneva). The views from the coast are absolutely stunning as it's possible to admire a great part of the lake as well as some of the Alps not far off from the southern side (most of which is technically part of France). Lausanne itself is a very lively city which beautifully combines more traditional architectural features and very modern facilities. It's possible to find very good food for the right price 😱 and there are plenty of events such as food markets or comic books gatherings which attract many young people. Multiethnic food also tends to be quite good. I personally ate two nights in a row in a Chinese restaurant 🇨🇳 near my accomodation 😅 I found the food and service to be absolutely exceptional. In particular, I believe that their Beijing duck specialty could easily compete with some very good restaurants in Beijing. The duck was cut in front of me and served over multiple courses in different ways 😋
One of the highlights of my visit in Lausanne was definitely the Musée Olympique, i.e. the Olympic Museum. Quite unique in its kind, the museum exhibits many objects relating to the history of the Olympic games as well as some inspirational stories showcasing several of the very best human values that the Olympic games have always been trying to spread among people around the globe.
In order to fully enjoy the beautiful lake views I was lucky enough to be able to rent a bycicle in Lausanne's train station and ride it all the way around the lake and drop it off at Montreux's train station the following day. The bike ride was quite relaxing and enjoyable and went very smoothly. I took amazing pictures along the way and stopped one night in Vevey as I had already booked an accomodation there at a time when I thought I was not going to have a bycicle to get around the lake.
Montreux must have been the most beautiful town of my whole trip. Its location is great due to the fact that it's possible to gaze at the part of the lake in the direction of Lausanne and Geneva but also at the stretch of lake near the narrow valley that extends from Villeneuve to Martigny, i.e. a little town located right before the Swiss-Italian Alps. Montreux is very lively and is proud to host several events, including one of the most famous Jazz festivals in the world. There is also a lovely and quite long footpath along the coast which is full of decorated gardens, very original artistic statues, restaurants and people looking for the best spot to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The stunning views of the Alps and the shades of red and orange reflected on the lake during the sunset made my experience of Montreux quite emotional. Even though I was on my own for most of my trip, I truly wished I could enjoy those moments in Montreux with someone special and promised to myself that I would be back there one day.
The hike from Montreux to Martigny was quite fascinating even though it was hard to walk away from Lake Geneva and lose sight of it 😢. I hiked through vineyards, little woods, along a very clean greenish river and I admired a few beautiful glaciers and cliffs of the sorrounding Alps as well as the elegance of a few Swiss villages like St Maurice, before reaching Martigny.
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