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Highlights 2015 in the Lake Geneva Region WINTER NEWS 4‐star Hôtel de Rougemont opens its doors in the Pays‐d’Enhaut The new Hotel de Rougemont is a luxurious four star boutique hotel in a traditional village within the district of the Pays d'Enhaut with 33 rooms, of which 13 suites and 8 junior suites. Constructed in a typical chalet style and with natural materials it is a perfect match to its surroundings. Mostly built of wood and stone, and kept in a sober, modern style, it nevertheless conveys a welcoming atmosphere of coziness. From the rooms to the spa, a beautiful view of the Alps can be enjoyed in the entire hotel. A gourmet restaurant with three different sectors aims to entice the guests’ palates: there’s an elegant haute cuisine dining room, a barbecue section for convivial evenings, and a cozy authentic Swiss chalet with an open fireplace. A cigar lounge and a wine bar invite to spend some relaxing moments. At the spa, the guests have a swimming pool, sauna, hammam, and fitness room at their disposal, but also modern treatment facilities for complete relaxation and well‐being. Several rooms are available for conferences or similar events. www.hotelderougemont.com
GoldenPass launches the “Cheese Train” From beginning of December 2014, the “Cheese Train” is picking up passengers from Montreux for a day trip. They are welcomed on board of the beautiful Belle Epoque carriages by a hostess, offering them local cheese to try and a souvenir glass to take home. As the train travels away from Lake Geneva, passengers can admire an ever‐changing succession of landscapes, all typical of the region. Notably, the train passes by the biggest chalet of the country, formerly the property of the painter Balthus, in Rossinière; an imposing wooden construction with entirely decorated walls. Passengers disembark in Château‐d’Œx for the Le Chalet restaurant, where they can enjoy a demonstration of wood‐fired cheese‐making by a cheese‐maker in traditional costume. Then it’s time for a delicious fondue! The excursion ends with a visit to the Museum of Vieux Pays‐d’Enhaut, exhibiting popular mountain art with recreations of old interiors, traditional objects and an exhibition of some famous pieces of decoupage art. Return to Montreux at the end of the day. The train runs until 30 April 2014, from Thursday to Sunday. Prices from CHF 39.00. www.goldenpass.ch 1
New hanging Bridge at Glacier 3000 ‐ a world premiere Glacier 3000 are enhancing their offer. From November 2014, vertigo‐free visitors can go on the «Peak Walk». The completely new suspension bridge, the second highest in Europe, is the first worldwide to link two peaks. It is 107 meters long and situated at an altitude of 3000 meters! Visitors can appreciate breathtaking views of the Alps including the Mont‐Blanc and 23 other peaks reaching more than 4000m above sea level. Adrenaline guaranteed! This vertigo challenge will be open year‐round and is free of charge. www.glacier3000.ch and www.diablerets.ch
Villars‐Gryon ski area double its snow‐making capacity Now, all the main ski pistes between Villars Roc d’Orsay Telecabine and Barboleuse Telecabine will be covered by snow cannons. This investment has then doubled the number of snow cannons from 85 to 180 by December 2014, ensuring snow cover on 50% of the pistes in the Villars‐Gryon ski area. This investment will also ensure the ski pistes to both Villars (already the case since 2010) and Barboleuse (new for winter 2014) will not be subject to early closure. www.villarsgryon.ch
SuperPass Gstaad‐Alpes Vaudoises Until May 2015, the SuperPass gives skiers access to 630 kilometres of slopes served by 188 lifts, covering three different regions and two linguistic areas. In fact, the SuperPass joins the top 5 biggest ski areas in Europe! From Gstaad, ski‐lovers descend into the Berner Oberland, to Adelboden‐Lenk; on the Lake Geneva Region side they can access Rougemont and Leysin, or, via Glacier 3000, Villars and Les Diablerets. As a bonus, this pass allows you to enjoy all the slopes without going through the ticket machines thanks to the hands‐free ticketing system. www.superpass.ch
A new looping at the Tobogganing Park of Leysin From mid‐December to mid‐March, the icy slopes of the Tobogganing Park make sure that freestylers can enjoy even more adrenaline kicks thanks to the new 360° looping on snow tubes. Founded by the former Olympic bobsleigh champion Silvio Giobellina and his team, this new way of having fun in the snow will be the highlight of the season. www.leysin.ch
HIGHLIGHTS 2015 The Lake Geneva Region keeps its high level of gastronomy distinctions The 2015 edition of the Michelin and GaultMillau guides lists numerous top restaurants in the region. The canton of Vaud is always worth a visit, but especially so thanks to its famous gastronomy, proven by the numerous distinctions it has received again lately. The 2015 edition of the Guide Michelin awards 11 restaurants for a total of 16 stars. The GaultMillau lists 98 restaurants scoring a total of 1368 points. Among the top chefs, Jérôme Aké‐Béda, who works for l’Auberge de l’Onde in St‐Saphorin, was awarded Sommelier of the Year.
Inauguration of the statue of Igor Stravinsky 2
Musician, composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky (1882‐1971) and his family lived in Montreux after 1910. He was looking for a microclimate favourable to Mrs Stravinsky’s health and stayed in Montreux, Clarens and in 1915, after World War I, in Morges. Igor Stravinsky composed “The Rites of Spring” (1912) in Montreux. His long walks along Lake Geneva inspired the composition “Petrushka”. The donation of the statue was made on behalf of Russia, Mr. Frederik Paulsen, Honorary Consul of Russia for the Suisse Romande. A ceremony in connection with the 200th anniversary of Swiss‐Russian relations. Inauguration was in November 2014. www.montreuxriviera.com
“On the footsteps of Famous Guest” application It functions by means of geo‐localization and its two routes pass by 25 public benches. Each one of them is dedicated to a famous personality and features an audio sequence and short biography. Among others, Ernest Miller Hemingway, Jean‐Jacques Rousseau, Charlie Chaplin or Lord Byron can be found. The route can be followed on foot or by electric bike, available for rent on the application. The languages offered are English, French, and German. www.montreuxriviera.com
Behind the scenes of Queen in Montreux Queen fans can now visit the “Mountain Studio” at the Casino Barrière in Montreux for free. There are photos and many items belonging to the band members on display but, most of all, the public can go into the control room. Nothing has really changed since, except the mixing table, which has been replaced by a less complex version so that visitors can use it to remix Queen hits. Not to be missed: the back door of the studio, covered with messages from fans. The musicians came to Montreux in 1978 and, seduced by the Riviera atmosphere, bought the studio the following year. Before leaving the town, taking a detour past the Freddie Mercury statue on the shores of the lake is a must. www.queenstudioexperience.ch
Opening of the Charlie Chaplin Museum in 2016 in Vevey Building work has started at the end of May. The draft of the Chaplin’s World, The Modern Times Museum, is now becoming concrete! The Museum site features a wide variety of discoveries, experiences and emotions evoked through interactive and virtual communication. www.chaplinmuseum.com
The „Royal“ Lifestyle in Lausanne from 2015 Perfectly located between Lausanne train station and lake Geneva, Hotel Royal Savoy has been a legend since 1906. At that time already, it was the modern and inspirational meeting place in Lausanne and the place to be. Following a 100 million francs renovation, the 5‐star hotel will reopen in summer 2015. The surface will be doubled with 196 rooms, 37 suites and junior‐ suites, including one dedicated and private floor. Brand new infrastructures will seduce every visitor of the Olympic Capital. Business men and women will meet in 1,200 m2 of meeting facilities. Vacationers will relax in the 1,500 m2 Spa and the unique and secluded garden. All of them will enjoy an uninterrupted view of the city, the lake and the Alps from the new roof terrace. “Royal Savoy” interior design is mastered by awarded Maria Vafiafis, nominated Best interior designer in 2012. www.royalsavoy.ch 3
The centenary of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne In 2015, the International Olympic Committee will celebrate its centenary of its headquarter in Lausanne. For this very special occasion, The Olympic Museum will organize an exhibition from 25 March to 28 June 2015 making aware of the very emotional moments due to this relation. Different photos of that time will be exposed on a lot of emblematic sites of the city of Lausanne. The photos will let you discover the different events which have taken place at these sites. A very special and festive program will be dedicated to the celebration of the centenary of the IOC at the weekend 27‐28 June 2015. www.lausanne‐tourisme.ch
New interactive promotional video by Lausanne Tourism Lausanne Tourism has made a new promotional video available online. It serves as an interactive tool, making it possible to click on the different categories while viewing it and thereby make a selection according to one’s preferences and interests. www.lausanne‐ tourisme.ch/en/video
AQUATIS – Aquarium & Swiss Water Museum Ideally situated in the heart of Lake Geneva Region, the platform AQUATIS includes an aquarium, a hotel and a congress center. The aquarium will be a real interactive museum, presenting the fresh‐water aquatic environment and its threats. With its location, 143 comfortable rooms, a restaurant and a terrace, a fitness center and spa as well as seminar rooms, Aquatis Hotel *** S & Conference Center is intended to become a key destination for business and leisure. The hotel will open in early 2015 and the Aquarium & Swiss Water Museum will follow in 2016. www.aquatis.ch
TOP EVENTS 2015 Château‐d'Œx, the hot‐air balloon capital From 24 January to 1 February 2015, Château‐d’Œx will be hosting the 37th International Hot‐ Air Balloon Festival. A chance to treat yourself to a flight or, for the less daring, simply witness the array of incredible shapes, from rabbits to airships, bagpipers to robots. Wednesday is the day for kids, when they can try tethered hot air balloon rides amongst other things. The high point of the festival is the Night Glow, a sound and light show in the evening of Saturday 1 February featuring about 300 participants, including twenty hot‐air balloon crews, the Swiss Ski School, paragliders and pyrotechnicians for an hour of live magic. www.festivaldeballons.ch
Ski and Snow Fiesta Valid from 28 March to 12 April 2015, this offer entitles you to a promotion on accommodation ‐ a choice of 30% off the rental of an apartment or a free ski pass, from two nights in a hotel. Guests will also benefit from 30% off ski or snowboard rental and group ski school lessons. Children up to 9 are skiing for free. For the festive part, the resorts offer a programme of 4
concerts and events with a host of artists, DJs and musicians performing on the terraces. Activities will be organised on the slopes during the day and, from afternoon to evening, in the restaurants, bars and discos of the two resorts. www.skisnowfiesta.ch Exclusive press information not yet released to the public about famous featured artist : Free & live concert of KEZIAH JONES keziahjones.biz on the pistes of Bretaye above Villars on Sat 28 March is confirmed with 4 other bands on same week‐end.
Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival, a musical epic straight out of the fantasy world of a music lover, has become, within a few decades, an authentic event and a world reference for all music fans. All of the greatest stars have been there, from Miles Davis, Ray Charles, David Bowie to Prince. The Festival will be held from 3 to 18 July 2015. www.montreuxjazz.com
Contact and informations : Lake Geneva Region Representative in Russia : Elena Bondarenko ‐ Project manager in Russia Lausanne‐MontreuxRiviera‐Villars mob.+ 7 937 796 67 22 / bondarenko@region‐du‐leman.ch / www.lake‐geneva‐region.ch Lake Geneva Region Tourist Office in Switzerland : Cindy Queloz / Media Relation Manager Phone. : +41 (0)21 613 26 26 / queloz@lake‐geneva‐region.ch / www.lake‐geneva‐region.ch
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