Cycling Lac Leman, Evian Les Bains to Geneva, Switzerland

Evian Les Bains Spring water building

On Monday morning we woke to a clear and stunning view of the French Alps. We could see the snow-covered tip of Mont Blanc looking back at us, towering over the other sharp white points. The sun had already been up for several hours and it looked to be a beautiful sunny day. Breakfast of course was at the forefront of our minds and with today being a public holiday we were a little concerned that our food options could be limited. 

We stayed long enough to grapple with our skin-tight cycling gear, slurp down a small hot coffee and pull our bikes from the garage. It was around 7.45am when we set off from our Airbnb and began to make our way into Evian les Bains' little centre.

Evian les Bains memorial

Evian Les Bains theatre 

Evian les Bains made a name for itself back in 1790 when, during a casual walk, a nobleman, the Count of Laizer, refreshed himself at the Fountain of Sainte Catherine on a local estate. Finding this water "light and freely flowing", he began to stop regularly at the fountain and noticed a marked improvement in his health. Afterwards he praised the "miraculous" qualities of this water (because it surely wasn't the physical activity!?), which began to be prescribed by doctors.

This immediate success led to the selling of the spring water and the creation of the first mineral-water company. Around 1828 marked the beginning of the town's expansion, with the construction of thermal baths, a Casino, luxury hotels, a funicular and a theatre as people came to get their water fix. This development continued up until the Second World War, when water cures slowly fell out of fashion. The town itself, although some new developments have been made, is almost in a way stuck in a time warp. Other than the hundred thousand dollar yachts parked in its marina, the town is reminiscent of its past with beautiful white galleries and 19th century hotels.

Drinking the Evian spring water

Evian spring water fountain

We took a small hand-drawn map with us as we made our way gently into the town. Like looking for treasure, we followed several squiggly lines with a mission to find the original Evian spring and fill our water bottles right from the source! It was early enough that only a small old local woman was there filling her bottles and as we patiently waited for our turn we looked around at the beautiful Evian buildings.

With the fresh cold water eventually in our bottles, breakfast was still lingering in our minds and as we cycled out of the centre we kept our eyes open for something and/or anything that was open. 

Breakfast made in heaven

See you later Airbnb house

Our noses were first to fall upon an open bakery where the sweet smell of fresh almond croissants wafted from the door. Oh! We gobbled them down quick wishing we had bought more. Soon we were on our way again cycling up and out of Evian, the sickly sweet taste of marzipan gracefully moving around in our stomachs.

Passing glacial rivers, France

It was a pretty flat straight road for the next forty five minutes. We took a few turns and lost the route signs once but found them again pretty soon, wondering how we had lost them in the first place. 

It was very quiet on the road and we took turns racing ahead of each other.

We found that the cycle trail seemed to purposely take us down hills just to go back up, but we followed it religiously anyway. 

We continued to pass through tiny huddles of old medieval houses. Towns so small that you can barely call them towns. 

Village church, France

Passing another church!

Passing by Chateau de Ripaille

Our bikes bounced across cobbled streets causing our sit-bones to remind us of their pain. 

At one stage we passed an amazing Chateau lost behind acres of vines- it was absolutely stunning.

Our first stop, and actually our early lunch (we were already pretty hungry by 10.30am) was at Yvoire, a small but very romantic medieval town still on the French side of Lake Geneva. 

Yvoire main gate

Walking in to the village

Walking the narrow medieval streets

Main plaza in Yvoire

We parked our bikes outside the old town wall and grabbed our chicken baguette rolls from our black bike baskets. 

Walking in through the gates and down the narrow cobblestone streets we were truly amazed at its beauty. 

Around us flowers bloomed from seemingly every balcony and windowsill. Everything looked just like we imagined it must have looked in medieval times. 

View of Yvoire from the town wharf

There was a man working with an open flame and at the bottom of the town another man bringing in fish hanging them up against a wall for sale. 

We saw woman carrying baskets filled with fresh fruit and wondered 'was it for real?' Are we still in the 21st century? Well yes, the flash of cameras from a bus of tourists pulled us back into our time. 

It was hard to ignore those goosebumps though, like we were somewhere seeing something special.

Chateau d'Yvoire

Beautiful medieval streets

Yvoire’s written history goes back to 1306 when the Lake Geneva castles played an important role in protecting the strategic trade routes through the Alps and along the lake.

Gardens outside the Chateau of Yvoire

In Yvoire, Chateau d’Yvoire dominates the small town skyline, as it must have done back in the Middle Ages. The castle, similar to other medieval castles in the region, is a typical Savoy design, a seemingly plain exterior but adorned with pointed turrets, strong towers, small windows and protected by large defendable walls. 

It has a commanding position right on the banks of Lake Geneva from where it guards the small fishing boats below (today also paddle boarders). Although the castle is privately owned, we could still wander around, which we did, after demolishing out baguettes of course. It would be hard to choose our favourite sight on this cycle but the town of Yvoire really made the top three.

Taking a very short stop for water!

After an hour of prancing about we got back on our bikes, ignoring the whinging aches from our quads and cycled on to our final destination of Geneva. 

We hadn't spent much time in Geneva when we arrived last Saturday so we were looking forward to hopefully arriving a little earlier and giving the city a look around. 

Yay we made it! Hello Geneva

We had read some mixed reviews about Geneva, the city of peace. From: not much to see so don't bother.... to.... we love it, go, go, go! After cycling for another two hours we made it to Geneva for a late second lunch. We had cycled through some absolutely quaint little vineyards with a snow covered mountain backdrop on one side and the blue lake on the other. We had cycled, up and then down, and then down and up again and man, were we tuckered out!

Soon enough, returning into Switzerland we saw the Jet d'Eau, Geneva's famous 140metre high fountain. We raced through the tree-lined promenade which lead us into the city. 

We raced by gorgeous villas and raced by lush green parks. We raced, legs pumping, pump, pump, pump into the old city.

Streets of Geneva

Crossing the bridge over the lake

Geneva is a very old city; pre Roman times it was civilised by Celtic tribes. Being such a beautiful cit, it was occupied by the Burgundys after the Romans then the Frank's then the city went back to the Burgundys (visitors, invaders, they all came) before succeeding to the Germans. 

During the Middle Ages the French took possession of the city under the church and the fighting continued for hundreds of years. Today though, Geneva is a city of international significance and surprisingly so very green!

Terrace dining in Geneva's old town

Our first stop was to give back our bikes. After such a mammoth journey that had felt like we'd been gone for weeks, it was strange to return and just leave the bikes to a stranger (well- they did kind of own them). 

It was a really odd feeling to walk away and, although we felt elated to have finished our cycle, there was a touch of sadness that we had finished. Nevertheless stretching our legs and maybe hobbling a little we began to walk around the city to explore.

Geneva has the world wrapped around its beautiful city. The whole world is here: 200-odd governmental and nongovernmental international organisations fill the city's plush hotels, feast on its absurdly expensive cuisine and help prop up Geneva's banks, luxury jewellers and chocolate shops.

St Peters Cathedral, Geneva

We wandered around the lakeside's silky-smooth promenades still in our bike pants and running shoes. 

We walked through the old town and the empty shopping districts. It was such a wonderful day but when the time came we were very ready to get back on our flight and head home. 

Our poor weary bodies exhausted and our thoughts full of the gorgeous rows of vineyards and the snow-capped mountains alongside lake Geneva. 

Tot siens,

John and Kara