Authors Victor Hugo and Lord Byron and painter Oskar Kokoschka took up residence here. The lakeside town of Villeneuve, at the upper end of the Vaud Riviera, combines the advantages of Lac Léman with the attractions offered by the Vaud Alps.

The historic lake-shore town of Villeneuve lies at the upper north-west end of Lac Léman, about 5km south of Montreux, at the foot of the Vaud Alps. Since the Middle Ages, Villeneuve has lived from commercial trade and served as a point for freight transfer from ships to land transport through the Rhone Valley to the Valais and over the Col du Gd St-Bernard to Italy. During the first half of the 19th century, Villeneuve began to benefit from emergent tourism on the Vaud Riviera. A first hotel was opened in 1837. Winegrowing in the favourable climate on the eastern shore of Lac Léman also plays an important part in Villeneuve.

Villeneuve boasts a picturesque townscape with many burghers’ and winegrowers’ houses from the 17th to 19th centuries. The Place du Temple has a beautiful fountain as well as the Église St. Paul with a Savoyard coat of arms, dating from the 12th century. The town hall, with square tower, lancet windows and impressive keystones is located near the railway station and was once a hospital chapel. The Grangettes nature reserve west of Villeneuve is one of the very few protected sections of the Lac Léman lake shores. With a little patience, herons, beavers and rare migratory birds may be seen in these marshlands which are of national importance. Secluded bathing coves along the shore also beckon you to bathe.

The FunPlanet offers more action; a multifaceted leisure centre in Villeneuve with carting, bowling, billiards, electronic games, climbing wall, children’s corner, disco, bar and restaurants. Other excursion options worthy of mention near Villeneuve are Château de Chillon, the lakeside castle between Villeneuve and Montreux, famous from countless pictures and postcards, the Bouveret der Aquaparc, for Caribbean bathing fun and the Swiss Vapeur Parc with a beautifully laid-out miniature railway offering train rides.

Highlights

• Les Grangettes – marshlands of national importance between Villeneuve and Bouveret, with bathing possibilities.
• Villeneuve townscape – narrow houses, often with old wooden gates, adorn the main streets of the town.
• Lac Léman cruises - the Belle Epoque boats, some of which are paddle-steamers, take visitors to the most beautiful lakeside locations.
• Chillon Castle – rises with sturdy walls and towers from a rocky island close to the shore of Lac Léman between Montreux and Villeneuve. Today the castle is a museum.
• Trolleybus to Montreux and Vevey – a trolleybus service runs along the Lac Léman shores from Villeneuve to Vevey, the first electrically driven tramline in Switzerland (from 1888).