Yvoire – A gem on Lac Léman

Roughly 30 kilometers northeast of Geneva, on the French side of the lake where the “petit lac” and “grand lac” come together, is the quaint little town of Yvoire. This town is most well known for its authentic medieval charm, its connection to horticulture and its art galleries.

From Geneva there are three main ways to get to Yvoire: by car only, by boat only and by car or train and boat. We traveled by train and boat. We departed from Geneva’s Gare Cornavin station and within 15min were in Nyon. We walked down to the lake, passing several nice shops and restaurants along the way, and purchased our boat tickets at the CGN dock. We didn’t have to wait long for our boat as there are a half dozen or more scheduled trips per day. We boarded and enjoyed the 22min ride (the Swiss are accurate) across the lake. This is a great way to enter Yvoire. It gives you a great view of the castle fortifications and places you in the middle of the old city, perfectly situated to explore the narrow winding streets.

The largest draw to this city is arguably the Jardin des Cinq Sens. This medieval style kitchen garden is designed after one that originally stood on the same location. Within its walls you will find edible plants (along with fruits and vegetables), medicinal herbs, and a variety of plants that will peek all your senses. The senses of sight, smell, touch, and taste each have their own garden. The fifth sense of hearing is found throughout with the sounds of water fountains and birds. There is also an alpine garden, a “forest” and a cloister designed for meditation also containing medicinal plants. But there is more to the town than just this garden. Rounding every corner are blooming plants, shops and restaurants.

There are dozens of places to eat in Yvoire and all the places we have tried have been wonderful. So on your next visit, ensure you schedule time to enjoy a lunch (the last boats leave at 5pm so do not count on dinner unless you traveled by car). The filets de perches at the Hotel Restaurant du Port are some of the best we’ve ever had. Served with a green salad dressed with a light and tasty mayonnaise/mustard dressing, crispy fries and a delicious lemon flavored butter sauce, these are a great choice. There is also ample indoor and outdoor seating on the water with wonderful views of the Jura and the lake. If crepes are more to your liking then we recommend la Crêperie d’Yvoire. This cozy restaurant serves wonderful sweet and savory crepes to satisfy nearly any craving. Another place that looks appealing – and gets great reviews on TripAdvisor, but we have yet to try – is les Jardin du Leman. This restaurant has a nice menu and a terrace that overlooks the Garden of the Five Senses, the castle and the lake. Of course most of the restaurants in town look amazing and I am sure you can’t go wrong where ever you decide to go.

If you decide you would rather take the boat all the way from Geneva, ensure you check the latest seasonal schedule on the CGN website, but typically the Henry Dunant departs the Mont Blanc dock (rive droite) at 10:15, arriving in Yvoire at 12:00.

Finally, don’t forget your SBB/CFF Half-fare travel card as it will get you half price on all train and boat tickets to and from Yvoire from either Nyon or Geneva.

Bon voyage!