Geneva and Lakes region

Welcome to Switzerland ! (transfer on your own to the hotel), The earliest you arrive the best it is to enjoy Geneva. Your hotel is very easy to find. Arriving from the airport you take a train and your hotel is nearby the train station.

Today you are on the road ! You follow small country roads and vineyard paths to the Canton of Vaud with Lake Geneva always at your side. You’ve chosen our "lite" itinerary, and so fewer kilometers means less pedaling and more time to enjoy and explore the unique towns that line our path each day. You pass through the towns of Celigny, Coppet, Nyon, Rolle and St. Prex.

They all deserve to be discovered, so stop and take pictures. Otherwise consider arriving in Morges early and tour the Swiss military museum housed in a 13th century castle on the lake, or begin your souvenir shopping early at the small boutiques lining Morges’ traffic-free streets. Your hotel is in the historic center, so everything is within a 5-minute walk…including the lake.

Distance : 60 Km (37 mi).

Today, you change of direction to go north, away from Lake Geneva. After you have lunch, you will enter into the flat and open plains of Orbe. The Jura mountains will be on our left and the Alpes on our right. The beautifull Lake Neuchatel lay ahead and you follow its banks to achieve your final destination of the day.

Yverdon has been a spa-town at least at least since the 15th century. The current thermal baths are located on the edge of town and are part of our 4-star hotel. The baths are included in your package and so we encourage you to change into your bathing suit and let the water pour over your sore muscles.

Distance : 41 Km (25 mi).

You continue on forest roads which follow the lake's marshalands before reaching the town of Estavayer. You may want to stop here for to wander the medieval center, see the castle or visit the "cabinet des curiousités" that we call the "frog museum".

You'll then turn away from the lake and travel through flowered lowlands to get to the regional hub of Payerne and its arcaded pedestrian streets. You'll also stop in the small walled city of Murten. The ramparts, arcaded streets and lake front merit more time than we have to spare…even if the summer days are long here. Your final destination will be Murten.

Distance : 60 Km (37 mi).

After a breakfast fit for kings, you leave your castle and head north towards Lake Bienne in the Canton of Berne. You haven’t seen the last of the castles; however, the medieval villages of Landeron and Erlach are on your route this morning. You are now in the center of the “3-lakes region”, the site of the 2002 Swiss Expo. The expo organizers, working to develop ecological tourism, invested in new bicycle paths, bridges and the rest areas that you’ll encounter on today’s ride. You may wonder out loud why there aren’t more bikers in this cycling paradise. It will be up to you to spread the word once back home! Once at the lake, you’ll see picturesque vineyard villages huddled and clinging to the high banks.

You will follow the shoreline to the city of Bienne and from there you’ll continue east along the Nidau-Buren canal until you meet the Aare river. You’ll never be far from the water on this ride! When you reach Solothurn you’ll be able to continue contemplating the Aare from your hotel window which will directly overlook the river. But not for long, Solothurn is a baroque city and its period architecture is unrivaled in Switzerland. Time for a stroll.

Distance : 63 Km (39 mi).

Departure after breakfast. A train ticket is included for your return to Geneva (or anywhere else in Switzerland).

Option: An extra night in Solothurn is available with hike of the popular circuit trails at Weissenstein for a 3 hours hike. For this day, you will start by taking a short train ride to Burgdorf where a historic chairlift will carry you to the top of Weissenstein. This is "Solothurn's mountain" (1400m) and you’ll enjoy the panoramic views of the Swiss Plateau and the Alps with a drink at the spa hotel at the top.