Rolle

 

La perle du Léman - the pearl of Lake Leman

 

Come and visit Rolle!

Rolle is a beautiful small town squeezed between Lake Geneva and the vineyard-covered hills of the Jura mountains range. It lies at the heart of the La Côte wine-producing area.

Geographical location:

• Northern shore of Lake Leman (Lake Geneva for tourists)
• 35 Km (20 mi) from Geneva by road, rail or boat
• 25 Km (15 mi) from Lausanne by road, rail or boat
• bordered to the South by Lake Leman, to the West by woods, to the North and East by vineyards

Access:

• by car: Autobahn N1 exit, 20 minutes by car (40 minutes by train) from Geneva Intercontinental Airport
• by train: hourly trains to and from all major cities of Switzerland (changing in Morges or Lausanne). Click here for schedules
• by boat (May-September): old steam ships (and some modern ones) to and from Geneva, Evian, Montreux and Lausanne.

History:

The large square castle was built 1276 by the Duke of Savoy to protect trade routes. Rolle prospered as a trading center on one of Europe busiest transalpine route - the Simplon - which connects Northern France with Italy. De la Harpe, born in Rolle, freed the Canton de Vaud from the Bernese and attached it to Switzerland in 1803. Spared from the industrial development of its larger neighbours Geneva and Lausanne, it retained its medieval charm and high quality of life - arguably among the highest in the country.

Places of interest:

In Rolle

• castle
• riverfront
• harbour
• beach
• shops: watches and jewellery, antiques, clothing boutiques, tea-rooms, bakeries, etc
• art gallery "Les Arcades du port"
• restaurants: mostly brasserie-type, traditional French and Swiss. Also: Tai Pan (Thai, Singapore), Café du Port (the best filets de perche - baby perch filets, the local specialty), Auberge de Bugnaux (Nouvelle cuisine). McDonalds is very far away ;-)
  

In the vicinity

• Delightful winegrower's villages such as Féchy, Bougy, Perroy, Tartegnin, Vinzel and Luins. The area has great wine, mostly of a white cepage called Chasselas, which doesn't grow properly anywhere else. It's what you're supposed to drink with cheese fondue or raclette.
• Signal-de-Bougy
  • breathtaking views of the Lake and the Alps including the Mont-Blanc
  • children's play park
  • animal farm
  • gorgious minigolf

Further

Rolle is a great starting point to the Lake Leman area:

• Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux are all within a 45 minute journey by road or train.
• The Alps are one hour away.
• Roads and public transportation to any Swiss attraction are fast and pleasant.