Morges
Morges, the small town on Lake Geneva near Lausanne, in addition to interesting museums and sights mainly offers a lot of excursion destinations in the immediate vicinity. The La Côte vineyards deserve particular notice.
The «La Côte» region extends from Morges to Nyon. the hilly landscape between the Jura and lake is one of the biggest wine-growing areas in Switzerland. Particularly between Aubonne and Rolle there are great many typical wine-grower villages, such as Féchy.
Morges once upon a time was an important commercial centre. For this reason a port, which nowadays serves as a port for yachts, was built at the end of the 17th century. The promenade along the lake shore of Morges stretches from the castle all the way to the Vertou Park and offers a fantastic view of the lake and Savoy Alps.
Morges Castle which was built in 1286 by Ludwig of Savoy houses several military-historic museums, including the museum of historic pewter figures with 10'000 figures. The Alexis Forel Museum located in a historic building in the town which houses a dolls and toy collection as well as an ensemble of furniture from the 16th to the 19th century is also well worth visiting. The Paderewski Museum is dedicated to the musical heritage of the Polish statesman and pianist.
The Bière-Apples-Morges railway line carries its passengers out of the town to the countryside which can be explored on foot or by bike. Several hiking trails which lead across fields, vineyards and forests thread through the region. A popular leisure park with a variety of attractions is located on the «Signal de Bougy» hill above the vineyards of Mont-sur-Rolle and Féchy.
The small towns and villages of Rolle, Aubonne, Vufflens-le-Château, St. Prex, St. Sulpice and their Romanesque churches are worth visiting. Most of the places have museums or other sights. Regular ship services, including paddle steamers, regularly pick up from embarkation points along the Swiss and French shore. Or you can explore the Lake Geneva landscape on special trips on a new galley which is a copy of the 17th-century original.
Highlights
Old town - the car-free Grand-Rue of Morges is perfect for a spot of shopping, and there is a market with local produce every Wednesday and Saturday. The lakeside promenade offers a fantastic view of the lake and Savoy Alps.
Castle - this houses four museums, the Military Museum of Western Switzerland, the Artillery Museum and the Museum of Historic Pewter Figures.
Alexis Forel Museum - the historic home with furnished salons houses decorative works of art, dolls and toys.
Paderewski Museum - houses furniture, objects and archives of the pianist and Polish statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski.
Wine Road - Morges, the capital of Vaud wines, is the most important wine producer of the canton. Along the La Côte Wine Road visitors can find out about the jobs and products of the wine industry.
City Golf - this mixture of mini-golf and Swin-Golf is an ideal way for groups and families to discover the city.