A Guide to Living Near Lake Geneva
Boasting an abundance of natural beauty and picturesque landscapes, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful scenery wherever you live in Switzerland, but the area around Lake Geneva is a particularly spectacular place to live.
This prestigious area is home to many celebrities and its stunning mountain backdrop and tranquil waters make it the perfect location for your new home. Here’s Cheapflights’ guide to living near Lake Geneva and making the most of your new surroundings.
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Available Properties
There are all kinds of properties to choose from near Lake Geneva and from secluded mansions to apartments there’s something to suit every budget. Naturally, properties overlooking the lake are expensive, but you’ll be paying for extraordinary views and the opportunity to live in an exclusive area.
A house overlooking the lake and containing two apartments will set you back around £1.5 million while an exclusive hideaway retreat will rack up several million.
Scenery
This iconic lake is arguably Geneva’s most valued asset and just the beauty of this tranquil and scenic area is enough for you to be proud to call it home.
The lake is one of the largest in Western Europe and while its eastern side boasts a snowy alpine backdrop, the views from the northern side stretch across to hills, vineyards, castles and quaint villages. Peaceful and pristinely beautiful, it’s not difficult to see why properties in this area are so sought after.
Celebrity Residents
Switzerland is home to over five thousand celebrities as well as other rich and high-profile residents, and most of them reside in the area surrounding Lake Geneva. Straddling both France and Switzerland, the lake is also known as Lac Léman in French and Genfersee in German.
On the Swiss side of the lake you’ll be rubbing shoulders with notable residents including ex-Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher and Canadian country and western star Shania Twain. Phil Collins and the late Freddie Mercury also both had homes here once.
Nearby Activities
If you enjoy being active and getting into the great outdoors, you won’t be disappointed in Geneva. From water-skiing to windsurfing and yacht racing, this area really does have it all and there are even high performance catamarans specially designed for racing on the lake.
If that all seems a bit too extreme for you, there are plenty of tamer sports to enjoy including swimming, rowing and rafting.
Tourist Attractions
You might be a resident now, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the abundance of tourist attractions on offer nearby.
History buffs will be in their element exploring the Roman Museum in Avenches which is housed inside a fortified tower and boasts mosaics, sculptures, a temple, Roman baths and even the remains of an amphitheatre.
If castles are more your thing, you’ll find plenty in the area such as the 13th century Chillon castle, which inspired Lord Byron to write ‘The Prisoner of Chillon’ after his visit in the 19th century.
For wine-lovers, The Vine and Wine Museum based at Aigle Castle boasts a collection of all things wine-related including decanters, corkscrews, barrels, measuring tools and presses.
