Walk in Lausanne
Last summer, I went on a day trip to Lausanne, in Switzerland. I walked around and visited a few parks, the old town and the cathedral. At the end of the day, I walked along Lake Geneva towards the EPFL.
sightseeing
Monument des Pénitents Noirs
The Monument des Pénitents Noirs is located in Faubourg Reclus, a suburb of Chambéry. It was built at the behest of the Pénitents Noirs (Black Penitents), a Christian order tasked with taking care of those sentenced to death, by administering last rites, accompanying them to the gallows and burying the corpses. In Chambéry, they originally gathered around a large cross located at the execution ground near Parc du Verney. But when the park was redesigned in 1860, that cross was moved to the top of the Dent du Nivolet, a mountain above Chambéry: The cross (actually rebuilt a couple of times) is now known as the Croix du Nivolet and is a popular hiking destination. The Penitents also had the Monument built in Faubourg Reclus to serve as a new gathering place.
Parc du Verney (Chambéry)
The Parc du Verney is a park in Chambéry, dating from the 14th century. It was redesigned in its current shape in 1860.
Fort de Montmélian
Montmélian is a small city in Savoie located below the southern tip of the Bauges mountains, next to the Isère river. In the middle ages, its location was considered strategic for Savoie, as it sat on the road between France and Italy and at the border with the Dauphiné. As a result, a fortress was built on the so-called Rocher de Montmélian (Rock of Montmélian) in the 11th century and was upgraded over the years. However, the Fort de Montmélian was finally destroyed by French troops in 1705. Nowadays, only a few scattered ruins remain and on the location of the former fort is a park with a good view on the plain below.
Les Grangettes de La Compôte-en-Bauges
Les Grangettes are a pasture in La Compôte-en-Bauges, in the Bauges mountains. There are a few trails that go through the area. For myself, I started at the bridge on the Chéran river at La Compôte and simply walked to the Grangettes above.
Pont du Diable
The Pont du Diable (Devil’s Bridge) is small stone bridge in Bellecombe-en-Bauges, not very far from the Pont de l’Abîme. The deep and narrow gorge formed by the Nant de Bellecombe below is a popular place for the practice of canyoning.
Pont de l'Abîme / Gorges du Chéran
Last autumn, I went on a car trip through the Bauges valley near Annecy, visiting points of interest along the way. The first stop was the Pont de l’Abîme (literally Abyss Bridge), a suspension bridge linking the villages of Cusy and Gruffy. It was built in 1887 to cross the gorge formed by the Chéran river, 96m below.
Walk in Annecy-le-Vieux: Parc Gabriel Fauré, Parc du Lachat, Parc Vignières-Pommaries, Parc des Raisses, Lake Annecy
I went on a walk up the hill to the old center of Annecy-le-Vieux, then went down to the lake, passing through a few parks along the way.
Kobayashi-En Japanese Garden (Aix-les-Bains)
Kobayashi-en is a small Japanese garden located inside the Parc du Casino in Aix-les-Bains. It was designed in 1998 by Seiji Imanaka and Sadao Yasumoro.
Pont de la Caille
The Pont de la Caille (aka Pont Charles-Albert) is a suspension bridge linking the villages of Allonzier-la-Caille and Cruseilles in Haute-Savoie, on the path between Annecy and Geneva. It was built in 1839 to cross the gorge formed by the Usses river, 147m below. A second bridge, the Pont Neuf (aka Pont Caquot) was added in 1928 to support train and car traffic.