Vevey is a lakeside town where the Alps seem to drop straight into Lake Geneva, and the light on the water can be so clear and bright that the mountains on the far side, in France, look close enough to touch. It is the capital of the Riviera vaudoise, about sixteen thousand people strong, with a long promenade, a market square lined with arcades and an air of calm prosperity. The town is the home of Nestlé, which started here in the nineteenth century, and the company's headquarters and food museum are a fixture on the waterfront.
Charlie Chaplin lived in the hills above Vevey for the last twenty-five years of his life, and a bronze statue of him stands on the lakeshore, with his cane and bowler hat. The great cultural event is the Fête des Vignerons, held roughly once a generation, with a huge pageant celebrating the winegrowers of the region, and the last edition took place in 2019. Look for the giant fork stuck in the lake, a sculpture placed there as a joke about the Alimentarium, and for the many cafés where you can have a coffee with a view.
The ride leading here follows the Lavaux, a steep terraced slope of vineyards that runs for about thirty kilometres along the lake and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terraces were built up by medieval monks, mostly Cistercians and Benedictines, over many centuries, and the vines, principally the white Chasselas, soak up three kinds of sun: direct, reflected from the lake and radiated from the stone walls. The roads are narrow, walled and twisting, with villages such as Cully, Lutry and Chexbres perched on the slope, and you need to ride at walking pace in some places.
Fuel, food and rest are no trouble in Vevey. The weather is mild by Swiss standards, though the wind called the bise can blow cold from the northeast in winter. Late September is the grape harvest, when the vineyard roads are busy with tractors and pickers, and a tasting in a winemaker's cellar is a fine way to end the day. Do not drink and ride, but do buy a bottle for later.