On the shore of Lake Geneva at Corseaux, just west of Vevey, stands a low white house, long and narrow, with a single strip window running along its lakeside facade. It looks modest, almost plain, but it is one of the key buildings of modern architecture. Le Corbusier, born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura, designed it in the early 1920s for his parents, and the Villa Le Lac, also called the Petite Maison, was an early demonstration of his ideas: a ribbon window framing the view, a roof garden, an open plan. Since 2016 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, which includes seventeen sites in seven countries.
The house is small, and it opens to visitors on certain days. Inside, the long window frames the lake and the Alps like a panoramic painting, and the garden, with a small opening in the wall, is a delight. It is a strange feeling to stand in a house that changed the way people think about living space.
Vevey, next door, is an elegant lakeside town with a long promenade, a market square and a statue of Charlie Chaplin, who spent the last decades of his life in Corsier-sur-Vevey, just above the town. His house is now a museum, Chaplin's World. Vevey is also the home of Nestlé, and the Alimentarium, a museum about food, has a giant fork standing in the lake in front of it.
Above Vevey, the hills are covered with the terraced vineyards of Lavaux, listed by UNESCO in 2007. The stone terraces climb steeply from the lake, and the narrow roads that wind through them, especially the Route de la Corniche, offer some of the most stunning views in Switzerland. The riding is slow and scenic, with tight bends, narrow lanes and walls close to the road. Watch for walkers, cyclists, tractors and delivery vans, and be prepared to stop often for the views.
Vevey has fuel, shops and restaurants. Try a glass of Chasselas from Lavaux, or a plate of filets de perche from the lake. The climate is mild, with warm summers and relatively gentle winters. Spring and autumn are perfect, with the harvest in late September and October.