Nyon, a perfect Swiss day trip
I love a good day trip, and in Switzerand they are super easy given the country is relatively small and has an amazing train network. Whilst staying in Geneva as a base, we decided to spend the day visiting Nyon, a small and picturesque town on the north eastern side of the lake.
How to get to Nyon
From Geneva you can reach Nyon by train in just 15 minutes, or you can take a 1hr boat based on the CGN boat timetables. We chose to take a train to Nyon and then catch a boat back to Geneva.
Travel in Switzerland is easy. Often the most cost effective option around Switzerland is to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass, which covers all normal rail (panoramic trains and cog railways at a discount) and boat travel, plus entry in to all museums. We paid £710 for 2 of us for 8 days of travel pass, and it easily paid back for us. This also means that everything on this day trip is covered by the travel pass, other than food.
Things to do in Nyon
Château de Prangins
Château de Prangins is a castle which was built in the 1700s by a Paris banker and Voltaire even resided here for a while. Prior to that it had been a seat of power for the Dukes of Savoy, so has always been an important location. Inside the building today is a branch of the Swiss National Museum that covers a number of exhibits including on what it means to be Swiss, the castle in the 1800s and the history of Chintz and its link to slavery.
The castle also has a stunning garden, which we enjoyed sitting in and a lovely terrace bar and café which serves lunch too.
Nyon Old Town
The old town of Nyon is great to explore on foot with lots of pretty buildings to see, all overlooked by the castle on the hill. Also be sure to check out the small Roman ruins and steep but picturesque streets.
Château de Nyon
The castle was originally a fortified house in the 1100s, and in 1293 the counts of Savoy took it over. In 1536, as the Reformation took hold, the Bernese chased the House of Savoy out of Nyon and the town of Nyon purhcased the castle in 1804. It subsequently housed the courts, the meetings of the town council, the prisons and, after 1888, the town museum. The castle was last entirely renovated between 1999 and 2006, and now includes a number of exhibits on its history plus the prison wing still in tact.
Lake Museum
The Lake Geneva museum is worth a little mooch if you have the travel pass, but not really if you need to pay. It’s quite small and all in French but there’s a few interesting things to see including old ships and fishing stats, plus a mini aquarium.
Enjoy Lake Geneva
As with any lake side town, enjoying the lake itself is a must. We walked along the shore taking in the stunning views, and bought some ice-cream (￡30 for 2 icecreams) at a small stand given it was so hot.
Cost of visiting Nyon
I feel I always have to mention cost when it comes to Switzerland. If you have the Swiss travel pass then all of this day will be covered, other than the food you eat. If you don’t have the travel pass, it will cost you roughly ￡40pp to travel to Nyon and enter the museums listed.
Food prices are what make everything in Switzerland extra expensive. Food in Nyon is no different and reflective of the general prices we found across Switzerland. You can of course save money by eating at a supermarket, but most sit down restaurants are at least ￡30-40pp.
We ate at the restaurant at Chateau de Prangins which unfortunately (for a small burger and a bowl of tortellini plus tap water) cost us ￡68, but was delicious at least. On top of our ice-cream this meant we spent ￡100 just on food and we hadn’t even had dinner yet – extortionate Switzerland at its best again.
