When you’re on a ‘Rolle’ with watching stunning sunsets on the lake, you have to swing past Rolle. Located between Geneva and Lausanne, half-hourly regional trains bring you to this backyard of Genevans in just 25 minutes. Although the trains are frequent and fast, I do have one complaint: the seats in first class don’t recline, leaving passengers at a right angle when sat down.
A quiet and unassuming town on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, it is a part of a string of sunset pearls along with Morges, Lausanne, Montreux, and Vevey. All of these towns have a beautiful lakeside park for its residents and visitors to enjoy the view of the lake. With the water reflecting the image of the snowy peaks at the back, France seems almost within an arm’s length.
The castle at Rolle is one of the more iconic castles along Lake Geneva, built to protect the important trading route that passengers through Switzerland to either Italy or France. In summer, the castle’s garden hosts an open air cinema and outdoor cafes with live music. Although it is a typical square castle of Vaud with charming towers and gabled roofs, I still like Château Chillon more.
Grab a small bottle of wine and sit by the port of Rolle to watch the Belle Epoque paddle boats sail up and down the lake.
