Lake Léman

The Lake Leman (also called lake Geneva), at the mouth of the Rhone, emanates an incredible serenity when the sun goes down. Its calm waters are colored by the golden light of dusk in an unreal atmosphere at the foot of the mountains. The wake of the boats that travel along it traces ephemeral and uncertain lines that are then lost in its deep waters to be reborn with the next boat. It is difficult to abandon this spectacle before the sun has completely disappeared on the horizon.

Did you know?

The name Lake Léman (in French) is a tautology. In the original Celtic language, "Léman" means "Great Water" or "Lake", so it is superfluous to define it otherwise than by this name.

Did you know?

The iconic song "Smoke on the water" by Deep Purple (1972; album Machine Head) tells the story of the fire at the Casino de Montreux in 1971. The smoke to which the song refers is that of the fire caused by an overexcited fan who fired a flare gun at the ceiling during a Frank Zappa show while Deep Purple was recording a song in a nearby studio. The water on which it spreads is that of Lake Geneva. The lyrics of the song recount precisely this incident.

Did you know?

Many celebrities have lived on the shores of Lake Geneva. Among them are Charlie Chaplin (established in Vevey from 1955 to 1977), David Bowie (established in Montreux from 1976 to 1982) and Freddy Mercury (established in Montreux from 1977 to 1991).