Yvoire, France – Our Day Cruise

Expecting very nice weather for the next day, Patti and I purchased cruise tickets from CGN Cruise line at Geneva’s Mont-Blanc port for a day trip to Yvoire, France. Our primary intention was to have lunch away and escape the city’s hustle and bustle. We were not disappointed and had a very enjoyable day on the water and in the town.

Lake Léman – Cornavin – Geneva, Switzerland

CGN Cruise – Tickets for Two – Yvoire, France

Lake Léman – Mont Blanc in the distance – Geneva, Switzerland

Getting There

One of several cruise lines that operate Lake Léman, also known as Lake Geneva, CGN Cruise to Yvoire departs port Mont Blanc in Cornavin twice daily in May for a two hour cruise, stopping at other ports along the way. The ship is a rather large, double paddle-wheel, three deck ship that has dining and full bar for a most enjoyable trip.

Lake Léman – Mont-Blanc Port – Geneva, Switzerland

Lake Léman – Mont-Blanc CGN Cruise – Geneva, Switzerland

Lake Léman – Patti with the Water Jet behind – Geneva, Switzerland

Lake Léman – Leaving – Geneva, Switzerland

Though the air was cool, it was very still for both our outward and inward bound journeys, so the lake was a smooth as glass.

The Town

It is a rather small town, but well suited for a day-trip. It has at least three large parking lots for visitors who prefer to drive. There are numerous restaurants throughout the town with varying prices ranges, which provide some relief from the high prices in Switzerland.

Stone buildings with wooden roofs – Yvoire, France

Rue de l’Église – Église Saint Pancrace d’Yvoire in background – Yvoire, France

Medieval Gate – Place La Vieille Port – Yvoire, France

Église Saint Pancrace d’Yvoire – Entrance – Yvoire, France

Église Saint Pancrace d’Yvoire – Inside – Yvoire, France

There is a small church closer to the water, simple but apparently still in use. The area by the water has a jetty that it used by locals to swim off of and to also dock boats that come in from the lake occasionally.

Ancien Port de Plaisance d’Yvoire – Yvoire, France

Ancien Port de Plaisance d’Yvoire – Patti – Yvoire, France

Ancien Port de Plaisance d’Yvoire – Glacier Rock – Yvoire, France

Restaurants

Restaurant Les Jardins du Léman

A short walk up the Rue du Port is Les Jardins du Léman restaurant, which has two terraces, a lower and an upper one, where you ostensibly have an unobstructed view of the town and the lake. Since we did not have reservations, we were on the lower terrace, which still was very nice.

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Entrance – Yvoire, France

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Wine Menu – Yvoire, France

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Chateau de la Gardine – Yvoire, France

The staff is attentive at first, then after you’ve ordered, only check on you periodically. So, be prepared to wait a bit, they do become very busy for lunch.

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Patti on Terrace – Yvoire, France

The wines here are first rate and I can commend the Chateauneuf du Pape – La Gardine, Domaine Brunel. A beautifully balanced wine with spice and fruity overtones that will go well with most non-fish dishes. It is only offered in half-bottles, which was plenty for lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Erick on Terrace – Yvoire, France

I ordered the Beef, Charolais Breed, Fillet-Stuffed, in the Salt Pan Black Diamond Sauce with Melanosporum Truffle Emulsion of Ratte Potatoes with Vanilla Oil. It was perfectly cooked and some of the best French food I have had in a long time. Patti had the Turbot fish with seasonal vegetables over squash sauce and a side of cauliflower.

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Beef with truffel sauce and potatoes – Yvoire, France

Les Jardines du Léman restaurant – Patti’s Turbot and vegetables – Yvoire, France

There is no trip to Klagenfurt am Wörthersee worth its while, without visiting its namesake, the Wörthersee. A short twelve minute ride on the S1 train to Pörtschach am Wörthersee, will put you directly in the middle of the lake. We thought it a great place to take a day trip.

Our plan was to take the train from Klagenfurt Hbf, see the town, walk around the lake a bit, enjoy a nice lunch and then take a boat ride back to Klagenfurt. The weather was beautiful and everything went according to plan. Well almost, we actually stretched it out a bit, since the weather was so nice.

Pörtschach am Wörthersee

This little town is perhaps the main spot along the entire lake. Though we did not go to Velden, it had the look and feel of a long established tourist town for local Austrians. This appears to be their place to come, relax, play, eat and generally have fun. Here is a quick slideshow of the views along the lake.

There is also a waterpark on the Spitz, that requires a fee to enter, but provides everything from sunbathing and waterslides into the lake, to picnicing for the day on the small island.

The town is some three hundred meters or so from the actual lake, but gives you the impression that it is a laid back tourist town. There are many amenities and stores for tourists to shop in, including bike rentals, hiking and trekking gear, etc.

The Lake Boat Ride

There is a boat, in fact I think there are several, the travels up and down the lake carrying passengers from one small town to the next. It runs every hour or so and takes over an hour to complete the full length of the lake itself. It is another nice way to take short trips all along the lake, or just a nice gentle boat ride to see the lake for itself.

Well that’s just about it for Pörtschach and the Wörthersee. We have a great day seeing it and enjoying a nice lunch along the water. The weather was just gorgeous. Here are a few video clips while we were on the boat.

On to other places of interest, next stop, Salzburg.

Tag: ship

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