4 Best Sights in Vaud, Switzerland

A Burgundian Gothic architectural treasure, this cathedral is Switzerland's largest church—and probably its finest. Begun in the 12th century by Italian, Flemish, and French architects, it was completed in 1275. Pope Gregory X came expressly to perform the historic consecration ceremony—of double importance, because it also served as a coronation service for Rudolf of Habsburg as the new Holy Roman emperor. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a renowned restorer who worked on the cathedrals of Chartres and Notre-Dame-de-Paris, brought portions of the building to Victorian Gothic perfection in the 19th century. His repairs are visible as paler stone contrasting with the weathered local sandstone.

Streamlined to the extreme, without radiating chapels or the excesses of later Gothic trim, the cathedral wasn't always so spare; in fact, there was brilliant painting. Zealous Reformers plastered over the florid colors, but in so doing they unwittingly preserved them, and now you can see portions of these splendid shades restored in the right transept. The dark and delicate choir contains the 14th-century tomb of the crusader Otto I of Grandson and exceptionally fine 13th-century choir stalls, unusual for their age alone, not to mention their beauty. The church's masterpiece, the 13th-century painted portal, is considered one of Europe's most magnificent. A tribute to 21st-century technology, the 7,000-pipe organ fills the sanctuary with swells of sacred music.

Holding fast to tradition, the cathedral has maintained a guet, or "lookout," since 1405. The guet sleeps in the belfry and is charged with crying out every hour on the hour between 10 pm and 2 am.

Visitors are not allowed during the Protestant services (the cathedral was reformed in the 16th century) on Sunday before 11 am and after 6 pm. You may want to come instead for the evening concerts held almost weekly in spring and autumn. Guided tours are given July through September.

One of Switzerland's must-sees is the Château de Chillon, the awe-inspiringly picturesque 12th-century castle that rears out of the water at Veytaux, down the road from and within sight of Montreux. Chillon was built on Roman foundations under the direction of Duke Peter of Savoy with the help of military architects from Plantagenet England. For a long period it served as a state prison, and one of its shackled guests was François Bonivard, who supported the Reformation and enraged the Savoyards. He spent six years in this prison, chained most of the time to a pillar in the dungeon before being released by the Bernese in 1536.

While living near Montreux, Lord Byron visited Chillon and was so transported by its atmosphere and by Bonivard's grim sojourn that he was inspired to write his famous poem "The Prisoner of Chillon." Like a true tourist, Byron carved his name on a pillar in Bonivard's still-damp and chilly dungeon; his sgraffito is now protected under a plaque.

In high season, you must file placidly from restored chamber to restored turret, often waiting at doorways for entire busloads of fellow visitors to pass. Yet the 19th-century Romantic-era restoration is so evocative and so convincing, with its tapestries, carved fireplaces, period ceramics and pewter, and elaborate wooden ceilings, that even the jaded castle hound may become as carried away as Byron was. While you're waiting your turn, gaze out the narrow windows over the sparkling, lapping water and remember Mark Twain, who thought Bonivard didn't have it half bad. Proceeds from the purchase of a bottle of Clos de Chillon, the white wine from estate vineyards, goes to restoration activities.

A 15-minute bus ride from Old Town takes you to this beautifully set 19th-century country home. The estate is now an impressive art gallery with a fine permanent collection of Vaudois artists and headline-grabbing, yet seriously presented, blockbuster shows. Exhibits have included the works of Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and the American impressionists. Details of the elegant villa have been preserved, including intricate moldings, carved fireplaces, and multipatterned parquet floors. Allow time for a walk on the grounds and coffee at L'esquisse, the café surrounded by the outlying orangery. To get here, take Bus No. 3 from Gare Centrale to the Motte stop or Bus No. 16 from Place St-François to Hermitage.

Securing its reputation as the region's cultural capital, Lausanne now has its own arts district on the Plateforme 10 site next to the train station. The Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA), Musée d'Elysée (Cantonal Photography Museum), and mudac (Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts) have fused here to bridge the divide between the city's excellent collections of fine art, photography, design, and textiles. More than just a gathering of museums, the site is fast becoming a destination in itself, with concerts, shows, exhibitions, and other cultural events setting Lausanne's strong arts community abuzz.