MEDIEVAL YVOIRE

A few weeks ago, we decided to take the boat and go to Yvoire in France...

Yvoire is a medieval village in Haute-Savoie which is situated between Geneva and Evian, on the left side of the Lake of Geneva (Lac Léman), directly opposite Nyon in Switzerland. This village (fortifications) was erected during the 14th century (1306) and had a strategic importance due to it's geographical situation.

Since the 1950's, it has been understandably labelled one of the "most beautiful villages in France" and has won several prizes for it's notorious beauty and the magnificent flowers that are to be found everywhere!

Yvoire is a very special place with a magical atmosphere and many splendid jewels of architecture which I loved, but I must say that the terrifying amount of people who were visiting, the endless rows of touristic stores and restaurants ( I never saw so many in such a tiny place) overshaded the authenticity of this village. There was not one peaceful corner to be found nor was there a small space left that was not occupied by a store or a restaurant. That's what I disliked most about this place, because I had the impression that Yvoire was an empty shell without any soul! It was as if it's spirit had been sucked out by the quest for easy money and the frenesy which "animated" the place...

There were only a few interesting stores, two of which sold Haute-Savoire specialities like wine, dried sausages, jams, liquors, honey, dried ham, etc... In one of them, "La Cave" we bought some excellent wild boar dried sausages which tasted very natural and "real". Otherwise, most stores or restaurants had overpriced goods. Even for a Swiss person like me, the prices were extremely overdone (even higher than in Switzerland); two drinks nearly cost as much as when we take four in a Geneva coffee house!!!

All in all, the trip was very pleasant. We got some cool air on the boat, the day was beautiful (azure sky with cumuluses) and I finally got to see Yvoire after having ranted about this place for years...

Do I recommend you to visit Yvoire? Of course, yes! But you have to know what you get once you're there...

The Yvoire castle as seen from the boat...
A typical house...
The flowers that one gets to see all over the village...
Another view of the castle, with Switzerland in the horizon...
A street full of people (I took the picture when there were less tourists around as I love "clean" photos, he, he, he!)...
Another magnificent house...
The view from the lakeside: the Jura and La Côte in Switzerland...