The Swiss beach you need to visit to avoid crowds this Euro summer

With this year’s European summer set to be more packed and warmer than ever, I've found a little-known beach you should add to your itinerary.

When I moved to Switzerland years ago, I envisioned cold winters and cool summers. I imagined myself going on hikes up snowy mountains, wandering through snow capped forests and visiting the country’s beautiful cities in the summer wearing ‘a cute top and jeans’. 

But by March the weather was hitting 20 degrees and I found myself reaching for my shorts. 

Lausanne, in Switzerland’s west, sits on Lake Geneva’s shores. In winter few locals are found walking along the makeshift coastline. In summer however, the area comes alive. While much of the lakefront is lined with grassy picnic areas, walkways and wharves, there’s a small pocket of beach that’s perfect for sunbathing, volleyball matches and dips in the water. 

Swimming and sunbathing is the norm during summer in Lausanne.

Enter: Plage de Vidy (or Vidy Beach). It’s about 25 minutes from the city centre: 15 minutes on the metro, plus a 10 minute walk. Most spots on Lake Geneva that border Lausanne are either made up of large boulders or pebbly beaches but Vidy is one of few where locals and visitors alike can revel in the feeling of soft sand. 

By May, the weather is mild and perfect for morning dips in the lake. By June and July, you’ve got yourself a classic European summer hotspot minus the ridiculous crowds. On Italy’s Adriatic coastline, tourists scramble to get to spots like Polignano a Mare before 9am to nab themselves a spot on the pebbly, and dare I say it, uncomfortable and overrated beach. Whereas on a 26 degree day in Lausanne, you could leave your hotel room well past midday and plop down on Vidy’s sand without a worry in the world. The icing on the cake? Incredible views of the snow capped French Alps across the pond.

Plage de Vidy on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Behind the beachfront is a picnic area with public barbecues and camping grounds. In the evenings, the area is buzzing with friends and families all eager to get some Swiss sun. There’s a park to the left, and to the right is La Vaudaire, a restaurant that serves up ceviche, rotisserie chicken, fresh catches of the day, gelato and plenty more to appease that summer appetite. 

So there you have it. The European sun + a soft sandy beach + zero crowds = match made in heaven.

Originally published as The Swiss beach you need to visit to avoid crowds this Euro summer