Why splash your cash in Geneva when you can take a refreshing trip to the charming French town of Évian-les-Bains?
Metro tells you the reasons why a visit to Evian is worth the trip.
WHY GO NOW?
The purity and health benefits of Evian’s mineral water were discovered at the end of the 18th century but it wasn’t until the 1930s that its reputation as one of the world’s premier spa towns was established. Evian water may be snobbery in a bottle, but the town itself couldn’t be more removed from that image, with unique surroundings and people who are open and welcoming.
IT’S MY FIRST TIME, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
With sweeping views across Lake Geneva, the Spa Hotel Royal (www.evianroyalresort.com) offers an array of activities. The Relaxation and Dynamisation package is perfect for overwhelmed, exhausted urbanites.
Treatments include reflexology, Reiki, seaweed body wraps and there’s also a sauna and on site beauty therapists. As nice as it is to be pampered, those that prefer the outdoors can choose the Golf and Spa option with access to the Evian Masters Golf Club.
I’VE BEEN BEFORE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Discover how a bottle of Evian gets from the water source to the supermarket shelf at the bottling plant located in the nearby town of Amphion-les-Bains. After a historical and geological video presentation, move over to the glass gallery where you will see the entire bottling process (5 million litres of water are bottled daily) from start to finish, the manufacturing, racking, conditioning and eventually, shipping.
BEST WAY TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON?
The town centre is a wonderful blend of French and Swiss heritage. The shops are small, quaint and arranged in an orderly manner (very Swiss) yet you cannot ignore the French “je ne sais quoi” as you hear the brouhaha of voices coming from the bars and brasseries.
WHAT’S THE NIGHTLIFE LIKE?
Évian’s nightlife is almost as still as its water. For an ebb and flow of activity, head towards the leafy lakefront. Port des Mouettes, the town’s modern Marina has some fantastic terraces where you can sit and soak up the last rays of sunshine as you watch people on roller blades or a pied.
