Vevey

Vevey
Vevey
	Vevey with the Nestlé headquarters in the foreground
; Vevey
Canton	Vaud
District	Vevey
	46°28′N 6°51′E / 46.467°N 6.85°ECoordinates: 46°28′N 6°51′E / 46.467°N 6.85°E
Population	17,287 (2007)
- Density	7,233 /km2 (18,734 /sq mi)
Area	2.39 km2 (0.92 sq mi)
Elevation	383 m (1,257 ft)
Postal code	1800
SFOS number	5890
Mayor	Laurent Ballif
Surrounded by	Corseaux, Corsier-sur-Vevey, La Tour-de-Peilz, Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz
Twin towns	Müllheim (Germany), Carpentras (France)
Website	www.vevey.ch; Profile, SFSO statistics

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Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva., not far from Lausanne. It was historically known as Viviscus or Vibiscum. It was mentioned for the first time by the ancient Greek astronomer and philosopher Ptolemy, who gave it the name Ouikos.

It is the seat of the district of the same name. It is part of the French-speaking area of Switzerland.

It is bordered on the west by the River Veveyse and to the east by the River Oyonnaz.

Vevey is the site of the world headquarters (but not fiscal HQ) of the food giant Nestlé, founded here in 1867.

[edit] Notable residents past and present

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss writer and philosopher
Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian painter
Bruno Hoffmann, German glass harp player
Victor Hugo, French poet and writer
Percy Scholes, English musician and writer
Graham Greene, British writer (Corsier-sur-Vevey)
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian novelist
Jules Massenet, French composer
Edouard Jeanneret Le Corbusier, Swiss architect
Charlie Chaplin, British director and actor (Corsier-sur-Vevey)
James Mason, actor, (Corsier-sur-Vevey)
Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish writer
Henri Nestlé, founder of Nestlé
Edmund Ludlow, general and politician in Oliver Cromwell's government and enemy of King Charles I
Thabo Sefolosha, basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Peter Cowie, film historian
Claude Nicollier, first Swiss astronaut
Henry Philip Tappan, first President of the University of Michigan
Olga Baclanova, Russian-born actress.
Clara Haskil, Swiss Romanian classical pianist

[edit] Festivals

The Confrérie des Vignerons (Brotherhood of Winegrowers) organises the Winegrowers' Festival (Fête des Vignerons) four or five times each century (one per generation) to celebrate its wine-growing traditions and culture. On those occasions an arena for 16,000 spectators is built in the marketplace — the Grande Place, which is the second-biggest marketplace in Europe, after Lisbon, Portugal). The festivals date from the 18th century; the last five were in 1905, 1927, 1955, 1977 and 1999.

The Montreux Jazz Festival is held every July since 1967, in the neighboring town of Montreux.

[edit] Landmarks

Grande Place The Grande Place is dominated by a magnificent granary "La Grenette" built in 1803 in the Neo-Classical "rustic" style. Behind "La Grenette" can be seen the restaurant ("La Clef") in which Jean-Jacques Rousseau used to eat. The table at which he sat is still to be seen in the restaurant.

St Martin's Church, a few minutes' walk away from the Grande Place, contains the bodies of a number of those who condemned King Charles I of England to death - especially that of Edmund Ludlow who escaped to Vevey after the death of Oliver Cromwell.

The Alimentarium Museum, a modern museum opened in 1985 by the Nestlé foundation, and features a permanent exhibition of cooking, eating, purchasing food, digesting, and a history of Nestlé.

[edit] Market

The town is also known for its large market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. The Vevey folk markets,known locally as the Marchés Folkloriques, normally has up to 2000 visitors each Saturday over a period of two months. (Second week of July to end August). Visitors can buy a wine-glass and drink to their heart's content while listening to brass bands, Swiss folk music, and watching traditional craftsmen at work. These Folk Markets are organised by the Société de développement de Vevey. (www.sdvevey.ch)