Evian-les-Bains

Evian's water enters the ground as rain and snow on the Vinzier plateau and takes roughly fifteen years to work down through glacial sand and gravel before surfacing at the Cachat spring, which is where its mineral profile comes from. A local nobleman is said to have noticed the effect on his kidney complaint in 1789, and the town grew around that. The belle epoque built accordingly: a domed bottling hall now used as an exhibition space, the Palais Lumiere, a funicular up the hillside, and hotels with terraces over the lake. A free public fountain in the town lets anyone fill bottles from the source.

History

The springs of Évian were still little known at the time of the Revolution, but the spa enthusiasm of the First Empire led a scientist to analyse them in 1807 and 1808, and a lakeside port and a road to Milan and Paris followed in 1809. In 1823 the Genevan entrepreneur Fauconnet founded the Évian mineral water company and in 1827 bought the town's two main springs, the best known named Cachat after the family that sold it; Mary Shelley passed through in 1817 and set Victor Frankenstein's wedding night here in her novel of 1818. A new company of Parisian investors took over the Cachat water in 1859, the town renamed itself Évian-les-Bains in 1865, and by the late 19th century it had more than 20 hotels, villas, a theatre and a casino; the baths were built in 1902 and the architect Hébrard's Royal Hotel in 1909, drawing guests such as Anna de Noailles, the Lumière brothers and Marcel Proust (Wikipedia, Évian-les-Bains).

What's there

• The Cachat spring fountain - free public water from the source in town.
• The Palais Lumiere - a belle epoque bath house used for exhibitions.
• The old bottling hall - the domed Buvette Cachat on the hillside.
• The lake front - gardens, the funicular and boats to the Swiss shore.

When to go

May to September for the lake and gardens; the funicular runs seasonally. Boats cross to Lausanne year-round with reduced winter service. The town is quiet out of season.

Before you go

The bottling plant itself is at Amphion and public tours are limited or suspended depending on the year. The town is expensive and geared to spa visitors. The lake is cold for swimming.

Nearby

Thonon-les-Bains lies west; Yvoire is further along the shore.

Key facts