La «Fête de la Tulipe» in Morges kicked off this year on Easter weekend . . . and those first buds are expected to be in full bloom by mid-April.
You don’t have to travel too far from the Pays du Mont-Blanc to experience total dépaysement, to distance yourself from the mountain valleys and high snowy peaks; just the other side of Lac Léman takes you to a land of open vistas of lake with an alpine backdrop (those very same mountains that are on our doorstep au Pays du Mont-Blanc!). A milder climate allows for vineyards to flourish and springtime flowers to bloom.
Among the lovely lakeside villages and towns to explore on the other side of Lac Léman is Morges . . . and Morges is also host to the pretty «Fête de la Tulipe» each year, which marks the return of springtime. And this year, after the incredible snowfall of the winter season, many of us are perhaps craving springtime and all that it represents!
A lakeside stroll in Morges is perfect for a family outing . . . so pack your picnic, pick a warm and sunny day, and don’t forget a draisienne, scooter or buggy for little explorers . . .
«La Fête de la Tulipe»
Every year, for the duration of about six weeks, the association «Morges Fleur du Léman» delights with a carpet of tulips in the Parc de l’Indépendence (between the Château de Morges and the river La Morges) . . . about 120 000 tulips, from about 300 varieties, are planted and the result is a mosaic of vibrant colour! And to visit the event is FREE!
Autumn preparation: during the autumn months, apprentice horiculturalists from Centre d’Enseignement Professionnel de Morges (CEPM) and gardeners from la Ville de Morges busy themselves getting the ground ready for this festival!
History of the event: the «Fête de la Tulipe» was conceived in 1971 to celebrate and mark the 50th anniversary of the Société Vaudoise d’Horticulture. The Parc de l’Indépendance as the choice of location is a salute to the Vaudoise independence of 1898.
Parc de l’Indépendence: this green park has 50 types of trees, including the impressive chestnut tree from 1750 and giant sequoias.
Animations – during the festival, there are plenty of weekend animations: exhibitions, children’s storytelling, brunches, a ceramics market with 80 potters (weekend of 7th & 8th April), the Festival d’Orgue de Barbarie (Sunday 22nd April), montgolfière flights (weekend of 14th & 15th April) / see website for more details about the animations.
Buvette – installed for the duration of the event from 10h to 18h, you can get snacks from 11h to 17h (run by the Fondation du Relais, which works towards the re-insertion into society of adults and young people in difficulty).
For up-to-date information about the tulips’ blossoming, see état de la floraison.
Morges – a little history
A visit to the «Fête de la Tulipe» is also the perfect opportunity to amble through the streets of this medieval lakeside town, or to continue your stroll down the quayside towards Parc de Vertou, with its spacious lawns and playground . . .
Morges Castle – is a medieval castle. In 1286, Louis of Savoy founded the city in a pasture and he built a castle to protect the new city. Very soon, Morges became a thriving market centre and a city transporting goods by land and water. Like many other castles, it became the cantonal armory in 1803, was expanded in 1836-39 and damaged in an explosion in 1871. From 1925, it has housed the Vaud Military Museum / more information here;
Igor Stravinsky in Morges – the musician settled for a while in Morges a century ago (from 1915 until 1917), looking for calm and a mild climate to finish his works: Histoire du soldat, Pulcinella, Les Noces, and Renard. The manor house that he occupied has been transformed into an elegant hotel/restaurant / read more about the house.
MBFF’s autumn visit to Morges
The MBFF team visited Morges one warm and sunny October day a few years ago, and here is where we strolled en famille:
- Parc de l’Indépendence and Château de Morges;
- along the Quai du Mont-Blanc and the Quai Igor Stravinski – here, there are lakeside boulders to clamber over (children in hand!), ducks to look at, beautiful flowers and snowy mountain views . . . also the perfect route for a draisienne, pedal bike, scooter or buggy!
- Parc de Vertou – here we paused to enjoy the playground, before heading back to the car;
Picnic spots – Parc de l’Indépendence, along the quayside (benches, lovely views of lake and snowy peaks) and Parc de Vertou;
Playgrounds – in front of the Temple de Morges (beginning of walk) and le Parc de Vertou (large, spacious lawn for ball games around the playground);
More information
Office de Tourisme de Morges
rue du Château, 2,
1110, Morges,
Switerland
Tel: +41 21 801 32 33
Website: here
Children – Morges Tourisme has a leaflet for a children’s visit through old Morges: history, anecdotes and mysteries / see here for more details or here to download leaflet.
