The lakes are calling

By Ondine Cohane

June 21, 2024

What’s new on the water this summer at Mandarin Oriental’s lakeside destinations?

European lakes have always had a rather old-school reputation as places for contemplation or recuperation, retreats where the pace slows down. But in high summer the shore-side scene is a dynamic and energised place to be, and these destinations are fast becoming part of a new contemporary grand tour for the knowing traveller.

A dining room at the iconic London restaurant, Sketch

Geneva

So many of us pass through Geneva with our minds elsewhere, peering up for glimpses of the snow-capped Alps or down at the laptop to catch up with work. But this is a city worth looking out of the taxi window for and stopping in for a few days. In the summer months, it loses its more serious reputation and transforms into a poster child for outdoor living, with café tables spilling out on to streets and all of the action shifting to the waterside. Stop in at the banks near the Pointe de la Jonction where the Rhône and Arve rivers meet and locals gather to swim and gossip in the shade while enjoying a glass of sparkling wine from the À la Pointe pop-up bar. DJ sets are played almost every afternoon. Or leap into Lac Leman from the 1930s lido Bain des Pâquis with its spectacular views of the waterfront and huge diving boards. Anyone who doesn’t want to take a dip can cool with a jaunt on one of the sailboats set up by Mandarin Oriental, Geneva that pass the iconic Jet d’Eau.

Inside the V&A museum’s gift shop in London

Lucerne

Do as locals do and call it Luzern. It’s one of the prettiest cities in Europe with its lakeside location (Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern is right on the shoreline) that’s an easy 45-minute train ride from Zurich. A trip here is a feelgood, wholesome postcard of go-slow boat rides to Weggis, picnics on the many trails that lead up Mount Rigi and walks over historic covered wooden bridges including the Kapellbrücke, which was constructed on the diagonal across the river Reuss. Foodies should visit the Wochenmarkt, the farmers’ market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, for those aforementioned picnics: in addition to the homemade chocolate, the town is famous for its huge array of mountain cheeses, summer fruit and vegetables, and local pilsners (which can also be sampled at the many beer gardens that dot the riverside).

A visitor walking down a spiral staircase at Tate Modern in London

Zurich

One of the most innovative art capitals in the world (its Biennial has become a collector’s must), the summer brings locals and visitors to more watery pursuits. There are about 40 badi (baths) around the city that were originally established by the Romans to keep the community fresh and clean. These days, it’s not unusual for residents to change from business suit to swimsuit for a quick splash during their lunch hour. Many of the baths are single sex, some don’t require clothes and most span the Limmat river, which runs through the old part of town and into Lake Zurich, on which Mandarin Oriental Savoy, Zurich sits. Especially lovely is the Flussbad Oberer Letten with its wooden sun-loungers, diving board and volleyball court. And the demure Frauenbad (women’s bath) turns into the Barefoot Bar, complete with DJs and cocktails, post 8pm.

Image credit: Christian Beutler/Zurich Tourism

A colourful installation at the Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Lake Como

The glamour of the Italian lakes harnesses a dreamy vision of cruising around on vintage boats, long lunches on shaded restaurant terraces and lazy hours swimming in the still, cool depths. In Lake Como, it will be hard this summer for guests to tear themselves away from Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como’s star attraction: a 40m pool designed by world-renowned starchitects Herzog & de Meuron that floats on the lake in front of the hotel’s 19th-century villa. By way of brilliant engineering and optical illusion, the infinity surface of the water feels as if it runs straight into the lake. Make a booking on the hotel’s boat to explore further afield: you can catch a glimpse of Daniel Libeskind’s Life Electric protruding from the town’s pier (curious fact: Alexandra Volta, the Como-born scientist, invented the electric battery), take a stroll in the beautiful gardens of Villa Olmo, and pop into the International Museum of Vintage Boats (the Riva is known as the Ferrari of its type). After working up a sweat, try one of the lake’s public beaches such as the turquoise Onno to the south of Bellagio or the white-stone Lierna north of Lecco.

Image credit: Herzog & de Meuron

About the Author

Ondine Cohane

Ondine Cohane is the co-author of Frances Mayes’ Always Italy and a frequent contributor to Condé Nast Traveler, the New York Times travel section, and other publications. She is currently working on a memoir.