The beautiful Swiss city of Vevey, in the canton of Vaud, is hosting the next EAVF General Assembly on Friday 26 April and a series of cultural initiatives.
Vevey is the arrival point of one of the most fascinating stages of the Via Francigena. The one that starts in Lausanne and runs partly along the beautiful lakeside promenade of Lake Geneva and partly through the terraced vineyards of ‘Lavaux’, a UNESCO World Heritage region for the production of quality wines.
The network of the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways, which today counts 241 members and 92 friendly associations, is meeting in this prestigious location to also celebrate a special event, namely the 30th anniversary of the certification of the itinerary by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is the first organisation for cooperation between European states created after the end of the Second World War. It was founded in London in 1949 and today unites 46 member states, including Switzerland.
On the agenda of the assembly will be the accession of new members (among which the city of Vevey stands out), an update on the progress of the UNESCO dossier and the promotion projects planned for the year, and the approval of the final and forecast budget. The Assembly will also approve the official declaration of the Via Francigena, Council of Europe Cultural Route 1994-2024.
Before the work begins, again to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of the Via Francigena, an exhibition on the Via Francigena will be inaugurated in the Market Square.
In addition to the assembly, a series of animation and discussion initiatives are planned for 24-25-26 April. It starts on Thursday 25 at 6 p.m. with a theatrical performance of the “Legend of Sigeric” staged by AIDAS of Versailles. Followed by a convivial fondue dinner.
On Friday 26th, in addition to the opening of the exhibition and the General Assembly, a guided tour of the city is scheduled for the international guests in the morning at 10.00 a.m., and at the same time a conference on the cultural routes through Switzerland at the City Hall.
Finally, on Saturday 27 April, there is a beautiful 9 km walk along the Via Francigena starting from Vevey station at 9:00 am. It ends with an aperitif among the Vevey vineyards.
All EAVF delegates will have free access to the following museums in the city: Musée suisse de l’appareil photographique (link)- Musée historique de Vevey (link) – Musée Jenisch (link). For those who would like to stay a few days in the area to discover the beauty of the region, some places not to be missed are: ‘Le Train de Vignes’, the Wine Train, which leads to the discovery of the countryside full of Lavaux villages and vineyards. The Chillon Castle. The family-friendly Les Pléiades ski area and belvedere, which can be reached by the Train des Etoiles, the train of the stars. The Corsier church frescoed in 1420-30.
Villa Le Lac, an elegant bungalow designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier for his parents. Finally, the first museum dedicated to Charlie Chaplin can be visited.
The EAVF three-day event in Vevey is supported by the City of Vevey and the Association Suisse Via Francigena.
The EAVF General Assembly in Vevey represents an important milestone in the promotion of the Via Francigena, a cultural route uniting four nations. The event offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the past, discuss the present and plan the future of this extraordinary European pilgrimage route.
For the programme: https://www.viefrancigene.org/event/eavf-general-assembly-vevey-switzerland/
Contacts
Gaëtan Tornay, Vice-président de l’EAVF, 079 377 44 83, gaetan.tornay@viefrancigene.org Sophie Reymond, Responsable du bureau de l’économie, du tourisme et des vignes à la Ville de Vevey, 079 691 68 00, sophie.reymond@vevey.ch