Welcome to évian-les-bains

Nestled between the lake and mountains, Evian benefits from a truly exceptional natural environment that has made it an internationally famous tourist resort.

All year round, the town, in addition to its exceptional natural setting, offers a wide variety of activities and lodgings for tourists. The nearby ski resorts make Evian a dream base from which to enjoy the snowy slopes during the winter and the verdant mountain pastures in the summer.

This spa town is internationally renowned for its thermal baths. Here you'll find complete information on Evian's health, well-being and fitness treatments.

Culture is also given centre stage in Evian! The town's tourist offer is further complemented by the Palais Lumière, Evian's rich historic heritage and the other quality sites dedicated to art and spectacle.

Evian is also the ideal setting for business meetings and conferences. Discover those locations specialized in this sector.

Finally, to help you locate and book a hotel or furnished flat for your stay in Evian, the on-line reservation centre will provide you with all the availabilities.

Enjoy your stay!

The discovery of Evian's mineral water dates back to 1790, when, during a walk, a nobleman from Auvergne, the Count of Laizer, refreshed himself at the Fountain of Saint Catherine on the estate of one Monsieur Cachat.

Finding this water healthy, "light and freely flowing", this man, who suffered from pain in his liver and kidneys and had begun to drink regularly from the fountain during his walks, began to notice a marked improvement in his health. He afterwards praised the "miraculous" qualities of this water, which began to be prescribed by doctors.

This immediate success led Monsieur Cachat to close off the spring and begin selling its water. The first "Evian Baths" appeared in 1824 and two years later, the King of Sardinia granted permission for its bottling. The creation of the first mineral-water company in 1829 also marked the beginning of the resort's expansion, with the construction of thermal baths, the Casino, luxury hotels, the funicular and the theatre.

• The springs

Located on Avenue des Sources, the Cachat Spring (formerly the Fountain of Saint Catherine) is the most famous of several springs that once emerged in Evian. Built in 1903, along with the opposite pump room, this spring flows every day of the year and is open to the public. A few metres away can be found Cordeliers' Spring.

The lake and mountains offer an exceptional environment for a great variety of outdoor activities. There's something for everyone to relax and unwind in and around Evian.

• Sports and leisure activities

A temperate climate, its location on Lake Geneva and quality facilities for a wide variety of water sports and activities make Evian an ideal holiday destination.

A variety of sports

• Golf
• Cruises
• Nature activities
• Fun activities
• The aquatic centre
• The marina
• Childcare

Desirous to make Evian an international cultural destination, the town has recently constructed a new cultural and conference centre: the Palais Lumière.

Evian also boasts numerous historic sites and art galleries, as well as a full calendar of diverse, quality cultural events.

• Historic tour of the town

Departing from the tourist office, a loop punctuated with fourteen information posts tells the history of the town's principal historic buildings, dating from the Middle Ages to the Belle Epoque period.

Free guide-map available at the tourist office.

• Guided tours of the town

Guided tours for groups are organized by the Savoy Heritage Guides all year long (reservations are required and can be made at the tourist office).

Duration: 2 hours. Tours in French, English and German.

• Visiting Evian aboard the small tourist train

A unique guided tour aboard a small train, from the quays to the pedestrian town centre. In May, June and September every day from 2:15 to 6:15 p.m., and in July and August every day from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 noon and from 2:15 to 6:15 p.m.

Located within a 3.5-hectare wooded park on Lake Geneva at the western entrance to the town of Evian. This unique garden allows visitors to discover and learn about wetlands.

In 2005, the Water Gardens obtained the "Remarkable Garden" label.

The Pré Curieux was acquired in 1995 by the Conservatoire du Littoral, with help from the towns of Evian and Publier, the Haute-Savoie Departmental Council and the Rhône-Alpes Region. In 1998, an agreement between the French government, the Ramsar Convention*, Danone, the Conservatoire du Littoral and the town of Evian set the site up as a "research and international communication centre for wetlands". Open to the public, the site is also meant to eventually serve as the regional offices of the Ramsar Convention and to welcome researchers from around the world. Located on the lakeshore, at the western entrance to Evian, the Pré Curieux includes a charming, colonial-style house bordered by a 3.5-hectare wooded park.

Begin your tour by visiting the house, whose exhibitions (created by the various partners) explain the function, richness and fragility of the wetlands.

The house is equipped with an educational room destined to welcome schools and groups of children. Next, visit the park, which is organized around various water-based ecosystems (landscaped and natural water gardens, with a creek, a pond, a marsh, humid prairies and a delta, each sheltering an animal and plant life as unique as it is varied).

The ski stations of Bernex and Thollon (at 1,500 and 2,000 metres, respectively) are located only 20 minutes from Evian. 40 minutes away lies the Franco-Swiss ski area of Les Portes du Soleil, including the resorts of Châtel, Morzine-Avoriaz, Les Gets and Morgins.

Enjoy all winter sports right outside Evian: Alpine, Nordic and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sleighing, etc.