Three Online "Venture Caffés" coming up in May and JuneStartup Academy La Côte helps anyone who wants to create a start-up and would like feedback on their business idea. Experts with many years of experience in the field can provide support and mentoring, advice, knowledge transfer, as well as the development of a specific network for each start-up. The next Venture Caffé (currently online) organised by Start Up Academy, will take place on the 28th May from 18:00 - 19:30. Venture Caffés are a chance to have a drink whilst exchanging business ideas in a relaxing atmosphere with other startup members, interested parties, volunteers and business people. Any questions? Contact - Yvan Rueff, president of Startup Academy La Côte (he speaks fluent English). Email y.rueff@startup-academy.ch There will be two more Venture Cafés on the 10th and 18th June. More details here

There is a new book out called "The Expert Guide to your Life in Switzerland" edited by Diccon Bewes (author of "Swiss Watching" and"Slow Train to Switzerland" ). Each chapter of the book is written by an expert living in Switzerland giving you the benefit of their experience and knowledge. This is an ideal book for the newly arrived and the seasoned resident. It contains must-know information on immigration and permits, advice on making friends and immersing yourself in Swiss life. It has savvy tips on finding the right job, the perfect place to live, how to save money on your taxes and health insurance, and the best ways to enjoy Switzerland's stunning landscape and its vibrant cultural life. It's a book with everything you need to know to enjoy living in Switzerland including these fun facts The ban on flushing toilets after 10pm is an urban myth. Foreigners make up 25% of the population but only 10% of deaths (because they are generally younger and healthier). It’s expected that your photo is on your CV or resumé. Tipping is not required in Switzerland but it’s usual to round up. There are four stages of getting to know people: stranger, acquaintance, colleague, and finally (maybe) friend. Over 6% of the population owns a GA annual travel pass. Mortgage down payment is typically 20% on your primary residence. Only four public holidays are observed in every canton: 1 January, Ascension Day, 1 August, Christmas Day. As a rule of thumb, your annual taxes = one month’s salary. Avoid small talk about illness, politics, sex, religion and money. Plus an appendix of very useful facts about Switzerland. Glossary of tricky words in English, French and German. There are two editions (English and German) and both are illustrated in colour on every page. Available in Payot (there's a branch in La Combe shopping centre in in Nyon), other bookshops or direct from Bergli Books

Day trip by train from Nyon to see the Mirage - check out our video below High up in the hills above Gstaad, there's an art installation called Mirage. Created by Doug Aitken, it's in a stunning setting and a fabulous place to visit. It's easy to do this using the Swiss railway network, followed by a short walk from either Gruben, or Schönried railway stations. It's possible to do this on a day trip from Nyon. Whilst it's a full day, it's worth it. The views on the route through the mountains from Montreux to Gstaad on the GoldenPass line, and along the lakeside are simply spectacular. We took the 07:44 train from *Nyon arriving in Montreux at 08:41 and then caught the connecting GoldenPass Belle Epoque train at 08:44, arriving in Gruben at 10:27. *you could also take this same train from Geneva at 07:30 or Morges departing at 08:00. Note: Link to CFF train timetable here. Check whether the GoldenPass train is running on the times and day you intend to travel. The photo of the carriage above was taken in the First Class section of the train. Above hiking illustration courtesy Elevation 1049 It's a gentle walk up to the Mirage/mirrored chalet from here. After visiting the art installation (free to visit!) we then walked on to the next village of Schönried for lunch at the Hotel Kernen. From here you can either take the return train to Montreux, or walk back to Gstaad (about an hour's walk) to pick up the train there. We took the 15:37 arriving back to Montreux where we changed trains, arriving back in Nyon at 18:14. Check out our Living in Nyon video of the trip below.

Please note - this apartment has been now rented Apartment in Nyon for rent from August. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment (plus separate guest WC), a short walk from the centre of Nyon. Large sunny balcony overlooking spacious communal gardens, quiet spot, yet not too far from the railway station and shops. Indoor parking place, communal bike room, communal pushchair/buggy room, private cellar, cave and lift in building. Concierge keeps the place immaculate. CHF 2,850 per month plus charges. For more info, contact Catherine Nelson-Pollard Email cnp@bluewin.ch Or contact the rental agency website Photo below - View from balcony Nyon - Appartement à louer Grand 4 pièces dans quartier verdoyant Petit immeuble, Ascenseur. Proche des commodités, ce spacieux 4 pièces se compose comme suit : cuisine agencée, grand séjour, hall avec armoires encastrées, 3 chambres dont une avec salle-de-bains, 1 salle-de-douche, un WC séparé ainsi qu’un balcon. Place de parc intérieure en sus. CHF 2'850 / mois plus charges. Plus d 'info contact Catherine Nelson-Pollard Email cnp@bluewin.ch ou voir l'agence de location

Many of the students at Nyon's Gymnase (high school) returned to their studies on Monday 8th June and although the school is still not operating at full capacity, the presence of the students has made the town feel a lot busier. Elsewhere, there are other signs of life around the town, the cinema is now open, the infamous "cinema cat" has been waiting patiently for for film lovers to return - see photo below. The next Monday Movie in English on Monday 15th June will be "Peanut Butter Falcon" Note: The cinema is obliged to take your contact details when you go to the cash desk. In the cinema, please leave at least one seat free on your right and left. Couples, families or groups of friends can sit side by side. If possible, buy tickets online on the cinema website. There are new flower displays in the Place Perdtemps car park and the town's popular monthly Marché aux Puces (flea market) will return on the 26th and 27th September. La Garenne, the lovely little zoo in Le Vaud is now also open with the news that five little wildcats were born at the zoo during lockdown! The outdoor swimming pool in Colovray is also open. Note for the moment the pool can only accept 1,400 (its normal capacity is 3,500) and it is advised to buy entry tickets to the pool online rather on site For full details of all the current coronavirus situation in Switzerland see Swiss Info here. Restaurants in Switzerland have been allowed to open since May 11th but they have recently been allowed to spread their tables onto terraces outside, so there is more space to have a drink at a social distance in the open. Photos of the new drinking area at the Sailing Club in Nyon in banner photo and below, extra seating at the bar in Place du Château.

Living in Nyon is delighted to announce that Mandy Bronsil will be taking over the reins of Living in Nyon as its new editor.  Mandy has been living in the area for over 10 years and founded her own company B-inspired Partners in January of 2019. She is VP of membership at Toastmasters International Nyon , a member of the Nyon Business Forum,and was until recently the Vice-President of the Dutch Business Round Table Geneva chapter. She has also been an active member of various other networks such as Executives International Lausanne , and the Club du Jeudi in Geneva. She is fluent in English, Dutch, French and Spanish. She lives with her husband and two young children in Vich. She is also keen to write about family activities and how to integrate well into the area.  Mandy graduated from the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne in 2006 and has a wealth of experience in recruitment, executive search and career development. She will shortly be publishing an article on how to find a job and tips on helping with the interview process in Switzerland.   If any readers would like to contribute an article, let her know about an upcoming event, or would like to advertise their business on the site, please free to contact Mandy on  mandy@b-inspired.ch .   Catherine Nelson-Pollard, the original founder and editor of Living in Nyon for over 11 years, is moving away from the Nyon area, but will still be writing for the site from time to time.

The free SwissCovid App was launched today, 25th June 2020. The application uses Contact Tracing. This is to identify people who have been in close contact with those who have been infected with coronavirus. Above - Image of the SwissCovid App The App is clearly laid out and links to the "Coronavirus - Frequently Asked Questions" page on the Federal Office of Public Health website. Questions range from whether you need to have Bluetooth switched on all the time, to if you have received an alert about a possible infection (but you do yet have any symptoms), what you should do.

The last "Living in Nyon" column, written by Catherine Nelson-Pollard (the founder of Living in Nyon), was published in La Côte newspaper today, Thursday 25th June 2020. This column, written in English each week for the past 11 years, took a light-hearted look at life along Lac Léman, from an expatriate perspective. The column was also accompanied by an article about Catherine. You can read this article on line or in print. With permission, we hope to republish the final English column on this site in the next few days. For those new to the area, La Côte is the main local newspaper of the area containing news, articles, events, cinema listings and more etc. In print version it is available in all local newsagents or via subscription. It can also be read online. Perfect for practising your French!

On Monday in Nyon, the staff in Migros in La Combe shopping centre were removing the 2 metre distance markings from the supermarket floor, and then today the 1st July, the Swiss government announced that from the 6th it would be obligatory to wear masks on public transport. This is a response to the rising number of coronavirus infections in Switzerland and to prevent a second wave. For more details see article here on Swiss info.

Easy like Sunday morning Here's a short video filmed at sunrise in Nyon on the 5th July 2020. The lakeside was very quiet at 06:00, there were few people around, just a few swans and a petite peloton of cyclists. Video filmed by Catherine Nelson-Pollard. Check out the Nyonlass Youtube channel

Many music festivals in the Nyon area have had to been cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but one live music festival that is still going ahead is Rive Jazzy . This festival starts today, Thursday the 9th July, with "Laurence Guillod and The Fats Boys" playing traditional jazz in Place Molard (near the ferry embarkation point) from 19:00 -22:15. On Friday night there will be Swing music with the "Swinging Ladies" and on Saturday and Sunday other groups with more traditional jazz. The festival continues in different venues in the old town or near the lake on most Thursdays, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until the 8th August. Check out the full programme here.  Best of all, the music is free! The festival has several sponsors and is also supported by Nyon council and the commune of Prangins. Note - the festival is going ahead but will have Covid-19 security measures in place. This year there will be a cordoned off zone at each concert and those entering this zone must leave their name and contact details at the entrance. There was even a bit of live jazz playing in the railway underpass yesterday! (not part of the festival)

A perfect early morning or evening run! There are many jogging and walking routes in the area that are worth exploring. Find your own favourite! Here is some information about the Parcours Vita in Trelex: It's on the outskirts of Nyon so you will need a car or bike to get there if you are based in the centre of Nyon. "Parcoursvita" refers to a "health walk" (parcours is French for track/course) and there are many of these "health walks" to be discovered. They are mostly located in or near forests or areas with great scenes to see. There are 180 of these around Switzerland and they are not just for jogging, they also encourage you to stop and exercise or stretch along the way. Here's the Link with all of the courses in the Canton of Vaud. It's peaceful and quiet, takes you through the forest and is around 2.9 metres in length so is perfect for an after or pre-work jog. Some joggers have had the delight of seeing foxes early in the morning. Directions: From Nyon drive to Trelex. At the roundabout head across towards Genolier, then turn almost immediately left. There is a small Parcoursvita sign under the words "Salle Polyvolante" (see photo below). Drive out of the village and for approximately 2km up the hill. Eventually you will come to a car parking area, (on the right hand side) with a hard standing among the trees to park your car. The course is off to the left. It tells you the length of the course, the difficulty of it and gives you more info on fitness. It should take between 14-20 minutes according to fitness levels. The sign board gives times for completing the course if just jogging, so you can test your fitness against averages. Spending time on the exercises adds another 15 minutes or so. Good luck!