View from the lake

Come aboard GILLIATT, the oldest motorboat still operating on Lake Geneva. Built at the Excelsior shipyard in Amphion-les-Bains in 1905, GILLIATT was completely restored by the Mestre shipyard (Allaman) between January and July 2025.

From the lake, contemplate the Roman colony of Nyon as it was organized 2,000 years ago: from the forum to the amphitheater, its monuments dominated the shores of Lake Geneva. The walk also leads to the remains of a Bronze Age palafitte village, testimony to a much earlier occupation of the lake.

This is an opportunity to evoke the village of Rive and its medieval wooden port, the large dike built in 1842 to counter the gradual sinking of the site, the CGN pontoon, the marina built in 1929, and to recount the long saga that led to the creation of today’s quays.

Comments on this mini-cruise on the lake:

• Lionel Gauthier, curator of the Musée du Léman
• Malika Bossard, Deputy Curator of the Roman Museum of Nyon
• Marielle Savoyat, architect
• Catherine Schmutz Nicod, co-curator of Château de Nyon

Important information

• Bring white-soled shoes or go barefoot;
• Please arrive at the marina no later than 10 minutes before the boat’s departure;
• It is also possible to arrive at the Musée du Léman 20 minutes before the boat’s departure, so that a member of the museum team can accompany you to the boarding gate.

• In the event of inclement weather (too much wind or rain), the cruise will be replaced by a walking tour (rendez-vous in the courtyard of the Musée du Léman).

• Unfortunately, this activity does not allow us to welcome people with reduced mobility.

Discover the full program of the European Heritage Days.