We have visited Yvoire a few times over the years but we discovered a whole new side of it when we went again last weekend.
Yvoire is often described as one of the most beautiful villages in France so it's a really a must-see outing, especially if you have guests visiting like we did.
We took the CGN boat from Nyon directly over to Yvoire which is a lovely trip lasting about 25 minutes. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and we could enjoy every moment of the crossing with the wind in our hair and the gorgeous scenery all around us.
Our plan for the day began with a visit to the Jardin de 5 Sens (Garden of 5 senses) which is right in the middle of the village. We had walked past the gardens before but it was closed so we were really happy to be able to discover it on this occasion with my Mum who is a keen and talented gardener. The gardens are separated into zones, each one designed to excite the senses. Inspired by a medieval labyrinth with lots of little paths surrounded by hedges, the visit leads you through more than 1'500 varieties of plants, with an activity sheet for the children encouraging them to explore the gardens, solve puzzles and use their powers of observation.
We began by walking through the alpine garden to the garden of vision, where we were encouraged to really take the time to admire the details of the beautiful flowers and plants we saw there. Alba also found some chickens here which she spent quite a large amount of time following about :-). The next garden is the garden of touch, full of different textures to feel. Following that is the garden of smell. The scent walking into this area of the garden was heavenly and we discovered lots of scented plants and flowers along the way. The next part is the garden of taste where we were invited to taste various different plants including a kind of cress with mild numbing properties and a sugar herb with a very strong sugary taste.
The next part of the garden is the cloisters where there are medicinal plants (not for touching or tasting) which was very interesting, before we finished in a beautiful garden filled with roses and ferns.
We absolutely loved this beautiful place which was so much more than a stroll around a garden. We have never experienced such an interactive garden which encourages visitors to touch and even eat the plants and that aspect made the visit ideal for the children.
A really lovely way to spend an hour or two during a visit to Yvoire.
Information
Le Jardin des Cinq Sens
Rue du Lac – 74140 Yvoire
+33 4 50 72 88 80
Opened from 15 April to 2 October
Adult 14 €
Child (6 à 18 years old) 8 €
Child (under 6 years old) Free