For couples with children, a second honeymoon can become a “familymoon” — combining romance with experiences everyone can enjoy. Along Lake Geneva beneath the Alps, Switzerland’s scenic Riviera offers an extraordinary setting for time together, with beautiful lakeside towns, mountain adventures, cultural attractions, and memorable experiences for the whole family.
A Familymoon on the Swiss Riviera
Suzy Guttler and Juan Castillo trade their destination wedding passports for a familymoon — this time with a co-pilot in a sun hat.
From newlyweds to newly minted parents, our lives together have always been defined by extraordinary adventures. Following a fairy tale wedding in Lake Como and an Antarctic honeymoon, we returned to the road for a very different kind of milestone trip: a familymoon as a party of three, with ten-month-old Lucas in tow.
There is a quiet magic to travel that begins the moment you become a parent, one measured not in miles covered, but in the little things — a passing swan, a dancing shadow on the cobblestone street, a golden patch of sunlight. It asks nothing of you but presence, and rewards you with the joy of seeing the world for the very first time, all over again.
For Lucas’s international debut, and ours as a family of three, we set our sights on the Swiss Riviera: a sun-drenched, tranquil stretch along Lake Geneva where terraced vineyards tumble toward the water, the Alps rise in shades of rose and gold, and lakeside villages seem expressly designed for slowing down.
Where the Riviera Meets the Alps
We made our home at the Grand Hotel du Lac in Vevey, a Belle Epoque jewel where over a century of history meets the edge of the lake. From our suite, the panoramic Alpine view greeted us each morning, transforming even the earliest jet-lagged wake-up calls into a private, quiet luxury.
Vevey received us gently: soft lake light, unhurried streets, and a stillness that felt like an exhale after the flight from New York. Our first afternoon found its own gentle rhythm — a slow stroll along the lakeside promenade, Lucas taking in his very first Alpine vista, and the two of us sharing a quiet smile, both stunned by how beautiful it all was. That evening, we raised a glass of local Chasselas on our balcony as the water turned to liquid gold and Lucas drifted off to the gentle hush of the lake below.
Among the Vines of Lavaux
The following morning, we climbed into the UNESCO-protected Lavaux wine region, where sun-baked vines have been grown from the steep terraced hillsides since the eleventh century. We meandered along stone footpaths woven between the rows, the shimmering expanse of Lake Geneva below us and Chasselas grapes ripening in the sun above. Our path led us to Domaine du Daley, a storied family estate that has tended this same hillside for generations, for a tasting of the crisp, mineral whites the region is known for.
It felt quietly moving, introducing our son to a landscape shaped so patiently over centuries — a gentle reminder that the most beautiful things in life, vineyards and families alike, are built one season at a time.
The Riviera by Boat
The most meaningful moment of our trip found us back aboard a classic wooden Riva — the exact style of boat that whisked us across Lake Como on our wedding day. Seeing the Swiss Riviera coastline from the water offers an entirely new perspective: the tidy tiers of Lavaux stretching endlessly, the Alps standing sentinel across the lake, the water catching a new shade of light with every turn we made.
Our captain, Nicolas of Swiss Riviera Tours, was part captain and part storyteller. He wove history into every stretch of shoreline, sharing stories of hidden coves and centuries-old estates as we passed them. Lucas, perched on Juan’s lap, was wide-eyed at the wind and the vastness of the water stretching out before him. Watching him fall in love with one of Europe’s most beautiful coastlines is a memory we’ll never forget.
Losing Time in Cully
The Riviera is best explored slowly, by losing track of time in its postcard-perfect villages, and Cully captured our hearts instantly. Its cobblestone lanes, pastel-hued French style villas, and a quiet stone harbor invited the kind of tender pace that makes traveling with a ten-month-old feel like second nature. We spent hours lingering over espresso at a sunlit outdoor cafe while Lucas happily watched the sailboats drift past.
In the days that followed, we made our way through a handful of other villages strung along the shoreline, each more picturesque than the last, each a reminder that the richest travel moments rarely live on an itinerary.
Full Hearts, Soft Goodbyes
We used to measure our travels by the length of our itineraries, but this trip taught us a different kind of distance — one found in slowing down. The Swiss Riviera offered us the perfect backdrop to step into this new season: extraordinary scenery, centuries of history, and an innate warmth in its people that made our baby boy feel entirely welcome. We said goodbye to Vevey with sun-soaked photographs, a few bottles of precious Chasselas tucked carefully into our luggage, and the joyful certainty that this is only the beginning of our family’s travels together.
(Photos: Suzy Guttler & Juan Castillo; Cecilia Hofer Photography)
Want more overseas adventure? See Suzy & Juan’s destination wedding at Lake Como.
Destination Wedding | Lake Como, Italy