Baron Louis of Savoy built the Castle of Morges in 1286 to defend himself against the bishopric of Lausanne. The imposing bastion, which originally had a moat, was the residence of a Bernese bailiff from 1536 to 1798. It eventually passed to the canton of Vaud, which used it as an arsenal. Today, it contains the Vaud Military Museum (Musée Militaire Vaudois; tel. 021/316-09-90; www.musees-vd.ch). The weapons and uniforms on display date from the late 15th century to modern times. The museum is open February to June and September to November, Tuesday to Friday from 10am to noon and 1:30 to 5pm and on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 1:30 to 5pm; in July and August, it's open every day 10am to 5pm. Admission is 10F.
Musée Alexis Forel, in a 15th-century patrician house at 54, Grand-Rue (tel. 021/801-26-47; www.museeforel.ch), contains a collection of engravings, 17th- and 18th-century furniture, 18th-century silver and glassware, ancient ceramics, and antique dolls -- all exhibited in the intimate setting of a former private home. The museum is open March to November Wednesday to Sunday from 2 to 6pm. Admission is 8F for adults, 3F for ages 6 to 16.
If the day is sunny, you can take one of the most lovely bike rides in western Switzerland beginning at Morges train station, where you can rent a bike for 32F a day. The tourist office will provide a map and help you plot your route. The trail leads from Morges to the village of Lully and goes via Bussy and Ballens to Biere. This takes you through some of the most scenic vineyards of Lake Geneva. From Biere, you continue down a small valley to Begnins and then Fechy, the latter a panoramic lookout point. Eventually you reach Aubonne, where you can take a second-class road via Lavigny, Villars-sous-Yens, and Lully back to Morges. The 56km (35-mile) trip takes about 5 1/2 hours.
Calling on Audrey Hepburn
What movie fan can ever forget the pencil-thin, doe-eyed, ravishingly beautiful Audrey Hepburn? She wowed us in Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Wait Until Dark. She was the epitome of class without snobbery, and the ultimate performer yet an artist without pretensions. For years, she made her home in the hamlet of Tolochenaz, 1.6km (1 mile) east of Morges. It was in this village where the star spent long hours as an ambassador for UNICEF. Born in Brussels in 1929, Hepburn died here in 1993. You can walk here or take TPM bus no. 2 to reach the village cemetery, Cimetière de Tolochenaz, where she was buried. Fans still call on her gravesite, often bringing flowers. The stone-sided chalet that Hepburn occupied for the last 40 years of her life is not open to the public, though, and a pavilion that once housed some of her memorabilia is now closed (her son, Sean Ferrer, decided to take back the objects of hers which had been on public display).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
