Morges Tulip Festival set on Lake Geneva
Growing up in western Pennsylvania, the winters were long and harsh. Tulips beginning to bloom were the definitive sign that winter was finally over. For a few months anyway. My mom would plant tulip along our house and I’d check them each day as I walked down the driveway to the school bus, waiting to see what color they’d bloom that year. So when I heard about the Fête de la Tulipe, or Morges Tulip Festival, which welcomes spring to the pretty Lake Geneva town each year, I just had to go.
More than 150,000 tulips of 300 different varieties from around the world bloom on the shores of Lake Geneva in Parc de l’Indépendance. Rows of tulips bloom in shades of red, pink, and violet. Others are artistically planted into shapes. Some tulip varieties were traditional, others were up-side-down tulips in flaming shades of orange.
Tulips at the Morges Tulip Festival have been blooming between mid-April and mid-May since the Lake Geneva Horticultural Society created the festival in 1971. This year’s festival edition includes a number of events like Brunch in the Tulips, a Potters Market, family days with special events and activities for kids, and the selling of the tulip bulbs at the conclusion of the festival.
Know Before You Go
- Opening day is March 29, 2013 but the blooming of the tulips is largely dependent on weather. We went mid-April and all of the tulips were in bloom.
- The festival is free; snacks and drinks are available for a charge in the marquee tent or take the short stroll to Morges’ Old Town to find a variety of restaurants.
- Brunch in the Tulips is on Aprl 1, 2013 from 11am – 2:30pm and costs 32 CHF per adult and 20 CHF per child 6 – 12 years of age. Children 5 and under are free. Reservations are required and can be made until March 25 by phoning Relais Services at 021 811 51 71.
- Morges is easy to reach from Geneva or Lausanne. By car, use Autoroute A1 – exit 15 when traveling from Geneva or exit 16 from Lausanne. Trains run regularly from Geneva or Lausanne to Morges; book your train tickets here.
- For the full program of events, click here. Or follow the blooming of the tulips on Facebook.
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Love Spring? Check out more great posts about Spring at Traveling with Sweeney in the Spring Fever Blog Carnival.
Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
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We’re Jennifer and Tim and we love traveling! We are just one ordinary couple who have found that travel brought us closer together, taught us patience, the art of compromise, and how to truly appreciate the diversity of this extraordinary world. So far, we've visited 37 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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14 comments
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Cathy Sweeney
March 18, 2013 at 8:01 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Your memory of tulips in spring reminds me of my childhood in Chicago. I remember that my mom would pick tulips for us to bring to school for the teachers. Your photos of tulips in Lake Geneva are gorgeous. When I visited Geneva it was in November. Still beautiful, but I’d love to visit in spring to see the tulip festival.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in San Francisco
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
It’s funny the things we remember so vividly from childhood. The festival is definitely beautiful and I never realized there were so many varieties of tulips.
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Nat
March 19, 2013 at 6:56 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Istanbul has a tulip festival as well but I just missed it last time I went. There is something so unique about these flowers. They are simple yet beautiful. I love them
Nat recently posted..Kasimiye Medresesi in Mardin : An Old Islamic School
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
I didn’t know Istanbul has a tulip festival! Something to look into for next spring since we really do need to get back to Turkey. And I agree; tulips are simple yet stunning flowers.
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Andrea
March 20, 2013 at 5:01 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I love tulips! So pretty…
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 10:47 pm
Me too! Such a pretty flower and I was surprised to see all the different varieties!
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Andrew
March 20, 2013 at 10:48 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I, like most people I expect, think of Netherlands for Tulips. Neat to see that Switzerland does them too. It is a bit out of our range for a day trip, but maybe a weekend in April.
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 21st, 2013 at 5:36 pm
You should take a short break to Morges, Andy! The tulip festival is beautiful as is Lake Geneva.
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Erika Blake
March 27, 2013 at 9:13 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Ummm I bet that smelled wonderful! I always loved spring when I lived back east and all of the tulips and daffodils that I’d planted would start sprouting up. Spring bulbs are so happy and pretty! Would love to see them in full bloom in Europe! Thanks for the pictures – they looked stunning!
Erika Blake recently posted..The Extra-Terrestrial Highway Jumbo Coffee Mug
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 27th, 2013 at 10:33 pm
Thanks, Erika! Tulips are so simple, yet so elegant. I love seeing them. One of these days I need to get to the Netherlands to see their tulip fields!
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Erika Reply:
March 27th, 2013 at 10:41 pm
I bet that would be spectacular! My cousin visited there once in spring and was heartbroken to learn that living in LA, even if he put the tulip bulbs in his freezer, they’d never get cold enough to bloom as large as those he saw in the Netherlands.
My spring bulbs are about the only thing that I truly miss about living back east.
Love those big pretty pink/white striped tulips!
Erika recently posted..The Extra-Terrestrial Highway Jumbo Coffee Mug
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 28th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
I’m headed to the Netherlands mid-May and I am hoping the tulips are still in bloom. They just may be since winter doesn’t seem to want to let go this year!
Erika
March 28, 2013 at 10:00 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Humm the good news is that there are late blooming tulips, so at the very least those might still be in bloom! I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Erika recently posted..The Extra-Terrestrial Highway Jumbo Coffee Mug
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Ali
April 4, 2013 at 2:42 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
These are gorgeous! I’m not sure we’ll make it to Switzerland anytime soon, but Andy and I are hoping to see tulip in the Netherlands this May before TBU. I can take pictures of flowers forever, although I can’t grow them to save my life.
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