The Alimentarium in Vevey is a museum entirely devoted to food and nutrition, set on the shores of Lake Geneva. Explore interactive exhibitions, a vegetable garden and an educational kitchen that hosts cooking workshops.
Themed museums
Main highlights
- Museum dedicated to food, billed as the first in the world devoted solely to this theme
- Three interactive permanent exhibitions on society, the body and food production
- Vegetable garden and cooking workshops to cook and garden alongside professionals
Overview
The Alimentarium opened in 1985 in Vevey and was fully renovated in 2016. It occupies a neoclassical building on the shores of Lake Geneva, the former headquarters of Nestlé, which founded the museum. Run by an independent foundation, it offers a scientific, historical and cultural approach to food.
In front of the entrance, an 8-metre fork planted in the lake, a work by artist Jean-Pierre Zaugg, has become a symbol of the town. Across more than 1,500 m², the museum covers the production and processing of food, public health, social rituals and the food challenges of the future.
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What to see and do
The visit is built around three themes : “Food and Society”, “Body and Food” and “From Farm to Fork”. Interactive displays, historical objects and multimedia installations show how eating habits have changed across eras and cultures, how food affects the body, and the journey of food from production to consumption. The exhibitions engage all five senses.
Facing the lake, the 900 m² educational vegetable garden brings together more than 200 varieties of edible and aromatic plants, arranged by theme : medicinal plants, forgotten vegetables, cereals. Gardening workshops follow the plant cycle, from seed to plate, according to the principles of organic farming.
In the educational kitchen, professionals lead cooking workshops for children and adults : cooking techniques, flavours of the world, balanced cuisine.
Practical information
Getting there : Vevey railway station is a 10-minute walk away, the boat landing stage 5 minutes and the “Vevey-Marché” bus stop 3 minutes. Public car parks nearby.
Length of visit : allow at least 2 hours on site.
Visitors : the museum is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility. Trails and activity booklets for children.
On site : café-restaurant with a lakeside terrace, partly cooking with produce from the garden.
Visitor tips
Book cooking and gardening workshops in advance, as places are limited, especially at weekends and during school holidays. Before your visit, download the museum’s free mobile app, which offers additional content and games.
This place is part of the Discover Vevey on foot selection.
Nearby
- The Musée Jenisch, in Vevey, presents five centuries of paintings, drawings and prints.
- The Charlie Chaplin Statue, on the Vevey waterfront, pays tribute to the director and actor.
- The Quai Perdonnet is a lakeside promenade with views over Lake Geneva.
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