Games you actually play
You sit and try rather than look through glass.
Werner Kratz — CC BY 2.0 · Traumrune — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Werner Kratz from Solothurn, Switzerland — CC BY 2.0 · Micha L. Rieser — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Swiss Museum of Games occupies a **thirteenth-century castle** on the shore of Lake Geneva in the town of La Tour-de-Peilz between Montreux and Vevey — and it is the only one of its kind in Switzerland: a museum devoted to play in all its forms across history and cultures. The collection holds thousands of games from every continent: ancient board games (chess, dice, mancala, Egyptian and Roman games), card games, games of chance and skill, children's games, and early video games — arranged thematically to explain why humans play at all and what play says about their societies. What makes it excellent for families is that it is **interactive**: every section has games actually available to play — you sit down and try them rather than looking through glass — and the courtyard and the castle's lakeside garden hold oversized games. An enjoyable ninety minutes in a beautiful historic setting.
You sit and try rather than look through glass.
From African mancala to early video games.
Right on the water with oversized games — free.
Château de La Tour-de-Peilz, 1814 La Tour-de-Peilz
Alimentarium Food MuseumThe Alimentarium is **the world's first museum devoted entirely to food**, opene11 minutes walk4.0
Swiss Camera MuseumThe Swiss Camera Museum in the heart of Vevey tells the story of photography fro15 minutes walk4.6
Château de l'AileA nineteenth-century château on the Lake Geneva waterfront in Vevey, right at th16 minutes walk4.3
VeveyVevey is an elegant town on Lake Geneva six minutes by train from Montreux, and 20 minutes walkAmong the region's best family options, especially on a rainy day: children actually play rather than watch, the setting is a beautiful historic castle, and the fee is reasonable. Suitable from about age four. Combine it with the castle's lakeside garden (free) and the promenade walk to Vevey — short, level and lovely.