SWITZERLAND // Western Europe's biggest lake is a beauty, backdropped by the French and Swiss Alps and flanked by alarmingly steep terraced vineyards. Turreted chateaux, luxe manor houses and ritzy hotels sprinkle its shores, all offering a slice of la grande vie (the high life). While culture-rammed Geneva and upbeat Lausanne make terrific springboards for exploring, it's the little places beading the shores of Lac Léman (as it's known locally) that will really tug at your heartstrings. Top billing goes to the World Heritage-listed wine region of Lavaux, whose unique serried vineyards corduroy the hillsides. But Montreux, home to a legendary jazz festival, Vevey, with its sublime views, food and wine, and medieval Château de Chillon, should be way up on your wish list, too.