Exactly 180 years ago, in September 1836, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol thought about where to wait out the rains and bad weather, so familiar to autumn Russia. Having received several letters of recommendation from Prince Vyazemsky, Gogol headed to Switzerland. The writer built his route spontaneously. His main guidelines were his mood and the dictates of his spirit.
Let’s walk that autumn route together!
Nikolai Vasilyevich began his journey from Basel, located at the intersection of the borders of Switzerland, France and Germany. Today this city is considered the third most populous in the country. You definitely won’t be bored in Basel! There is a large selection of magnificent art museums, a perfectly preserved Old Town, cathedrals, the town hall, wonderful fountains that work even in winter. The architecture of the city will pleasantly surprise you with its diversity, because both antiquity and avant-garde art perfectly coexist here. Don’t forget to take a stroll through the botanical gardens of the University of Basel, one of the oldest in the world. And as a gift from this ancient city, be sure to bring chocolate, traditional Basler Lackerli cookies and a watch.
From Basel Gogol went straight to Bern.
The Swiss call Bern the most beautiful city in their country. The name comes from the word “bear”. The Old Town here is also associated with the clubfoot and is called the “Bear Pit”, and all its buildings, including the Federal Palace Bundeshaus, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Bern is famous for its Cathedral. More than 200 sculptures on its walls reveal the theme of the Last Judgment.
One of the favorite places of all tourists in Bern is considered to be Rose Garden, the collection of which includes about 8,000 roses, not counting irises and rhododendrons.
As for children, they will undoubtedly be interested in seeing the miniature railway in Gurten Park.
Walking around the city, be sure to check out the Einstein House Museum, where the scientist rented an apartment and wrote his famous theory of relativity.
The third city on Gogol’s path was Lausanne.
Fed up with museums? No problem! Visit Lake Leman, on the banks of which stands the castle of Ouchy (chateau d’Ouchy),
built in the 12th century. You can’t easily get into the castle itself, but know that it functions as a hotel.
After relaxing your soul in nature, go to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, the construction of which began in the 12th century and lasted as much as 100 years. Today it is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Don’t miss Castle Sainte-Marie,, replete with labyrinths and secret passages.
By the way, if you didn’t know, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the headquarters of the Olympic Committee are located in Lausanne, where today you can see how the sport has changed over time.
After Lausanne, Gogol stopped in Geneva. There he leisurely walked along the shore of the lake, looked around the city and re-read Walter Scott.
Geneva, like many other cities in Switzerland, is famous for its cathedrals, fountains and gardens. From the museums, you can look into the Patek Philippe Watch Museum, which displays a large collection of antique watches and the history of Swiss watchmaking in general.
The oldest building in Geneva is Maison Tavel, open as a museum, which you can visit completely free of charge.
How about a picnic on the banks of the Rhone? Stop by a local store for a bottle of wine, some cheese, some fruit, and sit on a bench overlooking the river.
After leaving Geneva, Nikolai Vasilyevich headed to the town of Ferney (now Ferney Voltaire),
where Voltaire once lived.
Photo: ferniecastle.co.uk
“The old man lived well,” he wrote after this trip. — There is a long, beautiful alley leading to it. A two-story house made of gray stone. From the hall there is a door to his bedroom, which was also his office. The bed had been remade, the old muslin blanket was barely holding on, and I just imagined that the door was about to open and an old man in a familiar wig, with an unfastened bow, would come in and ask: “what do you want?”
… I sighed and scrawled my name in Russian letters, without realizing why.”
Take a look at the old Ferney Castle. You might even be lucky enough to find that same autograph.
Having honored the memory of Voltaire, Gogol went to bow to another giant of those places: Mount Mont Blanc.
Together with a guide, he climbed the slopes, reached the snow, walked along the glacier and, returning to Geneva, wrote to his mother:
“It takes four days to climb to the top of Mont Blanc. There is snow in front of you, there is snow above you, there is snow around you, there is no earth below: instead you see clouds in several rows. It was cold, and instead of a light frock coat I put on a warm raincoat. Going down, it became warmer and warmer, finally the clouds passed by, finally the sun hid, finally I found myself again in the rain, I had to take an umbrella, and that’s how I went down into the valley.”
Today you can trek around Mont Blanc along the classic route, which starts and ends in Les Houches.
September 21, 1836 Gogol wrote to his mother from Lausanne: “Now I am going to Vevey, a small town not far from Lausanne. Travelers, especially Russians, come to this city to take advantage of the grape treatment.”
In Vevey, Gogol stayed in a small boarding house. There, the long-standing melancholy finally left him and he was overcome by the desire to continue writing “Dead Souls.”
Visit the city embankment, where the monument to Gogol was unveiled in 2009. There you will also see a full-length monument to Charlie Chaplin. The silent film genius spent the end of his life in this city. And right opposite Chaplin there is a monument to the fork, opened by the Jenisch Museum in honor of its tenth anniversary.
Vevey is very picturesque. Take the cable car up the mountain Mont Pelerin, visit the food museum, created by Nestlé, visit the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, built at the expense of Count Shuvalov in memory of his daughter. Enjoy this wonderful town to your heart’s content!
And after Switzerland, Gogol will go to Italy, but that’s a completely different story…
Author: Elena Yatsenko
