The delightful town of Nyon is tucked into the shore of Lake Geneva, cradled amidst the vineyards of La Côte roughly halfway between Geneva and Lausanne.

Headquarters to the European football governing body, UEFA, and home to major pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, such as Novartis and Beckman Coulter, the small town is also a major hub for international money-broking.

A considerable number of residents based in Nyon commute to nearby Geneva, which serves as headquarters to major institutions and organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations and UNICEF, to name but a few.

Families will find a selection of excellent local and international schools, fabulous mid-week and Saturday markets selling delectable local produce, as well as shops stocking staples from the US and UK, such as HP sauce.

A refreshing place in which to settle, Nyon provides a near-perfect equilibrium of cosmopolitan and local flavor, maintaining a calm residential charm balanced with a vibrant cultural calendar that hugely appeals to all ages.

This hip little town is home to the summer Paléo festival, which in 2012 attracted more than 230,000 festivalgoers over a six-day period, who flocked to see headlining acts such as Kravitz, Caravan Palace and Sting.

Immortalized within the comic strip Tintin, fans can retrace the thrilling journey that Tintin and Captain Haddock made through Nyon on the trail of Professor Calculus. Residents relish the wonderful array of lakeside activities by day and a myriad bars and restaurants by night.

What is special or unique about your city?


Lying on the shores of Lake Geneva, Nyon is a nice little town in the canton of Vaud. It is located some 25 kilometers northeast of Geneva's city center, in the region called La Côte. Since the 1970s, it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. Nyon is also located near the Jura Mountain where one can ski in St-Cergue.
 
Nyon hosts a modern hospital, a movie theater, numerous hotels, restaurants and cafes, especially along the lake front. The town is best known on the international stage as the home of the headquarters for UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe. It is also the seat of the international headquarters of the global union federation, Union Network International. During the last week of July each year, Nyon hosts the Paléo Festival, the second-largest outdoor festival in Europe. Nyon also hosts the Visions du Réel international film festival every April. All of this makes Nyon an animated little town, although protected from the busy and stressful atmosphere of a city.

What are a newcomer's first impressions of your city?


All newcomers arriving in Nyon are surprised by the beauty of the region: the lake, the mountains, and the old town of Nyon. One finds people of almost all nationalities well integrated in the city. As in the rest of Switzerland, Nyon is also a very safe place.

What is the local language?


French

How easily could I live in this city without knowing this language?


As Nyon has a lot of international companies and international organizations, we can easily say that the second language here is English. However, it is advisable to start learning French without delay.

What are good things to remember in order to avoid offending the other residents of this city?


Although Nyon is often compared to a Geneva suburb (as it is very close to Geneva canton and has the same phone code area as Geneva,) remember that Nyon is part of the canton of Vaud!

How might the local weather affect my daily life?


In the summer, it can get as warm as 30° Celsius (86° Fahrenheit). In the winter, it can drop to between 0° to -20° Celsius (-50° to -68° Fahrenheit) with snowfall.

Is there anything else I should know about the overall character of your city or its people?


Nyon is easy to reach from anywhere in Switzerland: by road (the A1 motorways), by rail (both the Swiss Federal Railway network) and even by water via the Compagnie Générale de Navigation ferries along Lake Geneva. It is also near to Geneva, which you can reach by air. Nyon is close to many popular excursion destinations, such as Montreux and Chillon Castle, Zermatt and the Matterhorn, the Jungfrau and Lucerne, the historical region of Gruyères, the Les Diablerets glacier, the Vaud Alps and the southern part of France.