Restored Belle Époque steamer returns to Lake Geneva

The renovated 108-year-old Belle Epoque boat was relaunched at Ouchy on Lake Geneva on Thursday CGN

The “Italie”, a 108-year-old Belle Époque paddle steamer, has been restored and relaunched on Lake Geneva at Ouchy, near Lausanne, after an 18-month renovation.

The 1908 paddleboat is one of eight Belle Époque boats that Lake Geneva’s main boat operator External linkuses to link cities and towns around the lake.

The 63-metre-long steamer cost CHF13.6 million ($13.77 million) to renovate with funds from a private-public partnership via the Friends of Lake Geneva Paddler-steamers AssociationExternal link and canton Vaud.

A view inside ‘Italie’s’ restored dining room Keystone

The boat has been out of service since 2005. For half a century it crisscrossed the 73-kilometre-long lake from Geneva to Le Bouveret twice a day. It can carry 560 passengers.

The ‘Italie’ took 18 months to be fully renovated CGN

For 100 years, paddle steamers have been plying the Swiss lakes. More than mere modes of transport, they have become part of the country’s heritage.

They first entered service on Lake Geneva between 1904 and 1927. They are popular for sightseeing, lunch, and dinner cruises from Geneva, Lausanne, Evian, and other ports on the lake. But they are also used by cross-border workers who commute between France and Switzerland every day.

The Lake Geneva steamers are considered the biggest Belle Époque fleet in the world in terms of passenger capacity. Paddle steamers also are in use on lakes Lucerne, Zurich, Brienz, Thun and Constance.