Geneva gives visitors only a tantalizing glimpse of the beauty surrounding Lake Geneva, the long crescent of water separating Switzerland from alpine France. Step onto one of the many lake steamers for a knock-your-socks-off tour of mountain scenery, vineyard-covered slopes, photo-worthy stone villages, Belle Époque hotels, even a famous castle. Step off at any of these to explore the Swiss Riviera.

In Vevey, visit the Alimentarium food museum or alight at the Vevey-La Tour quay for a brilliant lunch at Hotel du Lac, setting for the prize-winning book of the same name. Alight at Rivaz-Saint-Saphorin for a stroll through the UNESCO-acclaimed Lavaux vineyards, which you’ll have admired from the boat. The walking path to the medieval stone village of Saint-Saphorin leads past wineries open for tastings and is signposted with information on viniculture here since Roman times; lake views are spectacular. At glitzy Montreux, disembark to board the narrow-gauge Rochers-de-Naye rack railway, ascending to 360-degree alpine views. Just past Montreux, the magnificent Château de Chillon rises right from the lake and merits its own steamer stop.

Eight of the 20 boats of Lake Geneva Navigation Co. are historic paddle wheelers, and all have seating on deck or inside glass-walled salons, where meals and snacks are served. Or stop at Lausanne for a lakeside dinner at Château d’Ouchy, returning to Geneva by train.