Skip to content

Nyon Castle And My Tortured Visit

Nyon Castle is a medieval fortress on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Nyon Castle is a medieval fortress on the banks of Lake Geneva. Constructed in the 1200’s, it was used as a prison until around 25 years ago. Castles like this one always make me think of Cinderella. I tend to skip around them like a child and expect fairy tale creatures around every corner.

Nyon Castle houses a porcelain museum.
An example of Nyon porcelain.

Nyon Castle houses a porcelain museum. Nyon was one of the first European centers of porcelain. And if I’d known, I never would’ve darkened the door. I’m addicted to dishes. They. Are. Crack.

 An example of porcelain I covet. Who uses covered soup tureens in 2017???

Like any good Southern girl, I assembled my trousseau, and it included a set of Bavarian porcelain. 12 place settings, plus serving pieces. My mother gave me her wedding China from the 1960s, and I wasn’t satisfied until I had 12 place settings and matching serving pieces. I have Christmas china. I own a set of flowery stone wear. Don’t need any more dishes.

AND MY FINGERS TWITCHED THROUGH THIS PLACE OF TORTURE.

I wanted one of everything. I made a list of pieces I liked, figuring I might buy one or two in the shop. NOPENOPENOPE. 240 francs!!!! I left despondent, but not broke.

case for Nyon Castle porcelain
What MTM needs to buy me so that I can carry some porcelain wherever I go.

All three Nyon museums are a joint admission. Only 8 francs. A Swiss bargain!

Turret in Nyon Castle
Turret in sunlight and shadow.

In addition to porcelain, the museum has a small art collection on display. Here, a bust by Canova, one of my favorite sculptors.

bust by Canova in Nyon Castle

Castle acoustics are remarkable. For that reason, Nyon Castle sports a play-as-you-like piano situated for maximum sound penetration. I wish I still played well enough to try it. This guy was brilliant.

Here I am sweating on the train back to Trélex and my room in Maison Binet for my writing residency.

train from Nyon Castle to Trelex Switzerland

Do you like dishes?

How many sets do you have? Tell me in the comments, and let me know I’m not the only one with this problem.

Follow Me!

Share this post

2 Comments

  1. beautiful – i am addicted to green glassware

  2. Beautiful. I’m addicted to all sorts of beautiful things.

Comments are closed.

Copyright Andra Watkins © 2024
Site Design: AGW Knapper