SCHWEIZ / SUISSE / SVIZZERA / SVIZRA	SWITZERLAND
Waadt / Vaud / Vaud / Vad

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Vevey is situated at an elevation of 383 m at the northern shore of Lake Geneva. Vevey is the capital of the district Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut within the canton Vaud and has a population of about 16,600 (2005).

Vevey was first mentioned under the name Ouikos by the Greek astronomer and philosopher Ptolemy. During the Roman times it became known under the Latin name Viviscus. In the 5th century the place was mentioned as Bibiscon. The names used in Medieval times were Viviscum (1011), Vivesium (1017), Vivois (1163), Vives (1177), Vivex (12th century) and Viveis (1225). Around 1000 it belonged to the kingdom of Upper Burgundy. In 1011 it came in possession of the bishops of Lausanne, followed in 1250 by the counts of Savoy. In the course of the 14th century, Vevey became an inmportant trading place of the region. With the conquest in 1536 of Vaud by Bern, Vevey came under the rule of Berne. The bailiffs who ruled the area at first resided at Chillon, but moved their seat to Vevey in 1735. Between 1798 and 1803, the period of the Helvetic Republic, Vevey was part of the canton Léman, which in 1803 was incorporated (without Geneva) into the canton Vaud (Waadt). In the 19th century, Vevey became an important industrial centre but also became popular as a tourist resort.