hi Sally,

St.Cergue,  St. Prex , Murten/Morat, Montreux are the places to visit , cheers

Wonderful, thank you both for the recommendations 

What you are asking for is Murren. But you have to drive for 2 hours to Lauterbrunnen and then take the funiculare to Murren (which is pedestrian only). Beautiful scenery, great paths for walking, and you will go by Bern and Interlaken. On the way back, you can stop in the historic center of Bern for a great dinner. Well worth it, but it is more than one hour away.

Alternatives which are closer:

1. Drive along the north shore of Lac Leman, get off the A9 to drive by the terraced Lavaux vineyards, press on to Montreux for wonderful views, and visit the Chillon castle. A packed itinerary, touristy, but well-worth it, especially for first time visitors.

You can press on to Gruyere, for a visit of the village and the castle and have a great Fondue or Raclette dinner, right where the cheese is made.

Or if you are not up for Gruyere, stop in Vevey, next to Montreux and take the funiculare to Mt. Pellerin, for some of the best views of the lake and the Alps in the background.

2. Go to Annecy. The old village is beautiful, drive along the picturesque east shore of the lake. The Chateau Menthon St. Bernard is open for visits. From there you can go on to La Clusaz, take the lift to Beauregard for a nice walk, and have coffee or drinks with spectacular views of the Col de Aravis. There are good restaurants in La Clusaz or you can go back to Annecy for your Fondue or raclette dinner, or, if you have the energy, drive north to Abondance, where you can try the local cheese.

These two itineraries are not the out of the throdden path, quiet visit to a charming alpine village you seem to be looking for. Murren is a better option for that. Or Grindelwald, which is on the valley next to the one Murren is in, but, again, it involves a longer drive. By the way, once in Murren you can continue in the telepherique to the top of the Piz Gloria.

Another option that you won't regret is Zermatt, with a view of the Matterhorn, but it involves  a two and a half hour drive, with the last segment in a train. Either a very long day or a weekend trip

There is always Chamonix, in the foothills of Mont Blanc, only an hour away. The village is charming and you can take the funiculare to the top of Mont Blanc or go to the glacier. Beautiful, but it does not have the feeling of a remote alpine village.

Thank you JR M, those are brilliant ideas! Very much appreciated!

You and your friends would be very welcome to our side of the lake too [Evian, Thonon, Amphion, Yvoire] where there is much to see and do, including historical walks. Take the boat from Ouchy for a 35 minute journey and have lunch [at our recommendation] in the Franco-Suisse restaurant in the pedestrian Rue Nationale. This way, you wont have to use a car, nor wonder about parking!

JR M said it all. Cannot agree more

Fantastic, thank you :)

Following up on the previous posts, I would recommend a hiking in the mountains around Gruyère-Charmey (the mountains are not very high, with several easy hikes), a stop in a warm bath in Charmey and a fondue in the Gruyère area.