VEVEY, a small town in the Swiss canton of Vaud, near the eastern extremity of the Lake of Geneva. Pop. (1930) 13,036; (1920), 12,768, of whom 9,634 were French-speaking, while there were 8,692 Protestants, 3,835 Roman Catholics and 74 Jews.
Vevey was a Roman settlement (Viviscus) and later formed part of the barony of Vaud, that was held by the counts and dukes of Savoy till 1536, when it was conquered by Bern. In 1798 it was freed from Bernese rule and became part of the canton du Leman (renamed canton de Vaud in 1803) of the Helvetic Republic.
Vevey is by rail 12 m. S.E. of Lausanne, and is well served by steamers plying over the Lake of Geneva. It is the second town in point of population in the canton. It stands at the mouth of the Veveyse, and commands fine views of the mountains. The whole of the surrounding country is covered with vineyards. Every twenty years or so the Fête des Vignerons is held here by an ancient gild of vinedressers. It was last held in 1927.