Lavaux

Lavaux is internationally famous as a terraced wine-growing region on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in western Switzerland. It covers the territory roughly from Lausanne to Montreux, extending to an altitude of roughly 500 meters above lake level and including 6 lake shore villages and the city of Vevey.

Understand

Part of the Lavaux (bas-Lavaux) has been recognised since 2007 as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The territories of two additional communes Savigny and Forel, also belong to the Lavaux, but lie entirely outside the UNESCO world heritage site. With only distant glimpses of the lake, at 700–900 meters altitude, along with the upper reaches of the commune of Puidoux, these outlying parts of the Lavaux lie too high above the Léman for commercial wine-growing, but nevertheless benefit from stunning views of the entire mountain range from the Moléson of the Fribourgeois Préalps to the Dent D'Oche of the Chablais Français. In winter the haut-Lavaux is often sufficiently snow-covered that it is not unusual to encounter off-piste cross-country skiers on the rolling farmland and abundant forest trails. In Autumn, Savigny and Forel may bask in sunny blue skies on the days when Lausanne and the bas-Lavaux remain shrouded in mist. Highly accurate local weather predictions for the region can be had from the web site of the local weather station, MeteoLavaux.

Get in

By train

From Lausanne or Vevey many Lavaux villages are reachable by train within a few minutes : Lutry, Vilette, Cully, Epesses, Rivaz and St-Saphorin with the S1, S2 and S3 trains. Chexbres is reachable from Vevey with the S31 train. Lausanne has good connections to other major cities of Switzerland, including Geneva, Bern, and Zurich. Most trains run roughly between around 5am and midnight everyday of the week, though the number of trains is somewhat more limited on Sundays and holidays. For details check the website of the Swiss Federal Railway.

By boat

One of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon anywhere is to take a boat from the port of Ouchy on the Lakefront of Lausanne or from Vevey or Montreux. Enjoy the terraces which produced it roll by at a leisurely steam-powered pace. It's possible (although a much longer ride) to take the same steamboat all the way from Geneva or Evian. The steamboat ports in the Lavaux include Lutry, Cully, Rivaz, and Vevey.

Get around

By train

The regional trains stop at many of the villages along the way and can be used to get around . However, the Lausanne-Montreux line runs close to the bottom of the Lavaux, near the big lake, so you are guaranteed to see almost nothing on the train ride (except gorgeous views of LacLéman and the Savoie Alps between Lutry and Vevey), and the train stations are often in the suburban commerce centers of the larger municipalities, away from the vineyards themselves. There is also a Train-des-Vignes that runs from Vevey to Puidoux which can be quite scenic if you aren't fit enough to hike or walk around the Lavaux. There is also a funicular from Vevey to Mont-Pelerin station (where you can walk in perhaps 1.5 hours to the Mont-Pelerin summit at 1080 m which has a viewing tower), a train from Vevey to Les Pleiades (1360 m), and several others. Although not exactly the Lavaux, the cogwheel train from Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye (2042 m) is great because of excellent views on a clear day (although slightly expensive).

By bus

Regular buses (No. 65 service) run 7 days a week from the Lausanne Metro stop "La Sallaz" to the Lavaux's high altitude communes of Savigny and Forel. These two villages make ideal starting points for countryside walks, or family cycle trips on quiet lanes. (cycle transport is permitted on the buses, and for the adventurous but lazy, electric cycles can be rented in Forel).

On foot

A fit traveler should be able to reach the village of Cully, in the center of the Lavaux from the port of Ouchy in Lausanne in about two hours. If you're feeling more ambitious consider the popular walking tour of Lavaux vineyards. The whole walk from Chateau d'Ouchy (Lausanne) to Chateau de Chillion (Montreux) takes about 9 hours, not counting stops for wine-tasting and picnics. This should make for a relaxing 3-day itinerary if you book hotels at villages along the way. The Montreux-Vevey tourism board offers an excellent brochure with a detailed map of the entire bas-lavaux region called "A la découverte des terraces de Lavaux". It can be obtained upon arrival in Lausanne at the tourist office immediately outside the train station.

For no apparently good reason, it is much harder to find official guides detailing the footpaths and bike trails of Savigny and Forel, but the region is packed with gems for the discerning explorer, and is liberally peppered with charming, inexpensive places to stay. At least one web-site provides an excellent source of attractive bed and breakfast accommodations throughout the entire Lavaux (haut et bas), which are not to be found through the Montreux-Vevey tourist board's site .

On bicycle

Cyclists with strong legs and a decent bicycle may find the Lavaux to be a great place to cycle some hills, and the entire Lausanne-Montreux stretch is easily doable in anywhere from under 2 hours (if you take the uninteresting path the waterfront level) or in a full day (if you take the scenic and paved Route de la Corniche along the vineyards and make plenty of photo stops along the way). Be prepared to walk your bicycle on some roads that are too steep, test your brakes very well, and watch out for extremely steep sections of roads around the corner when descending along vineyard routes. Cycles could be rented in Lausanne for those without one in Switzerland. Get the brochure described above if you don't have a cycling map. For the more adventurous, why not also discover the Lavaux's hinterlands by pedalpower. An abundance of quiet well signed cyclable routes cover the unspoiled countryside between the Mont Pelerin (above Chardonne) and the communes of Puidoux, Forel and Savigny, from where you can freewheel all the way back down to the lakeshore at Lutry (if your bike has reliable breaks).

If you are athletic, cycling is probably the best way to daytrip the bas-Lavaux because you will always be going right alongside the vineyards and villages rather than at the train stations below, and unlike driving, you can stop anywhere at ease to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Start in Lausanne's waterfront at Ouchy, and simply hug the coast until you get to Lutry's old town; turn left, go uphill, and look for the Chateau de Bertholod sitting amongst vineyards. From there, simply follow a map, signs, or your desires eastward; it's hard to not reach Montreux because you will always have the giant lake in view to guide you. The Route de la Petite Corniche which later becomes the Route de la Corniche are particularly scenic. You can even stop in Chexbres for a budget lunch at the Coop, and then continue onwards. When you reach Montreux, catch an S train back to Lausanne with a bicycle ticket, or cycle back via the flat and fast roads at waterfront level.

By car

The Route de la Corniche, between Lutry and Vevey makes for a nice drive, and there are a couple of parking spots on the way should you feel the urge to snap a picture. You will, however, miss the best views and the peacefulness of the place if you stay in your car for too long.

One of the great joys of spending your leisure time in a place like the Lavaux can be exploring on foot. There are dozens of footpaths and stairways linking the vineyards with the major villages and the cities of Lausanne and Vevey. For the fit, a trip up through the vineyards to the Tour de Gourze in the commune of Riez will reward you with fantastic views of the entire length of the Lac Léman as well as the possibility of a tempting fondue on an atmospheric terrace known only to the locals. The Tour can be reached by car, but beware, the road is narrow and steep.

  • Le Petit Train de Lavaux +41 21 791 62 62. If you get tired of walking there is a "Petit train" which leaves regularly from the villages of Lutry and Cully and which stops at many of the major vineyards and wine cellars. It is actually a tractor dressed up as a train, which pulls two covered carriages around the footpaths among the vineyards. The price is Fr. 10 per adult, or Fr. 5 for children (who love it). Groups can charter the Petit Train outside of the normal schedule for a starting price of Fr. 200, which is a good deal if you have a group of 34 (the maximum capacity of the train).

Do
  • Montreux Jazz Festival. (updated Jan 2017)
  • The Cully Jazz Festival. Usually held during the last week of March or the First week of April, the Cully Jazz festival features mainstream and offbeat jazz artists from around the world. During the festival many of the village's wine-growers open their caveaux to festival goers as bars featuring their own produce and a selection of wines and beers from elsewhere. 

Eat

Budget
  • Coop and Migros supermarkets, which you will find easily in the larger towns including Lausanne, Chexbres, Vevey, Montreux and Savigny. Pack a lunch from there and plenty of water before you go on a long walk. The tiny villages in the vineyards usually do not have grocery stores. Lutry and Cully have grocery stores, which are even open on Sunday morning. But your best bet is to check out the villages' glorious open-air markets, which offer local produce, meats, and dairy products, all of outstanding quality and authenticity. The days/hours when the markets operate in each village can be found by consulting the list of Swiss municipalities for Canton Vaud .
  • 🌍 La Tour de Gourze, Route de la Tour-de-Gourze 26, 1097 Bourg-en-Lavaux (From the Highway, exit at Chexbres towards Puidoux.), ☏ +41 21 781 14 74. Probably one of the highest points overlooking the lake, the restaurant is hidden among the many small backroads and at the end of an extremely steep incline. The view, however, can hardly be beat. Local specialties include fondue, cold cuts and rösti. Because of the height (900m) evenings can be chilly, even when the rest of the region basks in Summer time heat. Fondue Fr. 20. (updated Aug 2016)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Café du Raisin, Ruelle Romaine 1, 1071 St-Saphorin (Right along the Route cantonale along the lake, across from the Saint-Saphorin train station), ☏ +41 21 921 13 27. A nice little café/restaurant with an amazing view on the lake and the Alps. Local classics include filets de perche and wine from the surrounding vineyards is also available. Filets de perches Fr. 33. (updated Aug 2016)

Splurge

Drink
  • 🌍 Le Deck, Route de la Corniche 4, 1070 Chexbres (Along the route de la Corniche, juste before reaching Chexbres), ☏ +41 21 926 60 00. 11:00-22:30. This extension to the Baron Tavernier hotel and restaurant really is a deck overlooking the whole Lavaux. Chill out in the classy seating with Lausanne's expats. $$. (updated Aug 2016)

Sleep

Budget
  • Camping de Moratel, Cully
  • Camping du Portillon, Lutry
  • Camping des Cases, Forel (Lavaux)

Mid-range

This site provides details of a good selection of attractive, affordable B&Bs throughout the Lavaux region.

Splurge

Go next
  • Lausanne to the northwest along the lakeshore
  • Vevey to the southeast along the lakeshore
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