Lavaux

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A view of the grapes and the lake on a fine fall day in Grandvaux

Lavaux [1] is 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, and including 6 villages and the city of Vevey. Lavaux has been has been recognised as a world heritage site by Unesco.

[edit] Get in

[edit] Train

The main cities of the Lavaux are Lausanne, Vevey, and Montreux and service along the line connecting them is frequent. 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. Regional trains run to many of the smaller towns in the Lavaux, but only those that happen to be along the major lines.

[edit] Boat

Castles and vineyards are everywhere in Lavaux

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 a local Domain de Crusaz as 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.

[edit] Get around

[edit] 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, and the train stations are often in the suburban commerce centers away from the vineyards themselves. There is also a Train-des-Vignes that runs from Vevey to Chexbres 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 1080m which has a viewing tower), a train from Vevey to Les Pleiades (1360m), and several others. Although not exactly the Lavaux, the cogwheel train from Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye (2042m) is recommendable for its excellent views on a clear day (although slightly expensive).

[edit] 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 an 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 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.

[edit] 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.

If you are athletic, cycling is probably the best way to daytrip the 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.

[edit] By car

The Lavaux could make for some nice drives, but this is discouraged. You will miss the best views and the peacefulness of the place if you stay in your car for too long.

The coast of Lavaux seen from a CGN steamboat

One of the great joys of spending your leisure time in a place like the Lavaux can be exploring on foot. There are thousands of footpaths and stairways linking the vineyards with the major villages and the cities of Lausanne and Vevey.

• Le Petit Train de Lavaux +41 21 799 54 54. [2] 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 10 Chf per adult, or 5 Chf for children (who love it). Groups can charter the Petit Train outside of the normal schedule for 265 Chf, which is a good deal if you have a group of 35 (the maximum capacity of the train).

[edit] Do

• Montreux Jazz Festival
• 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.

[edit] Eat

[edit] Budget

• Coop and Migros supermarkets, which you will find easily in the larger towns including Lausanne, Chexbres, Vevey, and Montreux. 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.

[edit] Mid Range

• Restaurant du Léman Grand rue 19, Lutry. +41 21 791 33 87. This little Peruvian restraurant is right in the heart of Lutry village. They also have an extensive menu of Swiss and Provencial favorites so you are still well taken care of during one of the "chef de cuisine"'s trips back home to Peru.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Camping de Moratel, Cully
• Camping du Portillon, Lutry

[edit] Mid-range

• Au Major Davel, Cully
• Chambres d'hôtes à Cully, Chemin du Vigny 10, Cully, tel and fax: +41 21 799 38 12 (email: levigny@lavaux.com) [3] Lovely bed and breakfast in the middle of the vineyards, about five minutes walk from the train station. The proprietress, Yolande Perdrizat-Duboux serves breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake in good weather. Yolande speaks no English, though her apprentice Florine speaks some. CHF50
• Comfort Hotel Intereurope, Cully
• Auberge de la Crochettaz, Dézaley-Puidoux
• Relais de la Poste, Grandvaux

[edit] Splurge

• Le Rivage, Lutry
• Auberge du Raisin, Cully