Lavaux Vineyard Terraces: A Beautiful Walk in Switzerland

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are in Switzerland along the shores of Lake Geneva.

Yes.

Vineyards in Switzerland.

I bet you don’t think of vineyards or wine when you think of Switzerland.

Admit it.

You think of snow-capped mountains, half-timbered houses, neutrality, precise watches, on time trains, Swiss bank accounts, Heidi and tasty Swiss chocolate.

I think of those things too. But, I also think of beautiful cities, quaint towns, stunning lakes and vineyards — and chocolate. Mmmmm….chocolate. My mouth is watering thinking about how good the chocolate is there. It’s tasty!

But there are these gorgeous vineyards — the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces  — along the shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) that are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So let’s learn a bit more about this beautiful area.

 

Where exactly are the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces?

This UNESCO site is just an hour train ride from Geneva.

I have the good fortune of having a wonderful friend who lives in Geneva, the beautiful city on the lake of the same name on the border with France, which is how I personally found out about this incredible destination.

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces run for 30km along the northern shore of Lake Geneva from just East of Lausanne to Chateau de Chillon.

So these vineyards have that wonderful southern exposure which means good grapes for delicious wine.

 

What makes these vineyards so special?

Well, admittedly, the location on the slopes of Lake Geneva — making the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces incredibly picturesque — is one aspect that makes these vineyards pretty damn special.

But it’s also the history.

While it’s thought that there were vines here back in Roman times, the present day vines can be traced to the 11th century.

Wowzers!

This is when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area.

Leave it to those crazy monks! They’ve always been prolific wine makers!

According to UNESCO:

“It is an outstanding example of a centuries-long interaction between people and their environment, developed to optimize local resources so as to produce a highly valued wine that has always been important to the economy.”

And people who have lived and continue to live in this area keep cultivating the vineyards and producing fabulous wine.

 

What is there to experience in the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces?

Duh!

Wine.

So, okay there is definitely more than wine.

But let’s face it, that’s the tastiest reason to go.

Let’s back up a bit first.

For me one of the best things to do in the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces is to walk through them.

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces walk goes from Lutry to St Saphorin.

You may hear it referred to as the Lutry vineyard walk or the St Saphorin vineyard walk.

It’s an easy train ride from Geneva to either of these towns where you can then walk to the other and train back to Geneva.

The trail is 11-12km long and is a relatively flat paved trail.

There are stunning views of Lac Léman and the Swiss Alps.

You’ll wend your way through little towns and villages such as Cully, Epesses and Rivaz — each is beautiful and quaint and each has its own personality.

These are fun to explore and not simply pass through.

I’d like to note 2 things.

One is that, while there are quite a few wineries along the route, they’re not open all the time.

So check the calendar at the wine growers association.

There are, of course, places to eat or drink in the towns, but again, you’ll want to be aware of opening hours.

The other thing I’d note is that there is no shade as you walk the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces trail, so bring plenty of water and be careful if you’re out in summer.

 

My experience of the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces

My friend and I trained from Geneva to Lutry and walked to St Saphorin in early September.

She had made the walk in the opposite direction a couple of months prior so wanted to try it in reverse.

The morning was a bit foggy but the sun was still out.

It was warm though not overly hot.

We had plenty of water and had packed a nice array of food to get us through the walk.

We didn’t see any wineries open on our weekday journey, but this was okay for us as we enjoyed stopping for a while in each town, exploring and photographing.

There are loads of photo opportunities along the Lavaux Vineyard Terrace trail — from stunning views to the mountains to the little details we found in the villages. We even spotted a grey heron along the track.

When we ended our walk in St Saphorin, we treated ourselves to the lovely white wine made from the Chasselas grape.

The wines from this grape are light and crisp with a nice minerality to them. You might even detect a subtle hint of salt. They’re also low in alcohol.

These wines are very drinkable and just fit where they come from.

We finished our time, waiting for a train to get us back to Geneva, taking in a Lake Geneva sunset.

*Sigh*

It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

 

Final thoughts on this UNESCO World Heritage Site

I was pleasantly surprised by the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces.

This is truly a place deserving of the UNESCO designation.

It’s a place of natural beauty and it has an important cultural distinction with a lot of history.

The walk is easy with plenty of places to stop along the way.

It’s a fabulous destination for those who love wine.

And for those who are into photography — there are so many things to photograph!

You can set up guided tours of some of the vineyards. Just the check wine growers association link listed above.

Or check with your favorite personal travel planner!

I’m ready to go back to these vineyards.

How about you?

Would you like to visit?