Lavaux

9 Highlights in Lavaux

• Lavaux is an 800-hectare wine-growing area that beautifully slopes down in terraces towards the Lake Geneva.
• You can enjoy walking or cycling through the Lavaux region while admiring the vineyards.
• Ten communities showcase charming old wine estates, historical church buildings, and winding alleys.
• Traditional wine villages like Saint-Saphorin, Rivaz, and Epesses define the region.
• The UNESCO World Heritage site of Lavaux originated in the 11th century and is still carefully maintained today.
• The Lavaux Express takes you directly into the vineyards, operating on two routes from Lutry or Cully.
• Winemakers at the vineyards offer wine tastings, where you can also learn about how the wine is produced.
• You can perfectly combine a visit to the Lavaux region with a cycling tour along the Lake Geneva.
• Sunsets over the lake cast a special light on the vineyards.

The History of the Lavaux Vine Terraces

The Lavaux Vine Terraces have a long history dating back to the 11th century. At that time, the terraces were created by Benedictine monks and later by Cistercian monks to promote viticulture in the region. The steep terraces that stretch along the slopes are meticulously designed to make the most of the sunny climate and fertile soil. Today, passionate winemakers manage the Lavaux Vine Terraces, preserving the traditions and techniques of their ancestors.

Lavaux: Bourg-en-Lavaux and nine other municipalities

In the Lavaux region, there are ten municipalities.

• Bourg-en-Lavaux
• Chardonne
• Chexbres
• Corseaux
• Corsier-sur-Vevey
• Jongny
• Lutry
• Puidoux
• Rivaz VD
• Saint-Saphorin

Many of them are still adorned with old townscapes from the 17th to the 19th centuries. You'll find old winegrowers' houses, ancient churches with multiple superstructures, and small castles or magnificent residential buildings.

Bourg-en-Lavaux is a municipality formed from the merger of five former municipalities. These include:

• Cully VD
• Epesses
• Grandvaux VD
• Riex
• Villette

These small villages often boast picturesque townscapes. Cully's old town, with its winding alleys, is as worth seeing as the row of houses in Epesses. Most of these homes date from the 17th to the 19th century. Grandvaux has also preserved houses from the 16th to the 19th century in its old village center.

Communities	Location	Highlights
Bourg-en-Lavaux	15 km east of Lausanne and 10 km west of Vevey	noteworthy sites include the Maison Maillardoz residence in Grandvaux, the former hospital church, and the justice fountain in Cully
Chardonne	2 km northwest of Vevey, on the steep southern slope of Mont Pèlerin	Château de Chardonne; Mont Pèlerin television tower with observation deck and panoramic lift
Chexbres	12 km east-southeast of the cantonal capital Lausanne, on a terrace east of the Forestay stream	characteristic farmhouses and vineyards from the 17th to 19th centuries in the village center
Corseaux	1.5 km northwest of Vevey	Villa le Lac, a house built from 1923 to 1925 and listed as a historic monument
Corsier-sur-Vevey	1 km north of Vevey	former residence of Charlie Chaplin with a museum, church featuring a Romanesque tower, various winemaker houses
Jongny	2 km north of Vevey	sprawling single-family housing developments and a few individual farms
Lutry	5 km east-southeast of Lausanne on a small alluvial cone of the Lutrive stream	historical old town of Lutry; château; Berthold tower
Puidoux	12 km east of Lausanne in the valley of the Forestay stream and a depression between Mont de Gourze and Mont Pèlerin	the listed chapel of Saint-Nicolas in the hamlet of Vers la Chapelle from the 11th century; Marsens tower
Rivaz VD	12 km east-southeast of Lausanne	Rivaz has preserved its original form as a compact winegrowing village with buildings dating from the 17th to 19th centuries;
Saint-Saphorin	14 km east-southeast of Lausanne	reformed church of Saint-Symphorien, with structures dating back to the 1st century; Château Glérolles; medieval village layout with narrow streets and characteristic winegrower houses from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Activities in Lavaux

In Lavaux, you can go for a walk, ride a bike, hike, and take part in wine tastings. The hikes offer stunning views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains. You can also easily combine them with boat trips on Lake Geneva.

• Boat trips on Lake Geneva

Chillon Castle is easily accessible from Montreux.

• Visit Chillon Castle with a boat trip

If you can't hike, you can take the "Train des Vignes." This little train winds its way up from Vevey to Puidoux-Chexbres in twelve minutes, saving you a lot of elevation gain so you can hike back down directly to Lake Geneva.

A great addition to these hikes is a fun city tour through Montreux, where you can encounter Freddie Mercury and the band Queen.

• City tour Montreux

The Lavaux Express on wheels offers two round trips. One starts in Cully and goes to Riex-Epesses-Dézaley, while the other goes from Lutry to Aran and Grandvaux.

Hikes Through the Lavaux Vineyards

We've put together some beautiful hikes through Lavaux for you:

Some Hiking Trails in Lavaux

Trail	Length (km)	Duration (hrs.)	Altitude gain	Difficulty	Route
St. Saphorin – Lutry	11.00	3:15	440↑	T2, easy to moderate	St. Saphorin - Rivaz - Chexbres - Grandvaux - Lutry
Château de Chillon – Le Bouveret	10.58	2:41	28↑	easy	Montreux - Villeneuve - Les Grangettes - La Praille - Le Bouveret
Vevey - Aigle	26.03	6:39	146↑	difficult	Vevey - Montreux - Veytaux - Roche - Versvey - Champ Rogier - Aigle

There's a 32 km educational trail from Lausanne-Ouchy to Montreux, where you can discover the extraordinary and authentic beauty of the vineyards year-round. Along the way, informational signs provide insights into all aspects of local viticulture.

Wine Tastings in Lavaux

The wines in Lavaux flourish thanks to three sources of warmth:

• Sun during the day
• Reflection from Lake Geneva
• Heat released from the walls at night

The vineyards throughout Lavaux offer wine tastings where you can not only sample the wines but also learn about their production and take a look at the wine cellars.

You can find some wine tastings through Swiss Activities on this page:

• Wine Tours Lavaux from Vevey

Getting to the Lavaux Region

From Geneva, take the route north of the Lake Geneva. There are trains running here and a highway available.

Public Transport

From Geneva, it takes about 1:25 to 1:50 hours to reach Cully. From there, you can take the Lavaux Express directly into the vineyards. If you're coming from Zurich, expect to travel for about 2:40 hours.

By Car

If you’re driving, take the A1 highway, and from Bern, continue on the A12 towards Lavaux. It should take you around 2:15 hours. From Geneva, it’s about an hour's drive on the A1. You can find parking facilities in garages along the Lake Geneva, also in Lutry and Cully.