‘A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness;’

John Keats immortalised the definition of beauty in his Endymion. Now whenever I am mesmerised by the beauty of any landscape or memory, I recite these lines to myself.

Lake Geneva region or the Montreux Riviera in Switzerland personifies beauty for me. I have explored it countless times, across seasons and under different skies. Every time its enraptures me with its moments.

And so my first post of 2018 is dedicated to the stunning Swiss vineyards, Lavaux. Flaunting itself by Lake Geneva, in the canton of Vaud, Lavaux spreads over 800 hectares. The best way to explore the vineyards is on foot. I walked from Saint-Saphorin to Rivaz, which was 1.5 hours of a leisure walk with wine tasting.

Walking routes

Lavaux stretches from Corseaux to Lutry. The central zone or most visited are Corseaux, Saint Saphorin, Rivaz, Chexbres, Epesses, Cully, Grandvaux, Villette and Lutry. A drive through this trail during the day at any season is rewarding. There are also trails marked for those who want to explore on foot.

Route 1: From Chexbres to Saint-Saphorin | Duration: 45 minutes | Route

Start the walk at Place de la Gare along the railway station of Chexbres-Village, towards the bridge until Café de la Poste. Take the stairs to Rue du Bourg-Plaît onto the vineyards. Take Chemin des Blassings and turn to Chemin du Mont to reach the road which directly joins Saint-Saphorin. Stroll around Saint-Saphorin and try tasting wine en route.

Route 2: From Rivaz to Cully  | Duration: 2.5 hours | Route

Start walking at the very scenic Rivaz towards Lavaux Vinorama. Take the stairs by the waterfall, this can be steep in parts. Turn left towards the end of the flight and witness the panorama of the region from the viewing point. From here walk on Chemin du Dézaley and the Chemin du Calamin towards Epesses.

Take the train out from Epesses or continue walking until Cully. If you pick the latter, walk along the lake until you see Cully Gare (railway station).

Read: Winter Adventures of Interlaken, Switzerland 

Wine tasting

Lavaux Vinorama, Rivaz
Espace de la Papille, Saint Saphorin

Go here to check more.

Where to eat

Café du Raisin, Saint-Saphorin
The Deck, Chexbres
Auberge du Vigneron, Epesses
Bistrot Caméléon, Cully

Read: Photo Story: Rochers-de-Naye, Switzerland

How to get there

Take the train to Lavaux from any of the following stops:
Saint-Saphorin, frequency: 1 train/hour
Rivaz, frequency: 1 train/hour
Epesses, frequency: 1 train/hour
Cully, frequency:  2 trains/hour
Lutry, frequency:  2 trains/hour
Chexbres, frequency:  1 train/hour

Good to know

-Download the free Lavaux app and access it offline. This has all essential information about the vineyards, with routes, points of interest and everything you may need.
-I highly recommend the Swiss Travel Pass or the Montreux Riviera card (in case you’re only exploring the region).

Read: Planning Your Travel In and Around Switzerland

Where are your most scenic travel moments?

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