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Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces

Lutry · Switzerland

Background

World Heritage since
2007
Type of site
Cultural
Terraces begun
11th c.

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces stretch for about 30 km along the south-facing northern shore of Lake Geneva, from the Château de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne. UNESCO says that although vines may have grown here in Roman times, the present terraces go back to the 11th century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area, and calls it an outstanding example of centuries of interaction between people and their environment to produce a highly valued wine.

The terraces cover 830 hectares and the main grape is Chasselas. Cantonal law has protected them from building since 1979, after a popular vote, and since 2016 the vineyards use no synthetic pesticides. Wikivoyage says the lakeside villages are a few minutes by S-train from Lausanne or Vevey, and that the railway runs along the bottom of the slope, so the terraces are for walking, or seen from a boat out of Ouchy.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. Roman eraSome evidence of vines on the slopes
  2. 11th c.Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries build the terraces
  3. 1977Voters back the Save Lavaux initiative
  4. 1979A cantonal law protects the vineyards from development
  5. 2007Inscribed as World Heritage
  6. 2016Synthetic pesticides are given up across the vineyards

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Terrasses de Lavaux Trail
    The walking route from Saint-Saphorin to Lutry through the vines.
  2. 2
    Saint-Saphorin
    The village at the eastern end of the trail.
  3. 3
    Cully
    Wine-growers' caveaux that open as bars during the Cully Jazz Festival.
  4. 4
    Epesses and Rivaz
    Villages on the S-train line below the terraces.
  5. 5
    Lake Geneva by Boat
    The afternoon boat from Ouchy in Lausanne along the terraced shore.
  6. 6
    Château de Chillon
    The castle at the far end of the listed landscape.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

S-Trains from Lausanne
Wikivoyage: the S1, S2 and S3 reach Lutry, Villette, Cully, Epesses, Rivaz and St-Saphorin within minutes; Chexbres is on the S31 from Vevey.
Walk, Don't Ride
The train hugs the lake at the foot of the slope and shows almost nothing of the terraces; take the trail instead.
By Boat
Wikivoyage calls the boat from Ouchy or Vevey one of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon anywhere.
Cully Jazz
Usually the last week of March or first of April, when the growers open their cellars.

Lavaux from Bern

From the GoGo Bern guide · Open the Bern Guide ›

  1. 10:00
    Lavaux Vineyard Walk5 hrs
    The terraces above Lake Geneva, village to village.
  2. 19:00
    Bundesterrasse View45 min
    Back in Bern, the terrace at dusk over the Aare.
  3. 19:30
    Cheese Fondue90 min
    In an old-town cellar.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest May (117 mm), driest Feb (75 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
La Chaux-de-Fonds is 63 km away, the Old City of Berne 74 km, the French saltworks of Arc-et-Senans 83 km and the Jungfrau-Aletsch Alps 99 km.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1243 · Wikipedia: Lavaux · Wikivoyage: Lavaux (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Bern guide · UNESCO listing