Swiss Wine Trail Leads From Geneva to Montreux

Lake Geneva Region Offers Wine, Castles, Jazz, Incredible Scenery

Sep 6, 2009

The medieval city of Lausanne is gateway to the terraced vineyards of the Lavaux "wine trail," Swiss Rivera towns of Vevey and Montreux, and ancient Castle of Chillon.

After a visit to Geneva, one's next stop should be Lausanne, a center of learning and the Olympic capital. A pleasant place to spend the night is Ouchy, a one-time fishing village. Less than a mile from the city center, Ouchy is a seaside resort with a genteel hotel-lined promenade that includes Chateau d'Ouchy, dating from the 19th century.

Lausanne Attractions Include Olympic Museum

Visitors here can also travel by lake cruiser to other nearby villages like Lutry or Cully, or stay put and take in some of the lovely attractions of Lausanne, such as the Foundation de l'Hermitage, a villa museum with collection of French paintings; the Escaliers du Marché, covered wooden stairs that lead to the 13th century Cathedral of Notre Dame; or the Old Town and the historic Place de la Palud (market square). The Olympic Museum is the city's main attraction, though, and it chronicles the history of both the ancient and modern games (items range from an Etruscan torch to Carl Lewis' golden shoe) with previews of the next cities to host the Olympics, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012.

Vineyard Trail Covers the Hillsides of Lavaux

Wine lovers will next want to visit the "wine trail," an enchanting area that invites exploration of the terraced vineyards along the hillsides of Lavaux. From Ouchy to Montreux, there are hiking and walking paths overlooking Lake Geneva that also lead through preserved villages. Some of the wine caves here offer tastings of the celebrated Chasselas (the specialty of the Vaud region), and there are charming cafés and restaurants where regional French-inspired meals are served. A wine train also runs through the vineyards from Vevey to the picturesque village of Puidoux-Chexbres.

Montreux-Vevey are Center of Swiss Riviera

Continue on around the lake to the soigné holiday resorts of Vevey and Montreux, where a temperate climate attracts visitors year round. The former was made famous by people like food giant Henri Nestlé, Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, and Shania Twain, who came for its sophisticated ambiance and low-key lifestyle. Vevey's old town is full of narrow alleys and quaint shops, and its lakeside Place du Marché is the venue for events ranging from summer concerts to wine fairs and Christmas markets.

The biggest of all summer concerts, however, is the Montreux Jazz Festival (July 2-17, 2010), a citywide jazz, pop, R&B, and blues gig that draws upward of 225,000 musics lovers from around the world . For the rest of the year, visitors are content with a stay at any of the charming hotels that dot the palm-lined, rose-covered lakeside, a night at the Casino of Montreux, or a tour of the villas once occupied by artists, writers, and musicians who called this area home.

Byron's Poem Immortalizes Castle of Chillon

The most spectacular of all places on Lake Geneva, architecturally and historically, is without question the Chateau of Chillon, the 12th century castle built on Roman foundations by Duke Peter of Savoy. But it wasn't the Duke or the Bernese, who later captured it, which make the castle such an attraction. Instead, it's Bonnivard's prison, a vaulted underground chamber where Francois de Bonnivard was imprisoned for political incitement and immortalized in Lord Byron's 1816 poem "The Prisoner of Chillon."

Located on the most eastern end of the lake, Chillon is exceptional because of its dual facade, a mountain-facing fortress and a lake-facing princely residence. Besides the prison, the castle has a splendidly restored grand ducal hall, a chapel filled with murals dating from the Middle Ages, and banqueting hall with an impressive collection of furniture, pewter ware, antique weaponry, and three semicircular turrets.

Tourism officials contend that the Lake Geneva region comprises four delightfully distinctive worlds in one: lakeside towns and cities, the Alps, the Jura Mountains, and a countryside filled with rural charm. A visit there will undoubtedly bring total agreement.

The copyright of the article Swiss Wine Trail Leads From Geneva to Montreux in Switzerland Travel is owned by Margaret Johnson. Permission to republish Swiss Wine Trail Leads From Geneva to Montreux in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.