Lavaux Vineyard – The Breathtaking Jewel of Switzerland – A unique Landscape overlooking Lake Geneva

Hiking around Chexbres offers breathtaking views of the picturesque Lavaux region in Switzerland, known for its terraced vineyards, rolling hills, and the shimmering waters of Lake Geneva.
Chexbres itself is a charming village nestled in the heart of the Lavaux vineyards, making it an ideal starting point for exploring this beautiful area.
This wonderful wine region made up of rolling hills sloping down to the lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and is perfect for all seasons of the year.

Walker image source, https://kr.freepik.com/free-vector/tourist-collection_3774494.htm

Today we set off to tour a vineyard designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When we took the 3:14 PM train from Vevey Station, we arrived at Chexbres-Village Station 9 minutes later at 3:23 PM. We start our hike from Chexbres-Village to St-Saphorin, a 2.1km section, and touring the Rivaz in the middle of the trail. Starting from a village nestled on a hill, overlooking the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces and the romantic Lake Geneva. This is a hiking course where we can walk down the hill without difficulty. Chexbres Village is a beautiful village set in really well-maintained gardens. Head to the staircase overlooking Lac Léman, also known as Lake Geneva. The sky-blue land seen right across Lac Léman is France. A place called Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, where the vineyards are beautifully decorated to resemble a garden… This vineyard has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the value of combining beautiful nature and culture. Lavaux is the name that refers not to a single vineyard, but to an entire 800-ha terraced vineyard area. Lavaux Vineyard Terraces starts from Chateau de Chillon. It is a large vineyard area that stretches for 30km along Lake Geneva to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne. Among them, the vineyard area seen from Chexbres Village, where we are walking, corresponds to the Rivaz region. The sign showing the ‘train des vignes’ course, and the terraced vineyards under the sun painted next to it, are even more impressive. The size of the grapes as of the first day of July at Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. When will they grow and become wine? Beautiful flowers blooming on the road to Lavaux Vineyard Terraces… Full of grapes vines on the gentle mountain slope between the village and the lake… It is said that there are traces of grapes being cultivated in this area even during Roman era. And the current vineyard began in the 11th century when a Benedictine monastery settled in the area. In the middle of summer and on a hot sunny afternoon, the pouring sunlight is too hot. The lakeside town of Rivaz is also visible nearby. This landscape was created and managed by the monastery for over 400 years. The terraced vineyards, vineyard boundaries and roads are said to follow medieval structures. Walking along endless vineyards, sea-like lakes and Alpine mountains covered in permanent snow… There is also a white cloud in the sky that looks like a large swan flying by. On a clear day, we can even see the Mont Blanc massif and snow-capped peaks such as Dents du Midi. Lavaux mainly produces white wine from the local Chasselas variety. “CLOS LA VIGNETTA” would be better translated as ‘small private vineyard’… We could also see a villa-like house located in a wonderful spot overlooking Lake Leman. The new shoots are growing rapidly, and small grapes are starting to hang. And let’s enjoy the hot sunshine of July. There was a wine tasting stand on the way down, and when I opened the door just in case, there were empty bottles…​ As sun was engulfing even the sky, flowers seemed to be hiding sun in the shade under the fence. The green and jade lake refreshes my eyes, making it a place worth taking a walk even if under hot weather. The pretty roses I came across on the road to St-Saphorin. Their red color is so pure. As I look closely at the vine branches, I could see a pretty bird. As I approached carefully, it doesn’t move at all. The pink feathers on the chest look like a pretty blouse… I entered the vineyard left the path I was walking on for a while. Lavaux Vineyard Terrace is one of the most luxurious hiking routes in Switzerland. The train heading to Montreux via Vevey is entering St-aphorin station. A typical hike starts from Chexbres Village, tours the vineyards, and returns from the St-aphorin or Rivaz station. The village of St-Saphorin is seen right in front of us. While taking a moment at the fork in the road, I was able to take a picture of a beautiful flower. Instead of going to St-Saphorin, we decided to enjoy a little more hiking by taking the route to Rivaz. The scenery from the Lavaux Vineyard hiking Route is prettier than expected. We could see the beach on Lake Leman across from St-Saphorin Station. Delicious wine is produced in Switzerland, but it is difficult to taste it abroad. This is because consumption is much higher than production, and all of it is consumed within Switzerland. Lavaux Vineyard is a terrace-style vineyard with sturdy, layered stone walls supporting it. A stone wall serves as a support to flatten the sloping land and stores heat during the daytime. It is said that the heated temperature at night makes the grapes ripen sweeter. So the residents of Lavaux Vineyard, the ‘Sun of the Sky’, ‘Sunlight reflected in the lake’, It is said that ‘the heat of the stone wall’, these three suns, ripen Lavaux Vineyard’s grapes. The Lavaux Vineyard Hiking Route has mostly concrete sections with no shade. They did not create shade from trees because high-quality grapes are produced only when there is plenty of sunlight. But we were scolded because it’s too hot. However, the scenery from the Lavaux Vineyard Hiking Route is a treat for the eyes and worth walking. The red roofs of old houses, the fresh greenery, and the refreshing blue of the lake and sea… As we approached the village, the refreshing breeze blowing from the lake pleasantly passed over our heat-weary faces. The Lavaux Vineyard Terrace was a hidden, unexplored part of Switzerland that I came across by chance during our travels. Even though it is a village, there are still vineyards even on the flat land. Are they cultivating a garden in a vineyard or growing grapes in a flower garden? The sight of a boat coming into Rivaz village from Lake Leman also looks peaceful. Leaving the vineyard terrace, we passed the neatly manicured village cemetery and entered Rivaz. We walked through the small village of Rivaz, where there was not a villager in sight. Villagers might wondering why the people go out to see the vineyards, basking in the sun like grapes on this hot afternoon. Arrived at Rivaz Station at 5:12 PM. Now, let’s go to Montreux to find another taste of Switzerland. Thank you for watching.