Considered a site of universal value, Lavaux has been elevated to the status of world heritage site by UNESCO in 2007, its mosaic of vines welcoming many walkers seeking renewed vitality and tranquility.
For almost 1,000 years, winegrowers have been tending to and cultivating Lavaux’s exceptional terraced vineyards. 150 families work daily to produce exceptional wines and preserve this living cultural landscape, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.
As early as the 11th century, monks were the first to make the perfectly exposed slopes of Lake Geneva between Lutry and Vevey fit for cultivation. It proved to be a colossal task, and to this day, more than 450 kilometres of heritage walls supporting nearly 10,000 vineyard terraces remain intact.
The Lavaux heritage is as prized and diverse as it is fragile. A visit to the vineyards offers an exceptional opportunity to discover villages, churches, fortifications and authentic, well-preserved winegrowers’ houses. But above all, to meet its craftsmen, and let them surprise you with their 1,000-year-old know-how, and fascinate you with the fruit of their work. A perfect opportunity to take home a part of this heritage in bottles.
Every Sunday from 7 June to 25 October 2020, guides are available to take you on an unforgettable walk that will enable you to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the Lavaux World Heritage Site. Reservations recommended.
The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007. This world-famous landscape is the product of remarkable, yet fragile, winegrowing activity that has been going on for centuries.
Here some tips to ensure optimal cohabitation between winegrowers, tourists, hikers and cyclists:
Lavaux is well accessible by train. You can start your visit, ideally on foot, from the train stations of Lutry, Cully, Grandvaux and Chexbres.
Cycling is only allowed on the Suisse Mobile routes (1, 46, 99). The network of vineyard paths is absolutely forbidden to cyclists for safety reasons.
The terraced vineyards of Lavaux are a protected and fragile site. Do not touch the vines and their fruits. Rubbish must be picked up.
At Maison Lavaux you can discover the region that since 2007 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a singular yet multi-faceted place, which allows you to immerse yourself in the life of Lavaux thanks to an exhibition split into several themes in three separate rooms. The first of these deals with the physical landscape that was created by nature but that the winegrowers have worked on and developed for more than a thousand years. The second showcases the population of Lavaux thanks to a large mural representing the workers who bring this exceptional landscape to life. The last one gives an overview of artists particularly associated with this unique landscape. You will be inspired and surprised by this exhibition, at the heart of the historic property Buttin-de- Loës in the charming village of Grandvaux.
