The path from St-Saphorin to Lutry ascends and descends through the vineyards, revealing a remarkably varied landscape: welcome to the terraces of Lavaux, in the wine route.
Description:
The wine route winds its way through the prestigious terraced vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shaped over time by human activities, this landscape and its typical villages offer universal beauty.
Clutching the slopes of Lavaux is a prestigious terraced vineyard, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007. This unique construction was handcrafted in the 12th century to produce wines of great renown, with Chasselas being the most prevalent grape variety. The wine trails give the impression of walking between heaven and earth through the vineyard’s terraces.
From St. Saphorin to Lutry, the marked wine route overlooks the lake, passing through picturesque vineyards and villages. The wine village of St. Saphorin is nestled at the foot of Mont Perèri, directly on the shores of Lake Geneva. This medieval site with its narrow streets and characteristic winemaker’s houses dating from the 16th to the 19th century, along with its 15th-century church, awaits discovery. In Rivaz, Vinorama is a must-visit. Here, you can explore over 290 wines from the entire Lavaux vineyard. Of course, you can also indulge in a tasting. Equally beautiful is the Château de Glérolle, perched on a rock below Rivaz.
Along the trails, signs explain the mysteries of the vine and wine, while monuments such as the Marsens Tower in Puidoux – a cultural heritage of regional importance and thus a classified historical monument – and the medieval town of Lutry bear witness to the region’s past. The town, with its bourgeois and patrician houses from the 15th to the 18th century, stretches over an alluvial cone at the southern foothills of the Jorat heights. The warm wine cellars of the winemakers located in the heart of the villages allow you to discover the wines of the region.
How to get there?
To go: train to St-Saphorin station or boat to Rivaz-St-Saphorin.
To return: train from Lutry or boat.
Technical Information
Starting Point: St-Saphorin
Destination: Lutry
Direction: One-way
Altitude (in meters): 520 meters above sea level
Ascent: 440 m
Descent: 420 m
Distance: 11 km
Duration: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Duration in the reverse direction: 3 hours and 10 minutes
Technical Requirements: Easy
Physical Fitness Requirements: Moderate
Appropriate Season: March – November
Altitude Profile: 440 meters of ascent / 420 meters of descent