From Geneva
Lavaux and the Château de Chillon
Eight hundred years of dry-stone walls, and a car waiting at the bottom.
Loop
194 km
Driving time only
3 h 04
Suggested hire
8 h
From
800 CHF
The Lavaux terraces climb some thirty kilometres of the northern shore of Lake Geneva, between Lausanne and Montreux. Around 830 hectares, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in July 2007 as a cultural landscape. These are not vines planted on a slope: they are walls, thousands of them, built and rebuilt since the 11th century.
The day runs eight hours out of Geneva. One hundred and ninety-four kilometres for the full loop, of which a little over three hours of driving: the rest happens outside the car, which is the point.
We drive and we wait. We sell no entrance tickets and no guided tours, and we have no link with the cellars or the castle.
The itinerary
Lutry
The gateway to the vineyard, just past Lausanne. A lakeside town where the road leaves the motorway and climbs into the terraces.
Les terrasses, entre Épesses et Chexbres
The stretch that justifies the trip: dry-stone walls dropping to the lake. Around 830 hectares over some thirty kilometres, a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2007.
Une cave du Lavaux
The dominant grape is Chasselas, a dry white the region has worked for centuries. Cellars are visited by appointment: tell us when you book and we set the timing around it.
Château de Chillon, Veytaux
On the water between Montreux and Villeneuve. The first written record dates from 1005; the Counts of Savoy made it their summer residence from the mid-12th century. It is Switzerland's most visited historic monument.
Retour par l'autoroute
The return runs on the A9, without going back through the narrow vineyard roads. An hour and a quarter to Geneva, which leaves time to finish the day somewhere other than in the car.
km included : 200 km
The kilometres below are measured from the airport. Starting from a hotel in town, or from another town, changes the loop and therefore the count: the quote is adjusted to your actual pickup point.
Why a saloon and not a van
The Lavaux roads are narrow, cut into the slope, with walls on both sides and passing places that have to be negotiated. An E-Class or S-Class handles them without a thought; a Sprinter turns every bend into a manoeuvre. If there are more than three of you, we discuss it before setting off rather than on the spot.
The season changes everything
Between late spring and the harvest, the vineyard is green and the cellars open. In winter the terraces are bare, the light is lovely but there is less to see, and many cellars close. If your date falls then, we will say so and suggest something else.
What is included and what is not
The rate covers the vehicle, the chauffeur and 200 kilometres across the eight hours. The loop runs 194, so no supplement. Tastings, castle admission and meals are settled on site and do not go through us.
The starting point matters
The 194 kilometres are measured from Geneva Airport. From a lakefront hotel the loop shortens a little; from Lausanne, a great deal. We adjust the quote to your actual address rather than applying a flat figure that does not fit.
Frequently asked questions
From 800 CHF in an E-Class for eight hours of hire, 1120 CHF in an S-Class and 1040 CHF in a V-Class. The 200 included kilometres cover the loop, which runs 194. Estimate to confirm, depending on the starting point and the vehicle.
A little over three hours out of eight, for a 194 km round loop from Geneva Airport. The remaining five hours are spent in the terraces, in a cellar and at the castle.
The terraces have been on the World Heritage list since July 2007 as a cultural landscape: around 830 hectares over some thirty kilometres, shaped by hand since the 11th century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area.
A lakeside fortress at Veytaux near Montreux, first recorded in 1005. The Counts of Savoy made it their summer residence from the mid-12th century. It is Switzerland's most visited historic monument, made famous by Byron's The Prisoner of Chillon.
Yes, but by appointment: Lavaux cellars do not take passing visitors. Tell us when you book and we set the itinerary around the agreed time. The tasting is settled at the estate and is not in our fee.
An E-Class or S-Class saloon. The vineyard roads are narrow and cut into the slope: a van gets through, but it is not as easy. Beyond three passengers, we talk it over before departure.
From late spring to the harvest. The vineyard is then in leaf and the cellars open. In winter the terraces are bare and many cellars close: we would suggest a different itinerary instead.