From Geneva
Nyon and the La Côte vineyards
A Roman colony, a castle, and Lake Geneva's largest vineyard above it.
Loop
78 km
Driving time only
1 h 26
Suggested hire
4 h
From
400 CHF
Nyon was founded by Rome: Colonia Iulia Equestris, created under Julius Caesar between 46 and 44 BC. The Roman columns on the Esplanade des Marronniers are the most visible reminder, steps from the medieval castle.
Above the town begins La Côte, the largest vineyard of the Lake Geneva region. The loop runs 78 kilometres for an hour and a half of driving out of the four hours: two and a half hours remain on the ground.
We drive and we wait. Cellars receive by appointment: tell us when you book and we set the timing around it.
The itinerary
Nyon, le château et les colonnes romaines
Nyon was Colonia Iulia Equestris, a Roman colony founded under Julius Caesar between 46 and 44 BC. The Roman columns, now the town's emblem, stand on the Esplanade des Marronniers, steps from the castle.
La montée dans le vignoble
La Côte is the largest vineyard of the Lake Geneva region. The road leaves the lake and climbs between the plots, the Jura on one side and Mont Blanc on the other in clear weather.
Féchy et les villages vignerons
Villages clinging to the slope, cellars that receive by appointment, and narrow roads between the rows. This is where a saloon is markedly more at ease than a van.
Retour par les quais
The descent runs along the shore, from Rolle to Coppet. 78 kilometres in all for an hour and a half of driving out of four: the most generous four-hour loop out of Geneva in terms of free time.
km included : 100 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.
A saloon rather than a van
The roads between the plots are narrow, with low walls and few passing places. An E-Class or S-Class handles them without a thought. Beyond three passengers, we talk it over before setting off.
Two levels, two moods
The Roman town and the lake below, the vineyard and its villages above. Two different visits twenty minutes apart, and that is what fills the half-day without filling it with road.
The season counts
Cellars receive mainly from late spring to the harvest. Out of season, the town and castle remain, but the vineyard loses most of its point. We will say so rather than letting you find out.
Frequently asked questions
From 400 CHF in an E-Class for four hours of hire, 560 CHF in an S-Class and 520 CHF in a V-Class. The loop runs 78 kilometres, under the 100 included: no supplement. Tastings are settled on site.
Nyon's Roman name: a colony founded under Julius Caesar between 46 and 44 BC, whose centre stood where the castle and old town are today. The Roman columns can be seen on the Esplanade des Marronniers.
The largest vineyard of the Lake Geneva region, on the slopes above Nyon and out towards Féchy. Cellars there receive by appointment; we arrange the timing with you at booking.
Yes, and it is in fact the four-hour loop that leaves the most free time out of Geneva: an hour and a half of driving out of four, so two and a half hours on the ground.
An E-Class or S-Class saloon. The vineyard roads are narrow between the plots; a van gets through but manoeuvres more. Beyond three passengers, we discuss it before departure.
Not in the same half-day: the two vineyards sit on opposite shores of the lake, an hour apart. Lavaux has its own eight-hour itinerary, with the Château de Chillon.