Vaud

Vaud, known in German as Waadt, sits like a terrace above Lake Geneva: vineyards slope down to the water, with the Savoy Alps rising on the opposite shore. A vacation in Vaud combines wine hikes, lakeside promenades, and lively cities with Jura highlands and ski resorts in the Vaud Alps.

Between Lake, Jura, and Alps

The largest French-speaking canton stretches from Lake Geneva across the rolling hills of the Gros-de-Vaud to Lake Neuchâtel and into the Jura, where the Vallée de Joux, with its lake and the watchmaking workshops of Le Sentier, is located. In the southeast, the terrain climbs toward the Vaud Alps: Ollon, Villars-sur-Ollon, and Les Diablerets are ski and hiking destinations, and Aigle is the gateway to the Rhône Valley. The heart of Vaud, though, is Lavaux between Lausanne and Vevey, a UNESCO World Heritage site of stone walls and vineyard terraces built by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages.

Lausanne, Montreux, and the Lake Towns

Lausanne is built on steep slopes: from the waterfront at Ouchy, the metro climbs up to the old town and its Gothic cathedral, where a night watchman still calls out the hours from the tower. The city is home to the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum, as well as EPFL and the University of Lausanne. Vevey is the headquarters of Nestlé and was the home of Charlie Chaplin, whose estate, Chaplin’s World, is open to visitors. Montreux, with palm trees along its promenade, is famous for its jazz festival in July and its Freddie Mercury statue. Farther west you’ll find Morges, with its castle and tulip festival, and Nyon, a Roman town with a museum and a lakeside old town. Yverdon-les-Bains on Lake Neuchâtel has been known for its thermal springs since Roman times.

Sights in Vaud

Switzerland’s most-visited historic building is Chillon Castle near Montreux, a water castle on a rock in the lake that Lord Byron immortalized in a poem. Other sights in Vaud include the Roman town of Avenches with its amphitheater, Grandson Castle, and the mountain railway up to the Rochers-de-Naye, where marmots are kept. If you’d like to hike, follow the terrace trail through Lavaux from Lutry to St-Saphorin or climb the Dent de Vaulion in the Jura.

An unusual destination is the salt mine at Bex, where a small mining train takes you through miles of tunnels that have been driven into the mountain since the 17th century.

Food and Wine

Chasselas is the grape of Vaud, fresh and mineral, especially from Dézaley and Épesses. In the caveaux of the winegrowing villages, it is served by the glass, accompanied by saucisson vaudois or papet vaudois, a stew of leeks, potatoes, and saucisse aux choux. Vacherin Mont-d’Or comes from the Vallée de Joux, a creamy cheese wrapped in spruce bark that is eaten warm with a spoon in winter. Every 20 to 25 years or so, Vevey celebrates the Fête des Vignerons, a major winegrowers’ festival—most recently in 2019.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Lausanne is on the Geneva–Bern rail line, and Geneva Airport is just under 45 minutes away. CGN steamers connect the lakeside towns with one another and with Évian on the French side. The best time to visit is from May to October; in fall, during the grape harvest, Lavaux is especially atmospheric. In winter, Villars and Les Diablerets invite you to go skiing.