A Heritage to Treasure !
Some ideas to enjoy your trip...
Cully
La Maison de Commune
L'Arbre de la Liberté datant de 1798
La Tour de Marsens
La Maison de Commune
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Cully is a small winegrowers' village on lake Geneva and part of the larger borough of Bourg-en-Lavaux with 4 other winegrowers' villages in the area, Epesses, Grandvaux, Riex and Villette. We are ideally located between the city of Lausanne and the Vevey-Montreux area, amidst the terraced vines and hills of Lavaux. Walking through the village down to the lakeside you will discover narrow alleys with historical houses dating as far back as the 16th century, small art shops such as the Atelier d'Encadrement et Galerie Davel 14 art gallery, as well as local trades, such as one of the last fisheries (do try the smoked "Féra").
Leisurely strolling along the lakefront you will discover the 200 year old tree of liberty planted in 1798 near the landing stage, and the obelisk in honour of Major Davel, a local hero who wanted to liberate his land from Bernese rule in 1723. Children have not been forgotten; next to the landing stage there is a very nice adventure playground which will delight them !
And on hot days, there are two beaches, one on each end of the lake promenade – or you can hike up to la Tour de Gourze (a 10 minutes' drive away), tucked away 1800 feet higher among grazing cattle, with an even more breathtaking view, where you can also taste one of the nicest cheese fondues in the area.
« Lavaux »
Lutry, Villette, Grandvaux, Riex, Epesses, Cully, Rivaz, Saint-Saphorin…
Driving along the main road from Lausanne to Vevey you will come across a string of small scenic villages with cobbled streets, medieval houses, old churches, restful lakesides and hiking and biking trails.
For a picturebook visit in the same direction, you should rather take the parallel road through the hills called "Corniche" by the locals, from Lutry up through La-Croix-sur-Lutry, Grandvaux, Riex, Epesses and Chexbres, and then down again to Vevey. Through narrow roads, winegrowers' estates and villages, vineyards terraced in the late middle ages, you will enjoy a wonderful view of this most beautiful corner of the earth.
Hiking along one of the numerous trails through the vineyards is also a must if you are keen on exercise in most pleasant surroundings.
« Lausanne »
Lausanne is located about 10 minutes from Cully, and offers everything a tourist might wish for, a cathedral and medieval town, monuments, museums, shops, sports facilities, entertainment, and even extensive walking trails, from the lakeside in Ouchy (Olympic Museum) to the forest of Sauvabelin.
Lavaux
and more
Saint-Saphorin
Corto-Maltese à Grandvaux
Parapente
Saint-Saphorin
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« Riviera »
Vevey , Montreux, La Tour de Peilz, Chillon, Villeneuve
Meet with Charlie Chaplin on Vevey's lakeside promenade, admire Nestle's headquarters, or visit the Saturday Folklore market in the Summer. Very scenic old town, cafés, shops and museums for any taste (try the Alimentarium). Vevey is also hosting a winegrowers' festival (Fête des vignerons) taking place every 20 odd years.
Thanks to its mild Mediterranean climate Montreux was elected a tourist resort as early as the beginning of the 19th century and visited by famous travellers such as Rousseau and Lord Byron. Presently the town is famous for the Montreux Jazz Festival in July and, not to be missed, the nearby Castle of Chillon, setting of the famous poem by Byron "The Prisoner of Chillon".
You will find many museums, art galleries, entertainments, sports, amusement parks, as well as interesting sites and spas in the area, for summer as well as winter activities (skiing less than 1 hour away).
Bird and beaver watchers will be delighted with les Grangettes Nature Reserve in Villeneuve, at the end of the lake, the last unspoiled nature area on the lakeshore.
And children have not been forgotten, next to adventure and water amusement parks, the Swiss Museum of Games in La-Tour-de-Peilz, the Swiss Vapeur Park (miniature steam trains to ride) in le Bouveret and the Blonay-Chambly railway museum will delight them with a variety of entertaining venues.
Aboard a Paddle Steamer
The local shipping company CGN runs a regular service and a renovated fleet of romantic Belle Époque ships which you can board for just a single stop to the next landing stage or a full afternoon or evening leisurely cruising along the Lavaux coast to admire this world heritage site from a different perspective .
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