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LAKE GENEVA REGION THEME HIKING TRAILS

The area around Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman) covers a wide variety of territory, with some of the best weather in Switzerland, making the best way to discover the glories of the Lake Geneva Region is on foot, connecting by train, whether lakeside wine trail or the colors and flower meadows of the pre-Alpine mountains. Stroll through quant villages or Riviera cites to hikes along quiet river banks, ramble through green forests and terraced vineyards, blaze trail along steep ridges. Several of the trails with official path markings follow a theme to make the journey much more than just fresh air and exercise.

Footsteps of Charles the Bold - Jura

Charles the Bold was the Burgundian ruler of part of western Switzerland until his defeat at the hands of the Bernese in 1476. Grandson Castle in the Jura near Yverdon-Les-Bains remains as a legacy. It is the second largest castle in Switzerland and is surrounded by vineyards and lakeside country. A hiking itinerary through the area follows the trail of the Duke. The departure point is the village of Grandson, Place du Château, in the direction of Champagne, near Yverdon-les-Bains on Lake Neuchatel, and leads through a verdant gentle plain via Pont de l’Arnon. Visit the Champagne vineyards with tasting cellars and marked signage trail to arrive at Bonvillars, one of the most charming winegrowing villages in the region. The hike continues toward Corcelles-près-Concise passing via the Chassagne nature reserve. Above Corcelles-près-Concise, the trail passes three ancient Menhirs, after which the itinerary continues towards the battlefield in Concise, with a beautiful view of the Lake and the Alps.

Fountain Walk – Aigle

Aigle is most known for its castle winery museum among the terraced vineyards in the Rhone Valle just beyond the eatern end of the lake, reputed not only for its exceptional wine terroir, but also for the crisp cold water of its fountains. Swiss fountains are often genuine works of art as exemplified by the fountains in Aigle. This 3 mile path mostly through town , and easily begun from near the train station, passes 27 of the most evocative of the 40 fountains. Marked on the ground by small blue wavelets, the fountain walk guides visitors across Aigle along picturesque streets past the Aigle via the Place du Marché and the Hôtel de Ville. Discover the 17th Century wash house, the “Lavoir du Croisat” (wash house), where the local woman would kneel washing their laundry. The itinerary app can be downloaded from the Aigle city website, thanks to GeoRando, a program providing route details as well as GPS coordinates. Of course, you might find as much wine as water.

The Gruyère Trails - Montreux

Gruyère is known for its cheese and its medieval tourist town, but the hilly countryside surrounding makes for beautiful hiking. The regional nature park of Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut joined forces with ViaStoria to offer a double cultural itinerary dedicated to Gruyère AOC and Etivac AOC, the two competing cheeses which brought fame to the region from the 16th to the 19th century. Visit the sites of the historic merchants, the Cheese Barons who left evidence of their success and wealth behind. There are two versions of the Gruyère Trails, each departing from Montreux on the lake and leading into the hills. The Etivaz trail from Montreux to Etivaz and the Gruyère trail from Montreux to Charmey, both routes available on www.itineraires-culturels.ch

Glacier 3000 Ice and Water Path - Les Diablerets

Glacier 3000 is the aerial cable resort above Les Diablerets with its permanent Glacier snows. In summer a hiking path at the high altitudes leads from Glacier 3000 to the resort of Sanetsch. Between rocks and high living ferns, little lakes and torrents, this walk is always within view of the surrounding mountain chains, with their unique formation striations, in steep cliffs above the valleys. The Ice and Water Path crosses the Tsanfleuron Glacier, one of the smallest in Switzerland with an idyllic setting of Alpine meadow flowers. The water from the glacier flows into the river Morges, then into the Rhône and, finally, into the Mediterranean. However, the water flowing into the small Sarine river where the trail leads at the end of the walk, flows into the Aare and the Rhine and, finally towards the North Sea.

Tintin and “The Calculus Affair” - Nyon

Tintin is the long-standing the cartoon character of Belgian illustrator Hergé more familiar to Europeans, but recently brought to movie theaters in 3D by Stephen Spielberg. In the Nyon region you can follow a trail as the youthful detective and his faithful pooch, investigates the “Calculus Affair”. A walk through the town and a pamphlet summarize the local places featured in Hergé's graphic story published in 1956. In “The Calculus Affair”, Tintin, goes in search of Professor Calculus in the Nyon region. We recognise the entrance to Nyon on the Route Suisse, the house of Professor Topolino on Route de St-Cergue, the firemen’s car, the riverside roads or the Maître Jacques Fountain. The Professor Calculus character was inspired by Auguste Piccard, to whom the Musée du Léman in Nyon has dedicated a history room. The pamphlet in Nyon also features Tintin sites in Geneva, Rolle and Yvoire.

The Toblerones Trail From Bassins to Nyon - Jura

Make your way to Nyon by way of Bassins following the trail of a line of Swiss military fortifications erected during the 1939-45, to protect the neutral country from its fascist neighbors in WWII. “Toblerones” is more familiarly thought of as a chocolate brand, but was the name given to these variegated concrete antitank barriers whose shape reminded the population of the candy bar. Apart from antitank barriers, the line of fortifications features small forts and secondary construction works, stretching along a half dozen miles from the Jura foothills to Lake Geneva, following three streams of Ruisseau de la Combe, the Serine and Promenthouse. Where France has its Maginot and Germeny its Siegfried, this defensive bastion has also been called the “Promenthouse Line”.

These and other trails can be found through the Lake Geneva Region website.

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