The Lavaux wine region in Switzerland - and a visit to Chaplin's World

Writer: Helena Bergström

The Lavaux wine region in Switzerland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the vineyard terraces built by monks 800 years ago. Now this is a picturesque area with green vineyard terraces sloping steeply down to the green-blue lake, and small villages where family-owned vineyards are densely packed. Not far from here you'll also find ... Chaplin's World!

From Geneva to Cully

After the visit to Geneva we drove to Cully on the other side of Lake Geneva, a journey of about 1.5 hours and a half.

View of Lake Geneva in Cully

The side of Lake Geneva where Cully is located is extremely beautiful, with the Swiss Alps as a backdrop. The vineyard terraces stretch down to the green-blue water, and it is truly peaceful and quiet. All you see on the lake are a few small boats, and the occasional person taking a swim.

Camping in Cully

At the small marina in Cully there were some fishermen, accompanied by a heron. There is also a small campsite here, so it is possible to stay overnight with a motorhome. We did not have the opportunity to stay this time, but here you can stand with a fantastic view of the water.

The Lavaux wine region in Switzerland

The Lavaux wine region has been producing wine since the 13th century, when monks began growing grapes on steep terraces supported by stone walls. Today there are 10,000 vineyard terraces in 40 levels, covering 830 hectares, and a total of 200 wine growers. Since 2007, the Lavaux wine region has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thus protecting the region.

Chasselas grapes

Many of the vineyards here today have been handed down from generation to generation. The main grape grown here is Chasselas, which produces a fruity and fresh white wine. Red wine is also produced, albeit on a smaller scale. Each wine producer has its own cellar, and many of them are open for wine tastings for visitors.

Epesses - one of the villages among the vineyards

We walked up to one of the small villages among the vineyards, called Epesses. Here the charming houses are close together, and every single house has a sign about wine.

Visit to a vineyard

We visited a vineyard in Cully called Domaine Potterat, where we received a very warm welcome. Here we got to try the white wine Courseboux, which we really liked! It was also interesting to look into the wine cellar where they have 200-year-old wine barrels that still look almost like new.

The farm, like most others in the area, is run as a family business and has been passed down from generation to generation. Whilst they have a large terrace and grow Swiss wine, this is only enough locally and they make a good living from it. If you are passing by and want to visit the farm, check their website for opening hours!

Buying wine in Lavaux

To buy a bottle of wine in the area, you'll have to spend between 90 and 275 kroner. In addition to visiting wineries directly, you can go to a so-called "wine library". We dropped by one of these, Lavaux Vinorama, which is nicely situated on the road that runs along the lake. It offers wines from many different producers. There are also other 'wine libraries' such as Les 11 Terres.

Good lunch in Cully

After the visit to the vineyard, it was time for lunch! Now we had already drunk some wine, so it had to be water, but instead we went for a really good three-course meal at the Auberge du Raisin in Cully.

For starters it was prawns with quinoa for Peter and cold cucumber soup for me (Helena). For the main course we chose seabass with chanterelles, and then we finished with a dessert that tasted like Bounty. Sooo heavenly good!!!

Chaplin's World in Vevey

Not far from Cully, in Corsier-sur-Vevey, is Chaplin's World. We didn't realise it before, but Charlie Chaplin apparently lived his last 25 years right here! During your visit to Chaplin's World, you can visit The Manoir, where he lived with his wife Oona.

You can also visit 'The Studio', where you can sink into comfortable cinema chairs and watch highlights from the golden age of silent films. And then there's this and that! We won't reveal exactly what happens, so as not to spoil the surprises for those who want to come here, but we can say that this is an experience!

In Chaplin's World, you get to know Chaplin and his films, such as City Lights and The Gold Rush, in a very active way. As far from a boring old-fashioned museum as you can imagine!

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie Chaplin" - The Tramp

Chaplin was born poor in London in 1889 and moved to the US in 1913, where he achieved great success. However, his work was categorised as communist and after a trip he was not allowed to return to the US, settling in Switzerland in 1952 until his death in 1977.

Chaplin was known for his small moustache, his round Derby hat, a too tight tailcoat, big shoes and baggy trousers. He had a total of eight children and made 32 films during his career. He was a master at doing everything himself, including planning, directing, editing and scoring. Maybe that's why Michael Jackson was modelled on Charlie Chaplin.

Camping de la Pichette

We stayed at camping de la Pichette, which is located right in Ville de Vevey. This is a rather simple campsite, but with all the services you need and a fantastic location by the water. The price, 220 SEK/day including electricity, seems very reasonable.

Video from Lavaux

Peter has put together a film from the Lavaux wine region. Please check it out!

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Of course, there is much more to see and experience near Lavaux if you want to continue your trip in Switzerland. Here are some tips:

• Geneva in Switzerland
• Gruyere and Broc
• Hang gliding in Interlaken
• The capital city of Bern