Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage
Gourmet worlds A feast for your five senses
A matter of taste The Lake Geneva Region offers an infinite diversity of sceneries, breathtaking views and inexhaustible possibilities for gourmets. Did you know that this part of Switzerland was among the world’s most reputed gastronomic regions? Be it in the Jura or in the Alps, in the countryside or in town, be it refined cuisine in large restaurants or specialties in charming inns, its gastronomic diversity is unequalled. One of the most typical dishes is “papet vaudois” (a must!). This leek and potato stew is the ideal accompaniment of the famous “saucisse aux choux” (cabbage-filled sausage). But there is also “saucisson vaudois”, “taillé aux greubons” (puff pastry garnished with small bacon cubes), “Tomme” (soft cheese) and savory “bouchon vaudois”, a melting cookie that will entice gourmands and gourmets alike! The vineyards planted on terraces or steep slopes and their ever changing hues are the pride of the local inhabitants. With twentyeight AOCs, four wine-producing areas and countless grape varieties, this wine-growing area distinguishes itself by its great authenticity
and the quality of the wines produced: subtle and distinct Chasselas, fruity Gamay or full-bodied, but delicate Pinot. Our mineral waters contribute to your well-being too: Henniez, a centenary brand, and Arkina, whose sulphur properties were already known to the Romans. In the following pages, you will discover a great many aspects of our long culinary and wine-growing tradition. Read… and enjoy!
Every September, restaurateurs, producers and cuisine fans meet during the Week of culinary delights, a national event dedicated to the pleasures of eating, the use of healthy, high-quality products and to conviviality. www.gout.ch
Table of contents
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Towns and Lakes: Gastronomic encounters
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In the countryside: Local culinary treasures
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Jura: Flavors and scents
15
The Alps: A taste of authenticity
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Appellations and brands of Lake Geneva Region specialties
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Follow our guides!
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Useful addresses, tourist offices
Gastronomic encounters
Contact Would you like to obtain more information on the activities and events proposed in our region? More details on the visits suggested in this brochure? Take a moment to look us up on our Internet site, www.lake-geneva-region.ch, which is regularly updated. It supplies all kinds of information on the countless discovery possibilities offered by the Lake Geneva Region. Any questions? The Office du Tourisme du Canton de Vaud (Lake Geneva Region Tourist Office) and the local offices listed on page 21 are at your disposal. Office du Tourisme du Canton de Vaud | Avenue d’Ouchy 60 | Case Postale 164 | 1000 Lausanne 6 | Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)21 613 26 26 | Fax +41 (0)21 613 26 00 | info@lake-geneva-region.ch | www.lake-geneva-region.ch
Lausanne
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Wine making Wine making in Lavaux 1 A winegrower’s year starts in winter when he prunes his vine shoots.
2 The grapes are harvested between the end of September
3 The grapes are then pressed. The juice extracted (must) is transferred to vats for
4 Final step: the wine is filtered and then bottled. White wines are generally bottled
In spring, when the vine plants have grown, they are disbudded. Summer is dedicated to the tendrils
and the end of October. The harvested grapes are put into boxes
fermentation. By adding yeast, the glucose is converted into alcohol. Grape juice thus
in April and red wines at the end of summer.
and to the thinning-out and trimming of leaves.
and transported to the cellar.
becomes wine.
Towns and Lakes
Breathe in the smells of our street markets, have a drink in a square, walk along our quays, stroll
about market stalls and savor a specialty in typical surroundings: the towns along the lakeside abound in possibilities of discovery, particularly for gourmets. The Lake Geneva Region has one of the world’s highest numbers of prestigious restaurants studded with
The local inhabitants enjoy food, but they also love good wines. The vineyards of La Côte (from Nyon to Lausanne), Lavaux (overhanging the lake between Lutry and Montreux), Vully, and Bonvillars are a feast for the eyes and for the senses. Don’t hesitate to knock on the door of a friendly winemaker. He will not only invite you to taste one of his vintages in his wine cellar, but also readily tell you something about the region. You will be as warmly welcomed as in a “pinte vaudoise” (bar) or in a “carnotzet” (small private wine cellar).
Our countless brasseries and inns with their typical settings and their chef’s expertise will appeal to our guests in search of authenticity because the quality and the originality of their dishes rival the most exotic bistrots! In the summer months, you can sit down comfortably on a shaded terrace and discover our dishes made from fresh local produce: perch or arctic char fillets, market vegetables, local specialties, multiple combinations, salads made with berries... You will be spoilt for choice!
Michelin stars or awarded with GaultMillau chef’s hats.
Specialties
Interesting tidbits… < Malakoff
< Féra... or bondelle
The recipe for this delicious egg and cheese doughnut was brought to our region after the Crimean War by a local mercenary, who had contributed to the fall of Fort Malakoff.
Vully Pie > This delicacy used to be made by local bakers using yeast-based dough topped with cream and salt. Today they add butter and sugar. Hence its pretty name: the “sweet and savory one”!
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This fish, which is caught under the name of “féra” on Lake Joux and on Lake Geneva and under “bondelle” in Neuchâtel, offers many different ways of culinary preparation: whole, fillet, smoked, as a mousse or terrine... all of them are very tasty dishes!
Although drinking chocolate was first introduced in France and solid chocolate was used in Italy before Switzerland, the invention of milk chocolate can be attributed to a Swiss national and, what’s more, to a citizen of Vevey. Around 1870, Daniel Peter was the first to refine cocoa paste by adding milk, which is plentiful in our region. The success of his chocolate, Gala Peter, was so great that in the 1880s the entire chocolate industry adopted the manufacturing process, which largely contributed to establishing the reputation of Swiss chocolate.
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Activities
On the La Côte Wine Route, winegrowers, shopkeepers and craftsmen invite you to sample their products. The Vully vineyard footpath or the circuit “Discover the Lavaux terraces”, which are both dotted with didactic signs, offer strollers pleasant and instructive moments. As a fan of “Belle-Epoque” ships, you will love the summer cruises organized by the CGN (Lake Geneva Navigation Company) from July to September. On board the “Montreux”, enjoy the magic scenery and dishes prepared by the Beau Rivage Palace catering service: unforgettable moments are in store for you! Include a visit to the Alimentarium in Vevey, a museum presenting everything connected to food in an entertaining and interactive way. The Maison des terroirs in Grandson is located in a sumptuously renovated old building. In this place of conviviality and encounters with locals, you can taste wines of the Bonvillars appellation and sample local delicacies.
Events
May Millésime: Vaud wine festival in Lausanne celebrates its winemakers. You have the opportunity to meet some forty passionate producers who let city dwellers sample their vintages. There are countless children’s activities as well. July-August Vevey folk markets: every Saturday morning the town’s inhabitants meet on Place du Marché to taste the wines of the region. You too can acquire a souvenir glass, the design of which is regularly changed, and discover the winemaker of the week.
Local culinary treasures
September Grape festival in Féchy: every spring, Féchy winemakers get vine stock from the four corners of the world to plant it in their “world vineyard” created in 1996. The grape festival celebrates the planting of the stocks and the official beginning of the harvest season. September Harvest festival in Lutry: on the occasion of the children’s fair on Sunday, over six hundred children in costumes parade through the village streets on floats. As for the adults, they already start celebrating on Friday evening in the fifteen or so wine cellars open for the occasion.
Top restaurants
Selection criteria for our choice of restaurants: 16 points and more in the guide “GaultMillau 2007”
Le Pont de Brent, Brent, www.lepontdebrent.com, 19 points in GaultMillau, 3 stars in Michelin Restaurant Philippe Rochat, Crissier, www.philippe-rochat.ch, 19 points in GaultMillau, 3 stars in Michelin L’Ermitage de Bernard Ravet, Vufflens-le-Château, www.ravet.ch, 19 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin Restaurant Denis Martin, Vevey, www.denis-martin.com, 18 points in GaultMillau, 2 stars in Michelin Hôtel Ermitage, Clarens, www.ermitage-montreux.com, 17 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin Le Guillaume Tell, Aran-Villette, www.leguillaumetell.ch, 16 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin Restaurant La Table d’Edgard (Hôtel Lausanne Palace & Spa), Lausanne, www.lausanne-palace.ch, 16 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin Restaurant Trianon (Hôtel Le Mirador Kempinski), Le Mont-Pèlerin, www.mirador.ch, 16 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin All our good restaurants on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
Get to know our towns and lakes and discover: Avenches, Grandson, Lausanne, Montreux, Morges, Nyon, Rolle, Vevey, Villeneuve, Yverdon-les-Bains.
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Colza field near Echallens
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Walnut oil from Moulin de Sévery Manufacturing of walnut oil at Moulin et huilerie de
2 Grinding: using a big grinder, the shelled walnuts are
3 Roasting: to enhance natural aromas, the paste is
4 Pressing: after roasting, the paste is placed into
5 3.5 kilos of paste yield about 2 liters of oil
6 To eliminate potential impurities, the oil thus
Sévery (near Morges) 1 Shelling: the nuts are shelled
ground into a compact paste. The cleaner the kernels,
then roasted.
a finely-meshed jute cloth and pressed.
(i.e. a final yield of 20%). The remaining dry matter
obtained is decanted and then bottled.
to obtain the kernels. 10 kilos of walnuts yield 3.5 kilos
the better the oil.
is called “oil cake”.
of “flesh”.
In the countryside
Explore the countryside, its plains, its hills and its villages, have a break in a small inn, stroll
alongside rivers, dawdle along groves, and spend the night in a barn with the delightful smell of hay before devouring a hearty farmer’s
From “bistrots” to “tables d’hôtes”, from picnic sites to small restaurants, the choice of pleasant breaks is vast and multifaceted. Have an afternoon snack at a farm, for example, where you will be served generous helpings of slices of bread and jam, cakes, pies and cookies, or enjoy a brunch where savory and sweet dishes are merrily combined.
breakfast: there is no better way of discovering the culinary treasures of our region than to go for a jaunt through our countryside!
Specialties
And last but not least, the cellars set up in almost all wine-growing villages really are the best place for tasting wine, whether it is made from traditional grape varieties or whether it is a specialty. Winegrowers in Vully and Côtes-de-l’Orbe, whose sloping vineyards stretch from La Sarraz to Yverdon-les-Bains, grow several varieties which are well adapted to the region’s soils. They produce promising wines like Chardonnay, Gamaret or Garanoir.
During your outing, you can meet regional producers and do your shopping at a farm. Fill your basket with fresh produce (orchard fruits, cheeses of all sorts, honey and jams, home-made oils...), discover local know-how, exchange recipes, and share a few moments with farmers, millers, market gardeners, and craftsmen – men and women who love their soil and their craft.
< Raisinée
< Bread from Gros-de-Vaud
Consisting of the juice of squeezed pears and apples that are heated over a log fire and stirred for a long time, “raisinée” (called “vin cuit” in Fribourg) is a fruit concentrate used to make desserts.
Made by master bakers based on a mixture of cereals from Gros-de-Vaud, one of the best wheat regions in Switzerland, this bread with its deliciously rustic taste is a pure “terroir” product.
Cochonnaille (Pork meats) > “Saucisson vaudois”, cured saucisson, “saucisse aux choux” (cabbage-filled sausage), and “boutefas” (smoked pork meat prepared with spices and schnapps) have always been part of the local inhabitants’ traditional fare in the cold season. Pork butchers in Payerne are particularly renowned.
Trout farm Located downstream of the source of the mythical Venoge river, the Vieux Moulin de l’Isle, one of the oldest buildings in the village, houses a trout farm. A delicious specialty here is trout fillet smoked in Vaud Jura beech wood.
Interesting tidbits… The origin of the “saucisse aux choux” (cabbage-filled pork sausage with spices) is said to go back to the year 879. At that time, Emperor Charles the Fat and two of his nephews met in Orbe to settle succession matters. As the monarchs and their retinues spent several weeks in the area, meat became a rarity. An inhabitant then had the idea to eke out the sausage with cabbage. As the combination turned out to be delicious, the recipe was adopted!
Garanoir The Côtes-de-l’Orbe vineyards produce wines with complex aromas and a fruity taste, such as Garanoir, a wine of a deep red color, the result of crossbreeding Gamay and Reichensteiner. 8
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Activities
Stroll along the Wheat Trail between Grange-Marnand and Echallens. This didactic trail of about a hundred kilometers between fields and forests, farms and villages, “gîtes” and picnic areas is a rewarding excursion to Switzerland’s granary. Visit the House of Wheat and Bread in Echallens, a traditional museum installed in an old farm dating back to the 18th century. You will learn about sowing, harvesting and bread making over the past 10,000 years. The Côtes-de-l’Orbe Wine Trail leads from Chavornay to Essert-sous-Champvent: walk through the beautiful vineyards and discover a great many unusual features. Travel throughout the length and breadth of the county enjoying a view of the stunning scenery and table delights in the “TrainResto Gros-de-Vaud” (LEB) or the “BAM Saveur”, two trains with tastefully refurbished and transformed period wagons.
Events
June The Flavors and Scents Fair in Orbe takes place in the heart of the old town and honors Côtes-de-l’Orbe vintage wines and local produce. A feast for all senses! July The Echallens folk markets are one of the region’s most popular attractions. Every Thursday in July, craftsmen, tradesmen, farmers, musicians and troubadours stimulate the town atmosphere. A way of doing your shopping and having fun at the same time!
Flavors and scents
October The Autumn Fair and Cowbell market in Romainmôtier is where dozens of exhibitors and collectors of all sorts of bells meet. A fair where, for three days, the rural and the urban world rub shoulders in a joyful, tintinnabulating atmosphere.
Top restaurants
Selection criteria for our choice of restaurants: 15 points and more in the guide “GaultMillau 2007”
Le Cerf, Cossonay, www.lecerf-carlocrisci.ch, 18 points in GaultMillau, 2 stars in Michelin Hôtel de Ville, Restaurant l’Ambroisie, Echallens, www.hotel-de-ville.ch, 15 points in GaultMillau All our good restaurants on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
And our typical inns Café-restaurant du Commerce, Vallamand-Dessus, www.avenches.ch Rôtisserie Au Gaulois, Croy/Romainmôtier, www.romainmotier.ch Auberge de Vers-chez-Perrin, Vers-chez-Perrin (Payerne), www.auberge-verschezperrin.ch Auberge de l’Union, Palézieux-Gare, www.region-oron.ch All our typical inns on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
Get to know our countryside and discover: Avenches, La Sarraz, Moudon, Orbe, Oron, Payerne, Romainmôtier.
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Vallée de Joux, Lake Brenet
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Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC * Manufacturing of Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC *
2 The cherry-sized curds (solid part) are separated from
3 The curds are transferred to a mould that is twice
4 Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC* is not pressed, but only wrapped with alder and spruce
5 Maturing takes seventeen to twenty-five days. The cheese is then put in a round
1 This cheese is made from thermized milk, in other
the whey (liquid part).
as big as the end product which, at this stage, is still
straps once it is turned out, which is also when it is salted.
wooden cheese box, the size of which varies according to the weight of the cheese
“submerged” in the whey.
words: slightly heated, but non-pasteurized milk.
(from 350 g to 3 kg).
After stirring it for half an hour, the liquid turns solid by coagulation.
Jura
Verdant valleys, cattle grazing peacefully in the shade of fir trees or old, dry stone walls: the Vaud Jura brims with wild beauty and abounds in an astounding variety of scenery. This region is ideal for fans of the outdoors and for gourmets. A network of small roads, footpaths and forest trails leads you to mountain chalets where you can discover products with a very distinctive flavor.
In an Alpine cheese dairy you will see how cheese is traditionally made, a process that has largely contributed to Switzerland’s gastronomic reputation throughout the world. Amongst other things, you will learn that the cheese maker uses a cauldron on a log fire in the chalet’s hearth and that the complex taste of their Alpine products (strong Gruyère, creamy Raclette cheese, smooth soft white cheese, and butter made with sour cream, etc.) is the result of the many fragrant flowers in Alpine pastures.
Lake Joux also deserves a little outing. This lake, a veritable natural jewel studded with blossoming pastures and forests, offers a very nice walk all around its shores and also has rich fish life. Did you know that Lake Joux and its tributaries provided a habitat for about a dozen fish species, such as trout, grayling, perch and pike? Prepared as pastries, “à la meunière” or with ramsons (bear’s garlic), they satisfy the taste of the most demanding gourmet!
Specialties
Interesting tidbits… < Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC *
< Snails
This soft cheese of creamy consistency is eaten hot or cold with a spoon, as a main course or as a dessert. Made in small cheese dairies and refined in traditional cellars, it has an inimitable tannin taste conferred by its fir strap.
Although not hailing from Burgundy, our local gastropod nevertheless belongs to the same noble lineage! Stuffed with butter, shallot, garlic and parsley, snails are best accompanied by fresh bread and a rather dry white wine.
Gentian schnapps > Gentian schnapps is made from yellow (not blue!) gentian roots, a plant that grows wild in the region. This interesting digestive is distilled in the traditional way, preserving its natural properties and conferring it a great number of medicinal qualities.
During the last Ice Age, the Vallée de Joux was entirely covered by a glacier. Given its high altitude, it seems unlikely that fish colonized the valley waters when the glacier receded. In all likelihood fish were introduced by man. It would appear that pike was brought to the region by monks as early as the 13th century. River graylings are said to have been introduced in 1911 by stocking the Orbe river with alevins, and “féras” were introduced in 1931 using alevins from the Lake Geneva region. Today, Lake Joux, the biggest lake in the Jura massif, also provides a habitat for trout, perch, turbot, and carp. In fact, fish is so abundant that two professional fishers are able to make a living from it!
Smoked ham Smoked with pine tree sawdust, Vaud Jura ham smells deliciously of forests and pastures. In its raw form, it is mostly served with an aperitif or taken on a picnic; in its cooked form, it is ideally accompanied by potatoes. 12
* See p. 19
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Activities
Gourmet walk in Sainte-Croix: if you are a fan of local specialties, you will appreciate this walk all the more with three planned stops, one at the chalet of Mont-de-la-Mayaz for an appetizer, one at the chalet Le Sollier for a main meal, and one at La Casba to taste “Menegetz”, a typical drink based on citronella, sparkling water, white wine, and lemonade. In a great many farms and Alpine chalets in the Vaud Jura, you can watch how cheese is made (Gruyère and Raclette). For early birds only: cheese making starts between 7 and 8 a.m.! Visiting the Vacherin Museum in Les Charbonnières, Vallée de Joux, will give you the opportunity to hear the epic of the Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC *. The cheese ripening expert, or affineur, will tell you how his ancestors already worked for the reputation of this exceptional cheese. Catch and enjoy! In Vallorbe, several fish farms propose original meals: after catching your own trout (fishing rod and bait provided), have it prepared for you and enjoy it on the premises! In Le Plâne, a hamlet slightly above Vaulion, visit the Medicinal and aromatic herb farm, where over a hundred plant varieties are grown.
Events
August The Cross-Border Festival, in Sainte-Croix, is the yearly venue of roughly fifty exhibitors from Switzerland and France. A festive weekend full of discoveries, sampling, dancing and entertainment!
A taste of authenticity
September The Vacherin Mont-d’Or Festival in Vallée de Joux is the official start of the Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC * season, where producers and cheese ripening experts present their first production. September Désalpe (bringing cattle down from the Alpine pastures for winter): for one weekend, the return of the cattle to the plains is celebrated in St-Cergue with alphorns, whip crackers, flag throwers, and folk music groups.
Top restaurants
Selection criteria for our choice of restaurants: 14 points and more in the guide “GaultMillau 2007”
Restaurant Le Chronographe (Hôtel des Horlogers), Le Brassus, www.hotel-horlogers.ch, 14 points in GaultMillau All our good restaurants on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
And our restaurants, chalets and Alpine huts Couvaloup de Crans, St-Cergue, www.nyon.ch Chalet d’alpage Les Croisettes, Vallée de Joux, www.myvalleedejoux.ch Chalet-Restaurant du Mont-de-Baulmes, Sainte-Croix, www.sainte-croix.ch Chalet-Restaurant d’alpage Grandsonnaz-Dessus, Bullet (Sainte-Croix), www.sainte-croix.ch All our restaurants, chalets and Alpine huts on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
Get to know our Jura and discover: Vallée de Joux, Vallorbe, St-Cergue, Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses.
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* See p. 19
View of Villars
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Etivaz AOC * Manufacturing of Etivaz AOC * in the Alpine pastures of Combarins, at Pipo’s, in Rossinière
2-3 The milk is poured into a big brass cauldron and heated on a log
4 The cheese maker hangs up a canvas on a rail and slides it underneath the “seeds”.
5 The rounds are rubbed with cheese salt and kept at the chalet a
(Château-d’Œx) 1 This Alpine cheese is made in the purest of traditions between 10 May and
fire. The cheese maker’s rennet makes the contents of the cauldron
The mass is then poured into a mould. The weight of the press makes the whey flow out.
few days before being transferred to a cellar where they are matured.
10 October.
curdle. Using a curd-cutter, the mass is then cut into smaller portions
The longer a cheese matures, the stronger its taste.
the size of corn seeds. The mixture is stirred continuously and then heated up again.
The Alps
Snowy mountains and steep peaks, but also round hills, beech and fir tree forests and gentle slopes, where the fresh perfume of fern and the sweet smell of raspberry bushes mingle... the Alps of the Lake Geneva Region constitute not only a wonderful recreational environment, but also a dream location where you can taste the specialties of the region at your ease.
Hikers will appreciate the Alpine huts and restaurants with a large selection of regional products, which you can have as a quick snack or enjoy sitting comfortably on the terrace. As we are in the mountains, the menu naturally includes all kinds of cheese-based dishes. You will have the opportunity to discover Etivaz AOC*, an Alpine cheese of incomparable taste, the first to receive an appellation of controlled origin in Switzerland. Fans of local produce will also appreciate the specialties proposed by many inns of the region: mushroom cassolettes, which are widespread in local cooking, using morels, boletus, chanterelles and wood hedgehogs. But there are also leek gratins, various puff
pastries and all sorts of cakes. Gourmets should visit Villars, Yvorne or Château-d’Œx, which are studded with many good restaurants that are also listed in GaultMillau and Michelin. The Alps of the Lake Geneva Region, where vines cling to steep mountain slopes, are also the home of the beautiful Chablais vineyard. Make the most of this region, its splendid environment, its delicious dishes and its exceptional vintage wines produced here since Roman times.
Specialties
Interesting tidbits… < Tomme Fleurette
< Etivaz AOC *
This cheese has a flowery rind and is soft and creamy. This specialty from Rougemont is very popular, be it on its native soil, where it has many faithful customers, or abroad, where it is regularly exported.
Etivaz AOC*, which is produced at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 meters, is matured for at least four and a half months in a cellar before reaching full maturity after eight months. But it is also excellent as an “old cheese” (over twelve months old) or served in the form of “rebibes” (wafer-thin slices matured for over thirty months).
Alpine salt > This salt from our Alpine salt fields has been extracted for nearly five centuries in the salt mines of Bex. Nestling in rocks, it has been preserved from pollution. Being extracted by dissolution in source water, it is extremely pure. Enhanced by spices and biological herbs, it has been selected by master butchers in the Lake Geneva Region to prepare their famous sausage called “Bâton du mineur” (miner’s stick).
In Aigle there are huge cellars where a plant-based concoction called “Bitter Diablerets” used to be made. After the brand was sold in 1976, the product continued to be made with a different recipe. As only the people who made the first beverage knew its ingredients, it seems that the original recipe has been lost. Certain sources maintain that the former “Bitter Diablerets” cellars still contain a few bottles of the original beverage which tasted both bitter and sweet and which was said to be the “aperitif of French-speaking Switzerland par excellence”.
Chablais wines The Chablais vineyards, particularly the vineyard in the area of Aigle, the “vine and wine citadel”, are generous: several dozen grape varieties are cultivated under the appellations Villeneuve, Yvorne, Aigle, Ollon, and Bex, yielding white or red wines, classics like Chasselas or rarities such as Mondeuse: wines with a suave and sometimes unexpected taste. 16
* See p. 19
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Activities
In Maison de L’Etivaz you can discover the manufacturing secret of this famous cheese and taste it too. You can also visit the cheese cellars and shop for local produce on the same premises. Located in a beautiful 17th century chalet, the Vieux Leysin Cheese Dairy is also a restaurant (where you are served a delicious fondue, amongst other dishes) and a small museum where various items are exhibited recalling the bygone days of Alpine life. The Bex Salt Mines stretch over nearly fifty kilometers: a huge labyrinth of tunnels, shafts and gigantic mine rooms. During the visit, which takes place in a mining train and on foot, you can discover the various mining techniques used in the first gallery, excavated in 1684, until today. Between May and the beginning of October, when many cattle herds spend the summer in the Alps, overnight stays are organized in Alpine huts: the occasion to have breakfast in the heart of the Alps and to have a live demonstration of how cheese is made! Located in the heart of the Chablais vineyards, Aigle Castle houses the Vine, the Wine and the Label Museum: two thousand years of history unfold before you.
Events
May Aigle, with a glass in your hand: in spring every year, winemakers let visitors discover the vintage wine of the year. Acquire a “sesame glass” that will open all cellar doors for you! August Midsummer in Taveyanne: celebrated on the Alpine pasture above Gryon, this pastoral festival is the most well known of all Midsummer festivals in the region, where people sing and dance in the purest tradition. It takes place on the first Sunday of August every year. September Bringing the cattle down from the high Alps: when the herds are brought down from the Alps for winter, the cooperative of Etivaz AOC * cheese makers and Etivaz village welcome producers and craftsmen. Tastings, visits of cheese cellars, food and drink, and various music performances combine to make it an unforgettable day!
Top restaurants
Appellations and brands of Lake Geneva Region specialties The culinary patrimony of the Lake Geneva Region abounds in typical specialties and comprises many local products, five of which have an AOC or an IGP appellation.
An AOC product is entirely produced in its region of origin, from the raw material to the final product. As to IGP products, at least one production stage has to take place in its region of origin. AOC and IGP products generally bear the name of their region of origin.
AOC (appellation of controlled origin) and IGP (protected origin indication) not only guarantee the origin, the authenticity and the specificity of a product, but also the strict control of production conditions carried out by an independent certification organism.
AOC Products:
www.aoc-igp.ch
Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC, Etivaz AOC, Gruyère AOC.
IGP Products: “Saucisson vaudois IGP”, “Saucisse aux choux vaudoise IGP” (cabbage-filled sausage).
All wines produced under Lake Geneva Region AOCs may bear the label “Vin Vaudois”. This label covers a number of terroirs and high-quality craftsmen. A signature of products marked by personality, authenticity and elegance.
www.vins-vaudois.com
Apart from the AOC and IGP appellations, there are three brands: “Produits du Terroir vaudois”, “Saveurs du Jura vaudois” and “Pays-d’Enhaut Produits Authentiques” that can be tasted in the Lake Geneva Region.
The products belonging to these brands are always of local origin and have their own identity linked to the particular area (“terroir”) where they come from. “Terroir” should be understood as a geographical as well as a human and cultural dimension. A “terroir” specialty is the fruit of skill, tradition and original manufacturing methods.
Produits du Terroir vaudois:
www.terroir-vaudois.ch
Selection criteria for our choice of restaurants: 14 points and more in the guide “GaultMillau 2007”
La Roseraie, Yvorne, www.roseraie.ch, 17 points in GaultMillau, 1 star in Michelin L’Ermitage, Château-d’Œx, www.gourmet-hotelermitage.ch, 14 points in GaultMillau La Renardière, Villars-sur-Ollon, www.larenardiere.ch, 14 points in GaultMillau All our good restaurants on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
strong alcohol distilled in the traditional way, liquors made from small berries, Vinatura wines, market garden produce, cooked pork meats, terrines, various cheeses, fishes...
And our restaurants, chalets and Alpine huts Saveurs du Jura vaudois: Refuge de Frience, Villars-Gryon, www.villars.ch Refuge de Mayen, Leysin, www.leysin.ch L’Auberge de l’Ours, Vers-L’Eglise (Les Diablerets), www.diablerets.ch Buvette de Neusille, Château-d’Œx, www.chateau-doex.ch
www.saveursdujura.ch
Alpine Gruyère AOC, Vacherin Mont-d’Or AOC, honey made from blossom and flowers, amandine (almond tart), smoked ham, gentian schnapps...
All our restaurants, chalets and Alpine huts on www.lake-geneva-region.ch
Pays-d’Enhaut Produits Authentiques: Get to know our Alps and discover:
www.pays-denhaut.ch
Etivaz AOC, cream cheese, hard and soft cheese, honey, Alpine pork, yoghurts...
Aigle, Château-d’Œx, Gryon, Les Diablerets, Les Mosses, Leysin, Rougemont, Villars. 18
* See p. 19
19
Follow our guides!
Useful addresses, tourist offices
The Office du Tourisme du Canton de Vaud and all the local tourist offices can offer a range of brochures
Office du Tourisme d’Aigle, Rue Colomb 5, Case postale 100, 1860 Aigle
that will tell you more about the Lake Geneva Region and help you prepare your visit more fully.
Tel. +41 (0)24 466 30 00, Fax +41 (0)24 466 30 03
Tel. +41 (0)24 441 52 66, Fax +41 (0)24 441 52 66
info@alp3000.ch, www.alp3000.ch
tourisme@orbe.ch, www.orbe.ch/tourisme
Avenches Tourisme, Place de l’Eglise 3, 1580 Avenches
Office du Tourisme d’Oron, Case postale 63, 1610 Oron-la-Ville
Tel. +41 (0)26 676 99 22, Fax: +41 (0)26 675 33 93
Tel. +41 (0)21 907 63 32, Fax +41 (0)21 907 63 40
info@avenches.ch, www.avenches.ch
info@region-oron.ch, www.region-oron.ch
Château-d’Œx Tourisme, La Place, 1660 Château-d’Œx
Office du Tourisme de Payerne, Place du Marché 10, 1530 Payerne
Tel. +41 (0)26 924 25 25, Fax +41 (0)26 924 25 26
Tel. +41 (0)26 660 61 61, Fax +41 (0)26 660 71 26
info@chateau-doex.ch, www.chateau-doex.ch
tourisme@payerne.ch, www.payerne.ch
Montreux-Vevey Tourisme,
One region, four worlds Lake Geneva Region Towns and Lakes, Alps, Jura, Countryside
Office du Tourisme de Rolle, Grand-Rue 1 bis, 1180 Rolle
Tel. +41 (0)21 946 46 46, Fax +41 (0)21 946 46 66
Tel. +41 (0)21 825 15 35, Fax +41 (0)21 825 11 31
infochexbres@mvtourism.ch, www.lavaux.com
tourisme@rolle.ch, www.rolle.ch
Diablerets Tourisme, Rue de la Gare, 1865 Les Diablerets
Office du Tourisme de Romainmôtier , Accueil et informations «La Porterie»,
Tel. +41 (0)24 492 33 58, Fax +41 (0)24 492 23 48
1323 Romainmôtier, Tel. +41 (0)24 453 14 65, Fax +41 (0)24 453 14 86
info@diablerets.ch, www.diablerets.ch
tourisme@romainmotier.ch, www.romainmotier.ch
Office du Tourisme de Grandson, Maison des terroirs, Rue Haute 13,
Office du Tourisme de Rougemont, Bâtiment communal, 1659 Rougemont Tel. +41 (0)26 925 11 66, Fax +41 (0)26 925 11 67
info@terroirs-region-grandson.ch, www.terroirs-region-grandson.ch
info@rougemont.ch, www.rougemont.ch
river banks, rambles through forests and vineyards, treks
Office du Tourisme de Gryon, Place de la Barboleuse, 1882 Gryon
Office du Tourisme de St-Cergue, Pl. Sy-Vieuxville, 1264 St-Cergue
along steep ridges, scrambles to the summits – this
Tel. +41 (0)24 498 00 00, Fax +41 (0)24 498 26 22
Tel. +41 (0)22 360 13 14, Fax +41 (0)22 360 24 74
guide is the first step in helping you discover the vast
information@gryon.ch, www.villarsgryon.ch
tourism@st-cergue.ch, www.st-cergue.ch
a thousand colours, the calm of wide open spaces, the majesty of the mountains: four quite different worlds all together in one region.
Strolls through bright city streets, hikes along quiet
A life-size theme park One region, a thousand adventures
Point i Chexbres, Place de la Gare, 1071 Chexbres
1422 Grandson, Tel. +41 (0)24 445 60 60, Fax +41 (0)24 445 60 70
On foot Discovery trails
The enchanting shores of the lakes and the charm of the towns, landscapes with
Office du Tourisme d’Orbe et environs, Rue de la Poste 2, 1350 Orbe
and breathtaking diversity of the Lake Geneva Region on foot.
The Lake Geneva Region is a gigantic, natural theme park with plenty to discover all year round.
Lausanne Tourisme, Av. de Rhodanie 2, Case postale 49, 1000 Lausanne 6
Office du Tourisme de Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses,
Tel. +41 (0)21 613 73 73, Fax: +41 (0)21 616 86 47
Balcon du Jura Vaudois Tourisme, Hôtel de Ville, Rue Neuve 10, 1450 Sainte-Croix
information@lausanne-tourisme.ch, www.lausanne-tourisme.ch
Tel. +41 (0)24 455 41 42, Fax +41 (0)24 455 41 15, ot@sainte-croix.ch, www.sainte-croix.ch
Office du Tourisme de La Sarraz et environs, Grand-Rue 1, 1315 La Sarraz
Vallée de Joux Tourisme, Centre Sportif, 1347 Le Sentier
you experience some unforgettable moments in an
By bike Getting away from it all on two wheels
Tel. +41 (0)21 866 02 29, Fax +41 (0)21 866 02 27
Tel. +41 (0)21 845 17 77, Fax +41 (0)21 845 50 08
environment that will take your breath away.
Several important routes cross the length and breadth
info@tourisme-lasarraz.ch, www.tourisme-lasarraz.ch
info@valleedejoux.ch, www.myvalleedejoux.ch
This guide is informative and entertaining. It will help
of Switzerland. This guide to cyclo tourism and mountain biking selects some that allow you to discover the region according to your tastes…and your fitness.
Travel in time A cultural journey The Lake Geneva Region has a long, eventful history that has left plenty of interesting remnants. This guide
churches, monasteries and museums… a rich heritage
A reputation for hospitality Hotel guide
that has a thousand tales to tell about our history.
Our region has earned a reputation for professionalism,
lists archaeological sites, amphitheatres, castles,
respect for tradition, and for making guests feel
Travel treasures à la carte Dream Lines
Leysin Tourisme, Place Large, 1854 Leysin
Office du Tourisme de Vallorbe, Grandes-Forges 11, Case postale 90,
Tel. +41 (0)24 493 33 00, Fax +41 (0)24 493 33 01
1337 Vallorbe, Tel. +41 (0)21 843 25 83, Fax +41 (0)21 843 22 62
info@leysin.ch, www.leysin.ch
contact@vallorbe.ch, www.vallorbe.ch
Montreux-Vevey Tourisme, Place de l’Eurovision, 1820 Montreux
Montreux-Vevey Tourisme, Grande-Place 29, 1800 Vevey
Tel. +41 (0)848 86 84 84, Fax +41 (0)21 962 84 94
Tel. +41 (0)848 86 84 84, Fax +41 (0)21 962 84 78
info@mvtourism.ch, www.montreux-vevey.com
info@mvtourism.ch, www.montreux-vevey.com
Morges Région Tourisme, Rue du Château 2, 1110 Morges 1
Villars Tourisme, Rue Centrale, 1884 Villars-sur-Ollon
Tel. +41 (0)21 801 32 33, Fax: +41 (0)21 801 31 30
Tel. +41 (0)24 495 32 32, Fax +41 (0)24 495 27 94
info@morges-tourisme.ch, www.morges.ch
information@villars.ch, www.villars.ch
welcome. This guide lists hotels that are big, small,
Office du Tourisme Les Mosses-La Lécherette, Les Fougères, 1862 Les Mosses
Montreux-Vevey Tourisme,
international, regional, modern, romantic… You’ll be
Tel. +41 (0)24 491 14 66, Fax +41 (0)24 491 10 24
Tel. +41 (0)21 960 22 86, Fax +41 (0)21 968 10 13
spoilt for choice.
info@lesmosses.ch, www.lesmosses.ch
infovilleneuve@mvtourism.ch, www.montreux-vevey.com
A very comprehensive transport network makes it possible for visitors to discover the Lake Geneva Region
Office du Tourisme de Moudon, Place de la Douane, 1510 Moudon
Office du Tourisme et du Thermalisme d’Yverdon-les-Bains
Tel. +41 (0)21 905 88 66, Fax +41 (0)21 905 55 50
Av. de la Gare 2, 1401 Yverdon-les-Bains, Tel. +41 (0)24 423 61 01, Fax +41 (0)24 426 11 22
office.tourisme@moudon.ch, www.moudon.ch
info@yverdon-les-bains.ch, www.yverdonlesbains-tourisme.ch
This guide suggests many fascinating trips that will give
Shared emotions Fun, Festivals, Events
Nyon Région Tourisme, Av. Viollier 8, 1260 Nyon 1
you wonderful views from a boat, a funicular, a cable
From January to December, a huge variety of activities
Tel. +41 (0)22 365 66 00, Fax +41 (0)22 365 66 06
car or a steam train.
take place, right across the region. This guide, which is
info@nrt.ch, www.nyon.ch
at their own pace and follow their own preferences.
Point i Villeneuve, Place de la Gare 5, 1844 Villeneuve
updated each year, lays out the calendar of festive and cultural events that the Lake Geneva Region has to offer. Photos: cover: Régis Colombo/www.diapo.ch, LT / B.H. Bissat, HP Siffert / Weinweltfoto.ch, P. Loertscher, www.semio.ch, Studio Patrick Jantet, www.ateliermamco.com Illustrations: Denis Kormann Concept: www.semio.ch 2007 Edition | Printed in Switzerland
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OFFICE DU TOURISME DU CANTON DE VAUD
Avenue dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ouchy 60 | Case Postale 164 | 1000 Lausanne 6 | Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)21 613 26 26 | Fax +41 (0)21 613 26 00 www.lake-geneva-region.ch | info@lake-geneva-region.ch