Is the Vevey Wine Festival worth going?
A traveler is considering attending the Vevey Wine Festival on August 11 while visiting Switzerland from August 7 to 17. They are unsure if it’s worth changing their plans for the festival, especially since it's reputed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event happening only every 20 years. They also want to know about activities outside the main event if they can't get tickets.
- If you're curious about Swiss culture, the festival is visually engaging, even if you don't speak French.
- Consider checking out other tourist attractions like the Lion Monument in Lucerne, especially on your first trip to Switzerland.
- The Swiss Travel Pass can be a great option for traveling around during the festival, as it covers various public transport options.
- If you decide to skip the festival, look for local folkloric festivals happening in the area from August 7 to 17.
AI-generated summary-
Hello,
The last day of the Vevey Wine Festival is August 11. Is it worth going? We’ll be in Switzerland during that time (Aug 7-17) but had planned to get over to the Lake Geneva side toward the end of the trip.
Should we change up the itinerary and go to the festival at least one day? Or it’ll be like a zoo? And taking one day off from sightseeing other places.
If we don’t or can’t get tickets to the main event in the pop-up stadium, would there be plenty of things to see and do outside?
All travel websites said it’s a festival of a lifetime since with happens only every 20 years.
Thanks for your advice!
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Hi Virgingorda!
I can’t guess if you would enjoy the Fête des Vignerons. Let’s say about 20,000 people daily find it worth attending. Including me and my family (we went on Aug 1st).
But you may prefer to see the Lion Monument in Lucerne, who knows…
Thanks for the « pop up stadium » I didn’t know it was called by that name.
It is a show with a few thousands (I think) players in costumes (traditional and fancy). Not understanding French would be a hindrance but not a final obstacle (the show is mostly visual). It is about the work around vineyards and wine throughout the year. The show lasts 3 hours. Do you have any interest in Swiss culture and traditions? If yes, go and enjoy it, if no it would be courteous to leave your seat to someone else.
Hi again Virgingorda!
You’ve probably made up your mind by now, but just in case…
If this your first trip in Switzerland it might be a good idea to skip the Fête des Vignerons. On a first trip, travellers tend to visit the “must see” sites. You might prefer to see the Tellspiele in Interlaken. A revival of the William Tell legend, the Tellspiele targets the tourist audience, whereas the Fête des Vignerons is mainly meant for a Swiss audience. By the way, a ticket for the FeVi costs around CHF 190 a piece.
Thanks, all, for your advice. We’re going to skip it, although I’m a sucker for anything with UNESCO designation. Trying to collect many as possible on our travels. 😁
NYTimes Travel just had an article on it from the guy who does 52 Places. He thought some parts of the performance were too weird, at least to an American. And he recommended other things to do, just typical sightseeing stuff in that area.
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Actually we prefer to experience authentic, local cultural activities and festivals and avoid all the staged ones for tourists though.
We were in Vienna in June and really enjoyed the music scene there. Managed to catch an outdoor concert at the Schonbrunn Palace by the Vienna Philharmonic, and 2 operas at the Vienna State Opera, and a huge rock music festival on the island in the Danube.
We avoided all the tourist concerts pushed by Mozart touts on the street.
If you know of any interesting local festivals from August 7-17, please let me know. Mountain, folkloric festivals
We might rearrange our itinerary to catch it if it’s interesting enough.
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