Hiking around Lausanne (around lake and vineyards)

Can anyone suggest good hiking trails for family with 6 year old around Lausanne in the vineyards and along the lake?

One option I see is Chexbres to Saint-Saphorin to Epesses and then take the train back to Lausanne? Can we walk from Saint-Saphorin to Epesses along the lake? I see a train line going along the lake in this portion of trail so not sure if there is a walkway/trail.

Any other suggestions?

Hi SR1000,

You can certainly walk from St. Saphorin to Epesses. It's part of the longer route you can find on www.wanderland.ch/en/r outes/route-0113.html. You'll be walking a bit above the lake. Both towns have a train stop.

Hi Sr1000 -

Lots of good walks in the area.

I spent some time putting together an answer with details of the area, but found that I ran out of time to get it just right.

There is a lot available, and I'd tend to pick something further west.

However, I have consulted my collection of Wanderkarte and #261T shows a Wanderweg from near St. Saphorin to Epesses. Also, one from Chexbres in the direction of St. Saphorin. Unfortunately, I do not have #262T, to the east, which includes St. Saphorin - it is just slightly off the edge of map #261T....;-).....and I don't yet know whether I can find that detail on-line.

There are clearly minor roads and trails that will let you do that, but it would be nice to say "Follow the Wanderweg." Still working on that.

On your proposed route , the stretch down to St. Saphorin will be steep and be a substantial descent. The Wanderweg to Epesses runs through the vineyards. It is well above the lake shore. The road along the shore can be walked, it is not a major highway. Still, trails will be safer and nicer.. The slopes run right down to the lake. Not much room for anything else.

map.search.ch/?x=-111854m&y=-42146m&z=128

I'd consider not going down to St. Saphorin, but instead heading directly toward Epesses from Chexbres. There are a number of roads and trails to consider, which go through the vineyards, but which will involve significant climbs and descents.

The views will be much better than along the lake shore.

I'll try to post some ideas in the next few days, but you can be sure that there are plenty of scenic walks in the area, and that they can be a lot easier than the one you picked.

Don't forget the "Wine Train" from Vevey to Chexbres then Puidoux.

The train from Vevey to Puidoux via Chexbres offers very nice views toward Lausanne.

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/wine-train-lavaux-please-advice

www.switzerlandbyrail. com/trains/scenic/lava ux_wine_train_vevey_ch exbrex.htm

images.search.yahoo.co m/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LE Vr.9U8BWToMAIl0nnIlQ;_ ylu

Slowpoke

Thank you Arno and Slowspoke This is really great. Slowspoke, really appreciate your detailed response.

I like the suggestion for walking down to Epesses from Chexbres. We can take the Wine Train from Vevey to Chexbres first and then walk. Also can extend the walk to Cully if daughter can keep up :)

I found one such trail description at: www.geotrails.ch/detai l.php?trailid=80648&lang=en

Based on all this I think we can take the Wine Train all the way to Puidoux from Vevey, walk to Tour De Gourze to Grandvaux and then take the train back to Lausanne. I assume the climb to Tour De Gourze will be quite steep, so this route will reduce the total distance (6.6 km).

Where can I find the timetable for the Wine Train? When I try the sbb.ch timetable, it's suggesting taking a bus connection.

<<"Where can I find the timetable for the Wine Train? When I try the sbb.ch timetable, it's suggesting taking a bus connection.">>

Ooops...hope they have not decided to convert that route to a bus. Every year they changeover a few less-used routes to buses.....Gradual conversion to fast frequent interurban service between major cities.

I'll see what I can find.

I checked the timetable.

Train runs on 5th July every hour at XX09. Check your date if it is the 3rd or the 4th, but I'm sure they'll be OK

Use Puidoux-Chexbres, gare as the terminus.

Expand the journey and check the map choice at the bottom to confirm the route.

By the way, there is a nice short walk from Puidoux station on a public road to the southwest, then swinging up and around to Signal de Chebres. Nice hotel up ther, but you can have great views whether yu access their terrace or not. From there, you could walk to Grandvaux, to Chexbres, or to Epesse, once you work your way down the slopes a bit.

There is aparticularly attractive and interesting easy short walk down hill through the vineyards starting just up the road a short distance east from Grandvaux Station, going straight down toward Villette, via the hamlet of Lalex, under the railroad tracks, then along village streets from Villette to Cully station.

I have picture to attach later from that walk.

Slowpoke

Hi SR1000 -

As noted, a bit more information about the walk you suggest, as well as the one I mentioned from near Grandvaux station down to Cully Station. Plus, one photo from near Lalex, and one toward Cully from well down the trail. Both are from 2003, so technical quality may be lacking.

Presenting scans from maps on the forum requires that they be compressed below 1 MB. That can make deatail hard to read. However, the two scans I have attached show some information that you might find helpful to supplement what you see on line. They also demonstrate the possible value of paper maps or some other image source while walking.

One is a scan from a 1:50,000 Wanderkarte, number 261T (T for trails, perhaps) which is compressed too much to make text ( such as altitudes) easy to read. The trails marked in red are the "Wanderweg" trails ( whose French name is something like Sentier pedestrienne )which have yellow signs along them and at all intersections. They point the direction and may give times. Unless the trail is level, don't believe the times. The Swiss walk equally fast on trails ranging from level to steep inclines. ;-)

The other is a scan from a 1:25,000 topo, #1243, on which you probably can read the altitudes. I have marked Tour de Gourze (at 924.7 meters, roughly 500 meters above lake level) on it, as well as the trail that I mentioned before which starts near and 30 meters above Grandvaux Station. That latter trail is a 200 meter descent. Some of it goes along and on the walls of the canalized stream shone in the photograph.

The direct descent from Tour de Gourze on the Wanderweg is very steep. You might consider walking on the village streets to get down to Grandvaux, which is 300 meters lower.. Unless you are in good shape, your knees will feel it.

The houses in the photo are probably Lalex. If not, they are just above Villette.

Hope these give you more perspective on the terrain. Mostly, I wanted to show you where the Wanderwege are.

Slowpoke

Wow. This is great Slowspoke. Thank you so much.

I did find the timetable for the direct train from Vevey to Puidoux-Chexbres. The train type is shown as S7. I assume is the same as Wine Train.

For the trail we may skip Tour De Gourze as I am not sure if my daughter will be able to climb that steep path. Instead as you suggested we will walk from Puidoux to Grandvaux to Villette (via Lallex) to Cully. I got a good understanding based on your maps. I have tried to map it on Google with direction. Can you please check if this makes sense? This way if daughter is too tired we can cut short at Villette, Gare and take the train back to Lausanne.

One small clarification. Does the train continue further after Puidoux-Chexbres or we should get down at this station?

You are welcome.

"S7"

The S-Bahnen are commuter trains operated out of the main Swiss rail stations or in particular region. S7 simply means that it has an arbitrary number 7. That refers to administration, official time tables, etc. "Wine Train" is a "tourist name" for that train between Puidoux and Vevey. On a map of the whole system, that is also route #111.

The train runs as a shuttle between Vevey and Puidoux. it is on a separate line leaving Vevey, and finishes at Puidoux. If you wish to go on from Puidoux to change to the local train that runs between Lausanne and Palezieux (and beyond, I think), and you can pick up main line trains at those two stations. That local train between Puidoux and Lausanne stops at Grandvaux Station.

I did not find it easy to follow the paths on the Google Map. You are broadly correct, but the devil is in the details, especially when many options involve climbing or descending, only to climb again. Try MapSearch. CH and refer to the scans that I sent. By the way , if you wish, you can buy those maps at many many convenience stores in Switzerland, as well as book stores in our near major train stations. (Ask at Touirist Info.) Even the local stores almost everywhere often have a few maps, because the Swiss really are hikers. They are not cheap- the 1:25,000 topo will be 15-20 CHF and the Wanderkarte even more.

Many hotels lend those maps to their guests, but expect a bill if you do not return them. Or, they may have them at reception to look at.

Mapsearch.ch is much better at showing details for Switzerland.

map.search.ch/?x=-115584m&y=-40664m&z=64

You can open "Items of Interest " menu and get it to show train stations at various zoom magnifications.

I recall you can get ti to show marked trails.

For immense detail, try Swisstopo:

map.geo.admin.ch/?X=149760.00&Y=546055.0 0&zoom=7&lang=en&topic =swisstopo&bgLayer=ch. swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe

It appears that you may have missed the best part of the trail just above Lallex, including the part where it passes under the railroad, and I don't know the exact route of the trail along the expressway that you show after Puidoux. it might be better to descend to Epesses as in intermediate point. Then, consider and decide whether to climb back up above Grandvaux station to pick up the trail above Lallex,, and descend again from there. After Lallex, you descend eastward to the the village of Grandvaux, which is quite some elevation below STATION Grandvaux.There are many ways to go through the vineyards, and, unless you follow a Wanderweg, with good trail signs) or pay close attention to some kind of map, you may end up with a lot of unnecessary and tiring ups and downs.

The details available if you zoom in on the Swisstopo link show just how confusing it can be, because the vineyards require many small paths for access. That is a real benefit of following a well marked Wanderweg, such as the one from Chexbres to Epesses.

It may be too much total hike for a 6 year old,or, for you. Are you experienced hikers? The distance is not the main problem, it is altitude changes.

Your idea of locating train stations to shorten the hikes is very appropriate. Unless you are well trained in good condition for walking, including your six year old, you may need to cut the hike short before Villette, for example at Epeses, or at Station Grandvaux., and the part after Villete to Cully is the easiest part.

By the way, the reason there are vineyards on those slopes is that they get a lot of sun in the summer. It can be very hot in the sun, reflecting off the rocky soils.

<<"....Tour de Gourze as I am not sure if my daughter will be able to climb that steep path">>

Most of the route to Tour de Gourze from Puidoux goes by roads, but the last short part is a very steep climb upwards as you noted,and as you can see on the Wanderkarte map scan, comparing it to the fine detail on the Swisstopo map linked in this post.

Slowpoke

Ooops-

As I studied the maps, I realized that the photo above, labeeed for Villette, actually show Lallex from above.

Sorry.

Slowpoke.

No problem at all. Thanks for clarification :)