Lavaux, the Alps and the Viticulture

17 February 2021

The Rhône glacier deposited morainal material on the molasse and pudding stone, creating what is now Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) and fertile soil on the surrounding hills.

The first people settled in Lavaux five thousand years ago. Wine growing began in Roman times. Monks cleared the steepest slopes to build terraces in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Over time, area farmers acquired the estates previously held by the Chuch and local nobility.

Since then, generations of traditional winegrowers have shaped the unique landscape that stretches from Lausanne to Vevey.

The Fête des Vignerons celebrates and commemorates the cultural history of Lavaux once every generation.

Today, this cultural landscape still thrives, encompassing not only fourteen beautiful villages and small towns, as well as the most extensive vineyards of Switzerland, but also the carefully maintained landscape and buildings on the shores of the lake, offering a magnificent view of the Alps.

(Further information and source: www.lavaux-unesco.ch)