🏛️ Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces

Lavaux is a set of vineyard terraces above Lake Geneva in Switzerland. They stretch along a steep slope between the towns of Lausanne and Vevey. The slope is divided by stone retaining walls into narrow strips on which vines grow. The place is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The terraces have been built by monks since the Middle Ages. The vineyard receives three sources of sun: direct light, light reflected from the lake, and heat given off by the stone walls. The main grape here is Chasselas, a white variety that makes light wines.

Nearby, in the town of Vevey, takes place the winegrowers' festival, a great event held once every few decades. Lavaux is one of the best known examples of vineyard terraces in the world. It shows how people turned a steep slope into a wine region. You can visit it on foot, along trails running past the terraces with views of the lake and mountains.