Virée Alpestre
Intro
The Virée Alpestre is a round tour through the Vaud Alps starting in Aigle or Château-d’Oex and leading via Bex, Gryon, Villars, Col de la Croix, Les Diablerets and Le Sépey to Leysin.
Description
Along the way, you’re promised a thrilling variety of experiences, both active and relaxing: on a via ferrata, in a revolving restaurant, at an Olympic training camp and in the salt mines of Bex. On no account miss the highest attraction of all: the Peak Walk at Glacier 3000, the world’s only suspension footbridge linking two mountain summits.
Here you find detailed information on the route: PDF Virée Alpestre
Hereafter, we present 15 suggestions for excursions along the tour.
Tipp 1: World Cycling Centre (CMC)
Located on the banks of the Rhône outside Aigle, this futuristic building looks like a stranded UFO. The World Cycling Centre houses the headquarters of the International Cycling Union and is an elite coaching and training centre for top athletes from all over the world. You, too, can taste Olympic glory – on the trampoline, the Olympic BMX track and at the velodrome with 200-metre covered race track.
Tipp 2: Castle of Aigle
Aigle’s medieval castle, surrounded by vineyards and framed by Alpine peaks, looks as if it belongs in a book of fairy tales. The Vine and Wine Museum here explores nearly 2,000 years of winemaking in the region, with exhibitions devoted to everything from wine labels to harvest festival costumes. A top tip for families: the nearby Parc Aventure, a rope park with fun circuits high in the treetops.
Tipp 3: Salt mines of Bex
The salt mines at Bex have been in operation since 1684. About 35 tons of salt are still extracted here every year. Over the centuries, miners have created a vast labyrinth of tunnels, part of which is open to the public. A mine train carries visitors deep underground to an audio-visual show that explains the different methods of extracting the salt. The subsequent walking tour lasts about an hour.
Tipp 4: Thermal bath Lavey-les-Bains
Local tradition says people learned about the region’s salt deposits from goats that enjoyed drinking the salty water at Lavey-les-Bains. This bubbles out of the ground at a temperature of 69 degrees, making these mineral springs the hottest in Switzerland. The water is a more agreeable 32 to 35 degrees in the pools of this beautiful spa – and bathers are welcome to relax in it without drinking any.
Tipp 5: Villars Golf Club
Do you dream of playing golf at a higher level? Try the sunny course in Villars, located 1,600 metres above sea level, where you’ll enjoy superb mountain views extending to Mont Blanc. The 18-hole course, with a length of 5,288 metres, has a fine reputation and promises plenty of challenges. But don’t worry, you needn’t be an expert to visit, not even a golfer: most guests simply enjoy the views over lunch.
Tipp 6: Taveyanne
The charming mountain hamlet of Taveyanne, with its wooden chalets and shingle roofs, offers an idyllic refreshment stop during a hike. A conservation order protects the entire site, which operates without electricity. At the cosy restaurant of the Refuge de Taveyanne, the melted-cheese raclette is prepared at a wood fire; the fondue, mushroom dishes, rösti, and home-made fruit tarts are also divine.
Tipp 7: Natural rock pyramids
These impressive rock formations form part of a nature reserve near the Col de la Croix, on the road linking Villars with Les Diablerets. From the summit of the pass (1,778 m), a walk of just a few minutes leads to the geological wonder: pyramids of natural gypsum carved by thousands of years of erosion through wind and water. A longer hike up to the ridge reveals glorious views of the whole region.
Tipp 8: Waterfall via ferrata
The via ferrata (fixed-cable climb) by the “Cascade du Dar” waterfall near Les Diablerets requires skill, strength and a head for heights. Located on the cliff to the left of the waterfall, the challenging route boasts several overhangs and, at the end, a thrilling zip wire. The via ferrata is 400 metres long and takes about 1.5 hours. Access: 10 minutes’ walk from Col du Pillon towards the waterfall.
Tipp 9: Musée des Ormonts
This charming small museum lies in the hamlet of Vers-l’Eglise, two kilometres from Les Diablerets, and takes its name from the surrounding valley, the Vallée des Ormonts. The museum’s mission is to document all aspects of life in the area: everything from history, geology, language and architecture to natural hazards and farming traditions. We reckon the museum is a real gem, and well worth a visit.
Tipp 10: Peak Walk - Glacier 3000
You’ll need a good head for heights: the first suspension footbridge in the world to span two mountain peaks is 107 metres long and just 80 centimetres wide. Visitors ride up by cable car from the Col du Pillon, between Gstaad and Les Diablerets. Up at Glacier 3000, the “Peak Walk by Tissot” links the “View Point” to the Scex Rouge (2,971 metres). Access is free of charge for visitors to Glacier 3000.
Tipp 11: Revolving restaurant, Kuklos
High above Leysin, a panoramic restaurant invites you to admire a parade of many of the Alps’ most famous peaks as you eat, without leaving your seat. How? Le Kuklos revolves once on its axis every 90 minutes, thanks to solar power: just enough time to enjoy a delicious rösti as you watch the Eiger, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Lake Geneva, the Vaud riviera and the Rhône valley glide by your window.
Tipp 12: Medicinal plant garden Gentiana
Anyone interested in plants or natural medicine will enjoy a visit to Gentiana, a botanical collection with gorgeous views over the Rhône valley. Located below the resort of Leysin, not far from the sports centre, the garden features one of the largest collections of gentians and medicinal plants in their various natural environments – from woodland and forest fringe to bog, dry meadow and rocky soil.
Tipp 13: Adventure park in Aigle
See yourself as Tarzan or Jane? Here’s your chance to try! Clamber along rope bridges from one treetop to the next, test your balance on strings of wobbly planks 15 metres off the ground, whizz through the air down zip wires: the adventure rope park in Aigle promises high thrills for children and adults alike. Allow about three hours to make the most of the attraction, located in the forest of Le Fahy.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
