Aigle, Yvorne and Ollon – melodious names not only for wine connoisseurs
The wines of the Chablais enjoy an excellent reputation. From Aigle, the hike heads northwest to the vineyards of Yvorne, then along hidden paths via Aigle Castle and Verchiez to reach the winegrowing village of Ollon.
Trains in five directions leave from Aigle station: the SBB to Lausanne and through the Rhone Valley to Brig, as well as the Chablais Railways (TPC) to Leysin, Les Diablerets and Ollon-Monthey-Champéry. We cross the town on foot (be careful, the Leysin railway runs through the middle of the narrow streets). Then we follow the Grande Eau, the stream coming out of the valley of Les Diablerets, to the left, towards the winegrowing village of Yvorne. On the vineyard slope there are many pretty houses and the little castle of Yvorne.
From the slightly higher hamlet of Vers-Morey, we cross the vineyards back to the bridge where the cogwheel railway to Leysin pokes up the slope. We continue to the 13th century castle of Aigle. It is an ever-grateful photo subject and houses the Vaud Vineyard and Wine Museum. Tools, presses, barrels, bottles, corks, corkscrews, glasses and... 1200 wine labels are on display.
Along the narrow-gauge railway to Les Diablerets follows our ascent to Verchiez. On this stretch, railway fans also get their money's worth, as there is the ingenious line layout to marvel at. Study the timetable and take spectacular pictures or shoot a video.
The views over the Rhone Valley to the typical shape of the Dents du Midi are equally impressive. The path follows the slope through vineyards and shady woodland to Ollon with its well-preserved winegrowers' houses built between the 17th and 19th centuries. Around the winegrowing village, the local winegrowers cultivate 122 hectares of Chablais AOC wine. The delicious wine can be tasted in the Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville or, with a little luck, in a wine cellar. There are also guided walks through Ollon with a local winegrower and a wine tasting.
