Thursday April 22nd, 2.00 pm – 6.00 pm.

Price: 90 SF / participant

The Castle of Chillon was built between the 11th and the 16th centuries on a small rocky islet close from the mainland.  Surrounded by the lake, it faced the road between Burgundy and Italy, thereby protecting the House of Savoy's military and commercial interests. It was popularized by many poets and authors, such as Byron, Victor Hugo, Hans Christian Andersen, Flaubert, Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens. Lord Byron's famous poem, The Prisoner of Chillon, was about a real person: François Bonivard, a lay official at St. Victor's priory in Geneva, who spoke out in favor of the Reformation and was shackled to a stone pillar by the Duke of Savoy from 1530 until the Bernese conquest of Vaud in 1536. The setting of Chillon is beautiful to modern visitors who know they won't be assigned to basement quarters for an indefinite stay.                       

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, stretching for about 30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva from the Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne in the Vaud region, cover the lower slopes of the mountainside between the villages and the lake It is an outstanding example of a centuries-long interaction between people and their environment, developed to optimize local resources so as to produce a highly valued wine that has always been important to the economy. The Lavaux vineyards are classified among the world heritage by the UNESCO.

The tour includes the trip by bus from Lausanne to Chillon, a complete guided tour of the castle (which will not be possible during the gala dinner), transfer to a winecellar in Lavaux with winetasting, then transfer back to Lausanne-Beaulieu.

Depending on the demand, a second tour could be organized on Friday April 23rd.

Friday April 23rd, 1.30 pm – 6.00 pm.

Price 70 SF / Participant

The small town Gruyères with its lovely castle is in the La Gruyère district of the Canton Fribourg (Freiburg) in French-speaking Switzerland. Gruyère cheese is of course world famous while the historic small town with authentic medieval castle is also very popular with tourists. Gruyères’ small old town is located on a hill and with the medieval castle form a beautiful panorama when approaching from below. The town developed next to the more famous castle, which is at the far end from the town gates open to visitors. Gruyères Castle dates partly back to the thirteenth century and absolutely looks the part with towers, spiral staircases, wood-floor galleries, courtyards, and ramparts that may be explored at will. The old town of Gruyères has basically just one huge street, which resembles a large oblong market square. This open space is lined with pretty buildings, many with preserved historic facades as well as traditional shop signs.

The tour will include an approximately 40 minutes trip from Lausanne to Gruyères by bus, visit of the House of Gruyère (cheese factory), visit of the city of Gruyères, including the castle, then transfer back to Lausanne by bus.