Chardonne VD

Chardonne VD is a typical wine-growing village in the Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage landscape. The vineyard lies at the eastern end of the Lavaux hillside, stretching along the lakeshore between Saint-Saphorin and Corseaux and rising in terraces up to the village. This gives the landscape a clear progression in elevation, linking the lakeshore, vineyards and village. On Mont-Pèlerin, viewpoints and trails add further highlights.

Vineyards, wines and tastings

The wines of Chardonne are considered fruity and mineral, generous and full-bodied, with a distinctly individual character. Every weekend from May to September, the Caveau des Vignerons at the Logis de Chardonne offers tastings of all the wines from the Chardonne appellation. For groups, the Caveau de Chardonne presents wines from around fifteen winemakers in the Lavaux UNESCO region by reservation; confirm your reservation before travelling.

At the Marché des Vins de Chardonne, you can discover and taste around 150 wines from the selection of about a dozen local winemakers. The number of participants and wines may vary from one edition to another. The Tour de Chardonne by Lavaux Panoramic is a seasonal offer for 2026. It lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes and includes a welcome drink in the middle of the vineyards.

Burignon and Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church

Burignon in Chardonne is recognisable by its square tower. Its history includes two changes of ownership: in 1536, it passed from Hautcrêt Abbey to the Bernese state; in 1803, the city of Lausanne bought it. The Reformed Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste also offers a glimpse into the history of the area. During its restoration, exceptional medieval wall paintings dating from 1421 were brought to light.

Hiking trails and views on Mont-Pèlerin

Numerous hiking trails lead from Chardonne through the Lavaux landscape and up to the heights of Mont-Pèlerin. The Mont Pèlerin & Mont Chesau hike passes through Chardonne, Popraz, Mont Pèlerin and Mont Chesau, before returning to Chardonne. It is rated easy, Grade T1. Another route also starts in Chardonne, goes via Mont-Pèlerin to Châtel-Saint-Denis and ends in the canton of Fribourg. If you want to plan a return trip to your starting point, the main difference between the two routes is that one returns to Chardonne, while the other ends in the canton of Fribourg.

The nature trail on Mont-Pèlerin is just under two kilometres long and is rated very easy. It is accessible by car or public transport and has a covered shelter for breaks. The stations cover topics such as biodiversity, tree species, the uses of wood and related professions. At the Plein-Ciel Tower on Mont-Pèlerin, a panoramic lift takes visitors to a viewpoint at 1,145 metres. From there, views extend across Lake Geneva, the Lavaux vineyards and the surrounding landscape.

The Vevey–Chardonne–Mont-Pèlerin funicular also travels through the Lavaux vineyards and reaches an elevation of more than 810 metres above sea level. If you would like to include this railway in your plans, check the timetable in advance.

La Pichette

The crescent-shaped La Pichette beach is in Chardonne. It has beach volleyball, barbecue facilities and table tennis, as well as toilets, showers and a car park.

Discover more destinations: Chardonne, Rougemont Vd, Vevey, Les Avants, Montreux, Veytaux, L'etivaz, Corseaux

Return to the main travel overview: Riviera-Pays-D'enhaut.