When we think of famous winegrowing regions of the world, Switzerland doesn't come to mind. Yet this jagged little country Switzerland actually produces some top drops, writes Anna King Shahab.
The train from Zurich airport is six minutes late, a myth-busting revelation early-in-the-piece on my first visit to Switzerland. But I'm willing to believe delays to the schedule are a rare occurrence, because over the next week I spend in the country I jump on dozens of trains that depart on the dot.
From Zurich it's a few hours and two like-clockwork changes to reach the vineyards of Lavaux, on the northern banks of Lac Leman (better known as Lake Geneva, but this is the French-speaking canton of Vaud we're in, and they will give you a generous pour if you use their language). We're staying two nights in the small village of Chexbres, which places us in the middle of wine country, and a 10-minute train ride to the city of Lausanne, where we head the next morning.
At the station, we meet Lausanne Tourism guide Franziska, who leads us over the road to hop on the city's underground train, which, as we head steeply up the hill, feels like a cable-car hybrid. Then it's upwards again, tackling steep steps to reach the Gothic cathedral. Franziska, charging ahead sprightly, tells us the folk of Lausanne (okay, she said women, but I'm taking an inclusive approach) are famed for their shapely legs, as a result of having to climb hills every day. Do pack your comfy shoes.
On the ridge above the lake in the heart of the old city, Lausanne Cathedral — the Notre Dame — was completed in 1235 and is considered one of the most beautiful examples of the Gothic period in Europe, particularly its stained glass windows. Among the exquisite pieces here is a rose window of than 100 pieces — depicting secular subject matter like seasonal labouring and the natural world — many of which remain intact from the early 12th century.
