Haut-Léman
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Exploring Haut-Léman | | Tourist
offices in the low-lying Chablais region offer a free Passeport covering five sites, including the two museums within the Château
d’Aigle, the Bex salt mines and the Château de Chillon near Montreux. Ask for the passeport at any tourist office in the
Haut-Léman region, then get it stamped by each place to qualify for
reduced admission (Fr.2–3 off full-price). Note that the Vaud
Regional Pass is valid for transport in the whole of
Haut-Léman, and also for journeys south to Martigny. |
Before trains enter Canton Valais, they first pass through
a diverse and little-known area of Canton Vaud known as HAUT-LÉMAN, extending
southeast of Lake Geneva. South of Montreux lies the broad, flat Rhône valley,
the river meandering languorously between the great craggy peaks of the Dents-du-Midi
on one side, and the heights of Les Diablerets on the other. The valley floor
and west-facing foothills make up the acclaimed wine region of Chablais,
no less prestigious a producer than its lakeshore competitors of La Côte and
Lavaux, and centred on the fine old town of Aigle,
with its fairy-tale turreted castle surrounded by vineyards. Above Aigle rise
the 3000m-plus peaks of the Alpes
Vaudoises, centred on a handful of attractive, small-scale resorts such
as Villars and Les Diablerets that offer excellent skiing and a cosy atmosphere well away from the clutter
and bustle of the huge resorts of Verbier and Crans-Montana further south. | 
