Dreamlike railway lines in Switzerland From the Three Lakes region through Lavaux to Geneva
Switzerland's dream railway lines From the Three-Lakes Region through Lavaux to Geneva. The Jura south foothills line is one of the most beautiful railway lines in Switzerland. Along the French and German language border, the journey continues along the western bank of the picturesque Lac Léman down to Geneva.
From the Three-Lakes Region, the train heads south to idyllic Lavaux, Switzerland's most famous wine region. Between Vevey and Morges the journey continues for a short distance by boat across Lac Léman. The last leg of the journey to Geneva is by train again.
Beautiful, but still largely unknown, is the so-called "Jura south footpath". The journey begins at Lake Biel. The train passes the southern slopes of the Jura, where the sun allows the vines to thrive. It then continues along Lake Neuchâtel through the "grosse Moos", Switzerland's vegetable chamber. Thirteen-year-old Leonard Riesen lives in Murten. He is the youngest museum director in Switzerland and collects railway equipment for his exhibition.
Towards the south, the train winds its way leisurely through the Fribourg region. After the tunnel near Puidoux, a magical sight opens up to the train traveller: In the foreground the vines of Lavaux, behind them the blue shimmer of Lake Geneva and in the distance the snow-covered slopes of majestic Mont Blanc. The Lavaux vineyard terraces have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. Christelle Conne's family has been running a winery here for generations and allows us a look behind the scenes.
For part of the journey we take the historic Belle Époque train from Blonay to Chamby. Fans of old locomotives will get their money's worth here. On board is the train chief Alain Candellero. Since 1982 he has been a member of the museum association that runs the train. The journey continues from Vevey, this time on water and by steamboat to Morges. For the last stage, the train will once again take to the rails along Lac Léman to Geneva.
Broadcasting on 16th of November 2020 at 10:00pm on 3Sat
Music: POPVIRUS Library