Photo credit Marc Vaudroz for Vaud Tourisme.
Top Things To Do In Leysin Switzerland
The Swiss Mountain Destination of Leysin
If you’ve never been to Leysin in Switzerland then maybe it’s a destination to put on your travel list! This charming little village in the Berneuse mountains has lots to offer for families, couples or even if you’re visiting on your own. Whether you go in Summer or Winter there is plenty to see and do. We visited in February and had a fun packed weekend in the snow. Here are our top picks:
Enjoy The Mountain Scenery
The mountain scenery in this region Vaud is beautiful. Whether you’re a walker, a skier or just love mountains views, the spectacular mountain range with the Berneuse at 2048 m as a highlight, are all simply spectacular.
Eat In Le Kuklos Revolving Restaurant
Le Kuklos, the revolving restaurant atop the Berneuse offers 360 degree panoramic views over Lake Geneva and the Alps. You can see the Dents du Midi, the Tours d’Aï and Cervin and the Vaudois Riviera, the Jura mountain range and the Rhône valley through the huge floor to ceiling windows as it gently turns on its axis. The architecture is stunning and you notice glistening glass facade the building from afar.
It’s hard to believe that it was actually built in 1989 and also interesting to note that it uses solar power to revolve.
As well as a great restaurant with plenty on the menu and very friendly service there are also outdoor balconies where you can get an even better view – and maybe bask in the sunshine awhile with a refreshing drink. Open every day from December to April and June to October, Le Kuklos is easily accessible via the cable car from the centre of Leysin to the Berneuse.
The Tobogganing Park
Speed junkies this is one for you! In Winter you really must visit the Leysin Tobogganing Park. Designed by Silvio Giobellina, the Swiss Olympic medalist and bobsleigh world champion, it offers ten different “snowtubing” slopes you can glide down (at extraordinary speed) sitting inside a rubber donut!
Despite being absolutely certain that I didn’t want to try this out at any cost I succumbed to the persuasive charms of Annie at the Snow Park who insisted it was safe and easy.
Duly kitted out in my helmet she patiently explained how to correctly “sit” inside the donut and for the first run I went down in tandem with her – and I must admit it was great fun! So much so that I went back again and again! I must admit I didn’t tackle the trickier runs, such as the one where you fly through the air and land on a large inflated cushion – or the “loop the loop” which was just a bridge to far for me, but surprisingly I had great fun and really enjoyed this novel experience. So do give it a go – even if you’re as much of a sissy as I am!
Photo credit Ursula Krebs
It also looks pretty good at night too when it is all illuminated.
Wine and Gastronomy
Well the Vaud Region is well known for its fabulous wine and we discovered some very quaffable Aigle wine – but did you know that their food is pretty amazing too? If you’re in any doubt about the cuisine you should try a couple of the restaurants we visited.
We had a wonderful lunch at La Fromagerie (and don’t worry, despite the name it’s not all cheese and fondue – though that is an option). In fact it also has a small Cheese Museum attached. We also had a good meal on the last evening at Restaurant Le Leysin – but probably the most memorable meal was when we had a fondue dinner in the Igloo Restaurant in Leysin.
Dine In The Igloo Village
One of the most fun things to do whilst you’re in Leysin is to have fondue dinner in an igloo.
The igloo restaurant is beautifully kitted out and is stylish and pretty. There’s a cute little bar and the chairs are decked with skins and there are lights and twigs – all very cosy and inviting.
The service was fast and efficient and within no time our platter of cold meats, bread and fondue were served on our table.
Skiing and Snowboarding
There are 100 km of slopes in the ski resorts of Leysin and Les Mosses and the nearby resorts of the Vaud Alps (Les Diablerets, Villars and Gryon) as well as Glacier 3000 are within easy reach. There is a good mix of 55km of blue runs, 42km of red runs and 3km of black runs. Our ski guide and one of the Leysin ski instructors, Oliver, told us all about the region in between giving us tips and advice on how to ski better!
The day we went the skiing the sun was playing hide and seek – however, despite this we all had great fun.
Curling and Eisstockschiessen
Down at the Leysin Sports Centre next to the Tobogganing Park there is an ice rink where amongst other activities you can try your hand at curling or “Eisstockschiessen”. Not as easy as it looks and great fun if you’re in a group.
Leysin is a very attractive resort with plenty to do, and is especially good for families. The mountain air, the scenery and all the amenities will refresh and invigorate you and keep you busy from morning till night.
For more information on things to do in the region please visit the Vaud Tourism website here.
Resources
La Fromagerie Restaurant and Museum
Le Kuklos Panoramic Revolving Restaurant
Igloo Restaurant and Snow Village Leysin
Getting There
We went via train from Zurich. It’s quite a long journey but is very scenic. You could equally well drive there too.
Click here for the Google Directions.
See Leysin on Google Maps below:
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Photos by Christina Fryer, by Ursula Krebs and courtesy of Vaud Tourisme
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