Leysin is a beautiful location situated at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level in the lower Rhone valley. The region offers the best views of Swiss and French Alps in far far away. It is rated as the most scenic location in Switzerland, with the sun-rich and mild climate it is a perfect destination for holiday and recreation. It really kind of has a very strong French vibe up there. Some of the fun activities that you, your friends or family with kids can enjoy include a visit to the farm, treasure hunts or a visit to the cheese dairy. The child-friendly nature of mountain transport offers the best service to you and your family and you cannot miss fun activities to do in the region.
The village in the Vaud Alps is on the same altitude as the Villars and it is accessible through the railway and car. The excursion areas are easily identifiable and you can visit the old age wineries or the medieval castle in the area. Depending on the season that you are visiting Switzerland you should find areas that will give you the best scenery and fun activities to do.
Let us explore how to get to Leysin, some facts about Leysin and top things to discover and do in Leysin.
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How to get to Leysin
You can reach Leysin either with your own car or by train. It is very well connected and you can reach from any side of Switzerland with public transport.
If you go there by train, it would take you around 3 hours by train from Zürich, but you will have to change trains at least couple of time as Leysin is not a big city and it is up in the mountains. So you will have to jump to some smaller trains with local connections. You can check all the schedules and ticket prices right here: Swiss trains.
If you go there with your own car, from Zürich it would take you around 3 hours as well. On the way to Leysin, if weather is good, you will get to enjoy a lot of good views to the mountains. Especially when in the end you begin to go up the mountain to Leysin.
Leysin is a pretty cramped small village with narrow streets, so it is better to park in a public parking, couple of places are here: Les Chamois 1854, 1854 Leysin (you will have to walk down to the city center) or next to Tobogganing park (in the beginning of the city).
Leysin facts
Leysin is situated in Vaud canton, so the biggest majority of people speak french up there.
The city is not that big, population just around 4000 people.
The village of Leysin and cute small hamlet of Veyges are in the list of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.
Although Leysin is a small city, you can get there a very good education of hotel management in Swiss Hotel Management School.
What to do in Leysin
As Leysin is in the mountains and offers wide variety of activities it is only clever to divide them into winter and summer parts. Winter offers great opportunities for snowshoeing and skiing, while summer is full of hiking opportunities and other fun stuff.
Winter
During the winter period, the beautiful ski region has seventeen lifts and a snow park with half pipe that promises to give you exceptional fun. There are a snow sports school and a lit skiing trail where you can enjoy your evening skiing along with the champions of the sport. There are family-friendly hotels and you can take your family to this destination to enjoy their holiday. After racing down the icy slopes of the mountains you arrive in the snow village to warm up and restore your strength. Whenever there is adverse weather you should check the tourist centre for more information that will guide you on the best time to visit the area. In the evening you can visit the Teepee village and enjoy delicious salmon prepared with the local cuisine. Besides, you can enjoy a good raclette melted cheese dish. You can partake unique experience on comfortable reindeer hides in the igloos.
You can find all the latest information about opening times and ticket prices right here: Skiing in Leysin.
Summer
During summer there are various activities that you can do a lot of activities in this region. There are over 250 kilometres of hiking trails, mountain tours and bike tours that offer plenty of fun activities that you can participate in everywhere. For people who have fun in mountaineering activities, there are several challenges in the area and the difficult Ferrata tour is only for professionals. You can enjoy bike tour through down the valley, it is important to remember that you need a good set of brakes to ensure that you do not fall. Some of the exceptional places that you can visit include:
Tobogganing park
There is so much fun if you want to explore the slopes. It is really a great idea that you visit this location while you are in Leysin. There are slopes of different steepness and you are sure that you will find one that will fit your level. Actually, you can start from the easy one as you move up. Be sure to check out the local programs that will help you enjoy your staying in the park to prevent any sudden changes such as extreme temperatures or weather change.
This is probably the greatest activity for families in Leysin. You can find all the information about tickets and open times right here: Tobogganing park.
Hefti Sports
If you are into skiing then you cannot miss fun activities that you can enjoy in Leysin because Hefti sports presents you with a myriad of challenging skiing activities. Besides, you can rent ski equipment or purchase them. Winter or summer you are sure to get the best sports fear and you can have fun in the area with ease. They have a wide array of skis, bikes and equipment that will ensure your safety in the area.
All their information is right here: Hefti Sports.
Berneuse
To arrive at this destination, you should take a train from Aigle to Leysin village. The easiest way is from Leysin station: 1854 Leysin. Just take a cable car from there. The trip itself offers an exquisite environment that you can enjoy amazing views. On the top you can get a view to thre nice lakes: Lac de Chaux-de-Mont, Lac D’ai and tiny Lac Yaka. From the top you can enjoy looking at the beauty of nature or even enjoy a drink on the lake shore. This places offers really exquisite views.
On the top as well there is this fascinating restaurant which is really nice piece of architecture.
As well there are plenty of hiking routes and if you have time, you can hike to Refuge de Mayen and visit one more lake Lac de Mayen. This place is really full of small hidden treasures.
I would even suggest to hike down to Leysin from Berneuse so you can enjoy these views and get some hiking kilometers under your belt.
Le Jardine De Gentiana
This garden is popularly known because it has a medicinal plant of Gentiana foundation. There is a wide array of gentian varieties that you can see. Besides, you can see other herbs and plants as well. It is recommended that you park the gar in the car park. From the car park, you can walk for 15 minutes down steps to the garden. The area is well marked and you cannot get lost. You should wear the right type of boots to help you with the downward steps. There is a selection of plants for sale and you can view the amazing Rhone valley.
You can check all the information right here: Leysin garden.
Tour D’ai trail
This is an amazing destination to visit but you must come prepared. You should rent equipment for Via Ferratas which include climbing harness, helmet and Y-shaped lanyard with protective gear. You will take a cable car to La Berneuse and find your way to the start of the trail when you see the markings. You can choose to hike in any direction. Besides, always stay hydrated and have some food to give you the necessary energy you need for the hike. The view on Lake Geneva background is the best that you will ever see. You will get a glimpse to all those cities by the lake and plus an amazing view to french Alps. I would suggest this doing for an only experienced person.
Leysin village tour
Leysin is a really nice village there you can have a peaceful nice walk. I really enjoyed doing it in the morning as the village was still sleeping and the views to the mountains were pretty terrific.
As I was walking in Leysin, just in the middle of the city, I saw such cows simply minding their own business. Fascinating. In the middle of the city, small patch of grass and they let those friendly beautiful cows just live and relax 🙂
Biggest part of Leysin architecture is wooden which makes it very friendly feeling and cozy.
The views from the city are amazing, they are even more beautiful in winter as all those peaks are white then.
You can as well enter this small beautiful stone church.
This restaurant really caught my eyes – looks exceptionally Swiss 🙂
Fromagerie – a place to get best Swiss Alps cheese.
Wooden Swiss architecture – one of my most favourite in Europe.
The whole tour through the streets of Leysin took me around 1 hour and I really enjoyed it. I got amazing views, beautiful narrow streets and cows (!) in the middle of the city. What else can you ask for?
Conclusion
I am once again surprised how many nice hidden places Switzerland has. Leysin is actually not on any posters advertised as a great Swiss location, but it has so much to offer. It has skiing, it has hiking, it has magnificent views, it has mountains – all what you can ask for as a traveler in Switzerland.
As well, I would consider it a pretty decently priced place, we paid only 90 CHF for a hotel with breakfast in Leysin. So that I always consider a good deal in the Swiss Alps.
If you really like and dig the french part of Switzerland, I really would like to recommend you another one, which is pretty close to Leysin: Sion. You can have a look at all my recommendations right here: Top things to do in Sion. It is another great Swiss city next to huge mountains.
If you have any questions regarding Leysin, please let me know, I will do my best to help you.
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