The 20 Most Amazing Peaks around Leysin

Les Avants The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland. In the nineteenth century, the spa town experienced a certain tourist development with the construction of the first hotels by the Dufour family. The construction of the Jaman tunnel in 1905, which provided a rail link with the Pays d'Enhaut, allowed the resort to become a strong tourist destination until the First World War, notably with the collaboration of the architect Louis Villard. Served by one of the first electrified railways, with a steep slope and no rack railways, the village is a popular destination for the English. It is also home to Switzerland's first bobsleigh run (which later became a toboggan run) and an ice rink. It was on this ice, which was actually tennis courts converted into an ice rink below the "Grand Hôtel des Avants", that the first European Ice Hockey Championship was held in 1910. Since 1910, the Les Avants - Sonloup funicular (still in operation, with the two carriages and the historic machines renovated between June 2012 and January 2013) has been operating on the Sonloup site, allowing sledders to climb to the top of the slopes again. The first war, especially the crisis of 1929, halted development and the large hotels gradually closed. Now competing with the many winter sports resorts created after the 1939-45 war, Les Avants was never to experience the tourist attraction it enjoyed at the beginning of the century. Ernest Hemingway had recently lived in the village for a few months in 1922 (at the "Pension de la Forêt" on the outskirts of Chamby) and wrote about his experiences and pleasures of the sled race there in several chapters of "A Farewell to Arms". In the second half of the century, the village developed into a residential area and experienced a tourist activity such as hiking and some winter activities in the low mountain range (sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski touring). Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/histoire

Les Avants The charming village of Les Avants is located at an altitude of about 1000 meters and is part of the municipality of Montreux. It is at the gateway to the Pays d'Enhaut and the Vaud Prealps. The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland and was home to the first Swiss bobsleigh run. 10 km from Lake Geneva, nestled under the Dent de Jaman and the Rochers de Naye, Les Avants is an ideal place for hiking. Many marked hiking trails, including the Daffodil Trail, attract hikers, especially in May when the hills are covered with the white flowers of daffodils. Also to discover is the flower clock, one of the oldest in Europe, on the Place de la Gare. Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/

The view on both sides of the valley, from the summit, is worth the effort of climbing it, which is an intense effort ... nature is so beautiful, between rocks and mountain pastures, and the path steep but never dangerous! The view of the mountain lake rewards the most romantic and capsizes the souls of others! Come and enjoy, nature is so generous!

We have been vacationing in Chablais (France) for 10 years and visited the Berneuse again after 8 years. The current price for the ascent and descent is 27 CHF. One member of our group climbed the Tour d'Aï while the rest of us descended towards Lac d'Aï - Refuge de Mayen and took the chairlift back.

Looking out over Lake Geneva from an altitude of 1000 metres, the Cauxcentre can accommodate up to 400 people. Formerly the Caux-Palace Hotel, in 1946 it became an international meeting place, thanks to the generous contributions in time, talent and money of many volunteers. (https://icb.international/about-us/conference-centres/mountain-house-and-villa-maria/)

From the summit, at 2351 m, we admire a 360 degree view with Les Diablerets to the south, Lake Lioson to the north, the Col des Mosses to the west. Previously you could go to the summit by cable car.

The Palace Caux hotel is a former luxury hotel which welcomed international high society during the Belle Époque. Today it is a conference and seminar center that provides an inspiring and peaceful setting for meetings, events, workshops and retreats. You can admire the elegant architecture and stunning views of the lake and mountains from the palace grounds. You can then continue your run through forests, vineyards and rocky cliffs, enjoying the beauty and diversity of nature.

Starting point of the walk to Château d'ŒX via the PISSOT gorges