This hike takes you through the Chablais vineyards. The region south of Lake Geneva embraces three regions in two countries: Haute-Savoie in France, the Chablais in Valais, and the region around Aigle and Bex in Vaud Canton. This 590-hectare wine-growing area is renowned for its Chasselas – but some excellent red wines are also pressed here. What gives the region's wines their special character is the variety of soils. In Aigle, for instance, the vines are rooted in chalky alluvial terrain, whereas gypsum soils predominate in Ollon and Bex. Another major influence is the föhn wind, which enables varieties such as Syrah and Merlot to ripen fully.

Your ramble through terraced vineyards starts in the pretty little town of Aigle, with its 13th-century castle. It is also home to the "Museum of Wine, Vine and Wine Labels". After the castle, the route climbs into the forest. Pines, yews and holly grow in the mild climate here. Heat and the föhn make this ideal terrain for the vines. Ollon contains some well-preserved winegrowers' houses dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Then you walk through forest again to Antagnes, a hamlet spread over a terrace with views of the region and the Dents du Midi peaks. The path climbs through the Gryonne vineyards to another highlight: the renowned salt mine of Bex. You can visit several kilometers of the gigantic subterranean maze and learn more about methods of salt extraction on a guided tour.

You reach the highest point of the tour near Fenalet, which is part of Bex. Then the route descends again through vineyards to the river Avançon. You follow this tributary of the Rhone to the outskirts of Bex. In the picturesque centre of the town, you'll find the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) dating from 1747 and several townhouses built in the 17th to 19th centuries. At Bex itself – and of course elsewhere along the way – you'll have plenty of opportunities to savour a glass of Chasselas or Pinot Noir from the region.