A long-planned excursion with my dear former work colleague Bernadette was quickly organized for this day trip to Montreux to go see the famous fields of blooming narcissi, at the height of their bloom looking like huge snow-covered fields. We had been planning this trip for a year now, so were both thrilled that it all came together. The trip to this part of Switzerland, Les Avants above Montreux, took us 4 hours each way, but time passed quickly with good companionship and it was totally worth it.
The walk in itself was pretty short, less than 5 km on lovely forest and mountain trails, but there was field after field of flowers at each turn, and some very nice views over Lake Geneva and the "Dents du Midi" Alps in Canton Valais, that we took a long time making our way back to the starting point, namely 4 hours instead of the regular 90 minutes!
As it turns out, there were still many flowers not yet open, but had we waited a week longer, the blooms would have been finished... The status of the blooms are checked daily, and the bloom forecast is uploaded on a special website so you can plan your trip....
www.narcisses.com
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| Picture this over a much larger field.... |
All along the way by train from Zurich to Lausanne we had crystal clear views of the Alps, but this view as you emerge over the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux Vineyards above Lausanne and Lake Geneva is one that I have always loved....
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| The Lavaux Vineyards above Lake Geneva near Lausanne |
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| Ascending from Montreux to Les Avants on the small-gauge cogwheel train... views of "Les Dents du Midi" in Canton Valais across Lake Geneva |
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| In Les Avants, we took the funicular up to Sonloup, the start of our 5-km walk |
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| Looking down at Les Avants from the summit station of the Sonloup Funicular |
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| At this point the air was still clear and the views were great. Clouds moved in later. |
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| After about 1.5 km through the forest, we finally got to the first view point at the top of Mt. Cubly. There was a Seniors Hiking Group up here this day as well. |
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| View of Lake Geneva, too bad it was hazy. The mountains on the left are in France |
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| Normally they don't want you to go into the fields, but this one was not marked off limits, and we were careful not to step on the flowers. |
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| It was nice to get up close and we were careful not to step on the flowers |
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| These white flowers with their little round noses are so pretty |
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| In some places the flowers are so thick it looks like snow cover |
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| View toward the Dents du Midi mountain range across a field of narcissi |
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| This is looking East: "Rochers de Naye" and "Dent de Jaman" |
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| We went slightly off the track to look at this pretty field from below. And since no one was home, we climbed the hill to sit at the farmhouse for a snack |
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| Coffee break on a borrowed bench at a French-style farmhouse |
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| The trail is easy to find as it's marked everywhere with the narcissus pictures |
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| One short uphill climb was the only "strenuous" part. |
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| Some very nice views along the way |
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| The building on the left is a former palace hotel in Caux, now a hotel management school |
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| Heading back toward Les Avants, the distinctive peak of the "Dent de Jaman" (literally translated as "Tooth") ahead of us |
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| The last field before we get back to Les Avants. Someone had mown all around the edges so we could get up real close. |
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| Like snow |
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| Wonderful backdrop |
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| Back in Les Avants for the train ride back. We went a different way instead of returning via Lausanne |
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| On the way back we returned via the Sarine Valley to Gruyère and Fribourg. This is Montbovon |
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| This is the castle of Gruyère |
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| And the pretty Fribourg landscape before reaching Bern |
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| We took 4 hours for this short walk, because we spent so much time admiring the flowers |
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