The year 2019 comes with a once-in-a-generation opportunity – the Swiss Fête des Vignerons (Winegrowers’ Festival), organized in Vevey, the heart of the Swiss Riviera. The Festival is a three-week long event paying homage to the people who harvest the grapes and produce the wine in the surrounding vineyards and wineries. At the same time, it’s also a time for celebration and wine-tasting for hundreds of thousands of visitors. The festival will take place from July 18th to August 11th.
History of the Fête des Vignerons
In 1797 the local Brotherhood of Winegrowers decided to praise the work of the best in the field, thus holding the first Festival. The winemakers were judged, classified and crowned, and later participated in a theatrical show and procession. Due to the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars and their aftermath, the next festival was organized after 22 years, in 1819. Thus a new tradition was born. Since then, a Festival would be organized once in a generation, with a restriction that there can’t be more than five festivals organized in one century.
Fête des Vignerons 2019
The 200-year-old festival was the first Swiss tradition added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. This year, the Fête des Vignerons is planned to be the biggest ever. Over half a million bottles are waiting for wine-tasters and visitors. The main attraction will be a central arena built for the occasion. For three weeks, there will be theatrical shows involving over 5000 actors, and nearly 1000 singers. In the surrounding area, visitors will find concert and other events, food and drink stands and many more!
Things to do in Vevey
The Wine Festival is not the only thing that will attract visitors to Vevey this summer. The chic city is famous for its notable foreign residents, including Charlie Chaplin and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Vevey is also known by its undying passion for food. It is also home to the global corporation Nestlé, and two museums associated with the company. The Alimentarium has an interactive food and nutrition exhibition and The Nest is a Nestlé company museum. You can also easily go for a daytrip to Lausanne or Geneva.
VISIONAPARTMENTS in Vevey and Lausanne
If you’re looking for a place to stay during the Fête des Vignerons, VISIONAPARTMENTS offers 101 units in the recently renovated Hôtel de Famille, located just a few hundred meters from the main arena. The guests can use the spa and wellness center, indoor pool, shared kitchen and laundry room. If you prefer to stay in Lausanne, 15 minutes by train from Vevey, VISIONAPARTMENTS rents a total of 118 furnished apartments in two different properties in premium city locations. All apartments and units offer the typical VISIONAPARTMENTS services (weekly cleaning, TV/Internet access and utilities included in the rent).