Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces
The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, stretching for about
30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva from the
Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne in the Vaud
region, cover the lower slopes of the mountainside between the villages
and the lake. Although there is some evidence that vines were grown in
the area in Roman times, the present vine terraces can be traced back to
the 11th century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries
controlled the area. It is an outstanding example of a centuries-long
interaction between people and their environment, developed to optimize
local resources so as to produce a highly valued wine that has always
been important to the economy.