Les Pleiades

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Overview

  • Location: Les Pléiades, above Vevey, Switzerland
  • Highest Point: 1,360m
  • Typical Start Point: Unmarked parking near Fayaux station (850m)
  • Hike Duration: ~3 hours (round trip)
  • Elevation Gain: ~500m
  • Season: All year (snowshoes might be required in deep winter)
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Highlights:
    • Stunning lake views
    • Summit with educational installations on astronomy
    • A cozy mountain hut for food and drinks
    • Option to return by train

A Special Place for Me

This hike is one of my all-time classics—I do it even a couple of times per year. Les Pléiades is a large hill (or small mountain) above Vevey, offering fantastic views over the lake. It also holds a special meaning for me, as it’s the place where I proposed to my wife.

The summit sits at 1,360m, just below a chalet with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva. One of the great things about this hike is its flexibility. You can make it as long or short as you want, with different starting points and even the option to return by train.

Choosing Your Start Point

  • For a full challenge: Start from Vevey (~1,000m elevation gain, a serious workout!).
  • Standard route: Start from Blonay (500m elevation gain).
  • Efficient half-day option: My usual starting point is an unmarked parking spot (see place on Goolgle maps) on a bend just before Fayaux station (850m). This makes for a 3-hour round trip with a 500m elevation gain—perfect for a half-day outdoors.
  • You can even shorten it further by starting near Lally station, making the final ascent just 20–30 minutes long.

Hiking in Any Season

This hike is enjoyable year-round. In winter, deep snow is rare, but if it happens, the last 300m may require snowshoes. Photos in this post are from a time when we went in mid-March, there was some snow on the ground, but we managed fine without special equipment.

The Ascent – Forest, Chalets, and Mountain Paths

From my usual parking spot, the hike starts steeply right away. A forest path begins just next to the parking area. After 5 minutes, it crosses the road, continuing on the other side.
  • After 15 minutes, you’ll reach some chalets. The path goes around them, passing Chalet Varlope.
  • 5 minutes later, you'll arrive at a decorated chalet in front of Fayaux station. This is one of the train stops where you can shorten the hike if needed.
  • The path then crosses the train tracks and follows them for 100m before re-entering the forest.

Here, the trail includes wooden steps in some places to prevent slipping. After about 30 minutes, the forest opens up to another cluster of chalets.


At this point, you reach a T-junction:

  • Left route: A scenic pasture path, but very muddy after rain. This is recommended only in dry days.
  • Right route: Follows Route de Lally for 10 minutes where you have to U-turn and after a few meters the path cuts uphill again.

Final Stretch to the Summit

If you're doing a shorter version, you can start from Lally station, which is close to this point.

From here:

  • A staircase takes you up to a trail along the ridge, offering stunning views of the lake and the Chablais valley (well not this time but when it is sunny yes!).
  • The trail then enters a small forest near the summit.
  • 15-20 minutes later, you emerge onto a large clearing with educational installations about astronomy and a panoramic mountain map. This is a great spot for kids and summer picnics!

If you're hungry or cold, you can head left to the mountain hut for food and drinks. Otherwise, the summit is just 5 minutes away.



The summit is actually a large clearing where there are didactic installations about starts and planets and a map showing the names of all mountains you can see. Very nice place for kids and for picnics in summer.

On the day I am writing it was a snowy and cold end of winter day so we preferred to go to the hut to take a hot chocolate.

The Way Back – Walking or the Relaxed Train Option

The return offers multiple options:

  1. Retrace your steps down the same trail.
  2. Take an alternative route down to hill to the T-junction.
  3. Take the train—which we did this time!

Since it was cold and snowy, we opted for the train, which has large windows with amazing views (on clear days). You can ride it all the way to Vevey or, like us, get off at Fayaux and walk the remaining 20 minutes back to the car.


Final Thoughts

Les Pléiades is a fantastic, flexible hike that works for all seasons and fitness levels. Whether you’re looking for a half-day adventure, a full-day challenge, or just a scenic train ride, this spot has it all. The combination of lake views, forests, and a cozy summit hut makes it a favorite I return to time and time again.

Location: Les Pléiades, 1807 Blonay - Saint-Légier, Switzerland

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