High above Leysin village, at the foot of the Aï summit, Lake Aï is the picture-perfect location for a relaxing break in the sunshine. Walking and mountain bike trails all border the lake making it an ideal meeting point before the descent back to the village or the ascent to the revolving restaurant.
Midway between the revolving restaurant and the Mayen Refuge, Lake Aï’s perimeters provide a delightful picnic site. Huge boulders, broken away from the Aï summit, form natural benches and tables for an ideal picnic and sunbathing spot.
Scampering between the rocks and the picturesque chalets of the former Aï village, marmots play hide and seek to the sound of cow bells ringing gently in the background. Stay still and inconspicuous long enough and you may well see dozens of them together, munching on hikers’ leftover crumbs.
Normally completely covered by snow in winter, the lake goes unnoticed by skiers who glide over its very surface. It comes into its own however in periods of extreme cold but without snow : the lake is revealed as a natural and simply magical ice rink in the heart of the mountains.
