Nocturnal outings in the canton of Vaud

… or almost! In the canton of Vaud, the winter days are short but full of activities and the nights that follow are long, but with plenty of entertainment, including outdoors. Night skiing and sledding, walking at dusk or on frosty paths, your favourite entertainment is also available in the evening. These activities are often enhanced with tasty local produce so that you can take nourishment before expending your energy or to warm up afterwards. Darkness sharpens the senses and multiplies our sensations. The snowy landscapes become mysterious and magic. So why not enjoy night-time activities to the full?

An experience not to miss during a winter stay in the canton of Vaud is night-time skiing or snowboarding! Saint-Cergue, a village nestling in the Jura mountains, L’Orient in Vallée de Joux and Les Diablerets and La Forclaz, in the heart of the Alps, offer lit ski slopes for night-time skiing. Add a delicious fondue to give your night-time outing a tasty finish. Are you more into sledding? The resort of Les Diablerets operates one of the longest toboggan runs in Switzerland, both during the day and at night. Once you've reached the top, you can either start your adventure with a good fondue or you can put a headlamp on and hurtle down the forest track immediately. The Tobogganing Park in Leysin invites you to whizz down its bobsleigh-inspired slopes on an air chamber. Adrenaline and laughter guaranteed!

At night, the mountain world falls silent again. The perfect occasion for a walk at one with nature. How about snowshoe hiking in the Montreux-Riviera region? An aperitif of local products and a magnificent sunset await you at the foot of a mountain called Rochers-de-Naye where you will head in the company of a guide before coming back down along a torch-lit path. In Pléiades, the Lantern path ends with a delicious fondue or a dish of rösti. During the winter season, the restaurant Les Mazots, which is not far from the Tête de Meilleret above Les Diablerets, welcomes fans of ski hiking and snowshoweing to a hearty meal every Wednesday evening. Nocturnal cross-country skiing is more your thing? The loop Les-Rasses – Les Cluds in the Jura will light up to illuminate your evenings.

The night activities in the canton of Vaud wouldn't be complete without mentioning the various activities that are organised in the towns and villages during the holiday season. As soon as it’s Advent, the streets are enhanced with glittering garlands and other multi-coloured decorations for the delight of children and adults alike. This also the time when the Christmas markets take over the public space, with Montreux Noël and Lausanne Bô Noël among the highlights. How pleasant to browse the stalls in search of a gift or a local culinary specialty, to go and greet Santa, or to see him fly in the evening sky with his sleigh. From 2021, Montreux Christmas has a frozen surprise in store for you: Light on Ice is an enchanted ice rink that takes you to a land of dreams through a magical forest.