Geomorphological visit of Lavaux for the Princess of Thailand
At the request of the Thai embassy in Switzerland, the Swiss Geomorphological Society, via its president Christophe Lambiel, had the honor of welcoming the Princess of Thailand for a geomorphological visit on 18 February 2025. The Princess, sister of the King of Thailand, has been a close friend of Switzerland since childhood, which is why she came to Switzerland for a short visit in mid-February. A keen geomorphologist, she wanted to take a geomorphological tour of a site in Switzerland. Given the time of year and various logistical constraints, the proposal was made to organise a visit to the Lavaux vineyards on the shores of Lake Geneva, a living cultural landscape that has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2007.
The visit was organised in collaboration with Prof. Emmanuel Reynard of the University of Lausanne, who has carried out several research into the geomorphology of Lavaux and its influence on vine-growing, and formed part of the collaboration between the University of Lausanne and the Lavaux World Heritage Association, which manages the site.
The first part of the visit took place at Domaine Bovy, a winery in Chexbres overlooking Lake Geneva, in the presence of a delegation of 25 people accompanying the princess. The meeting began with words of welcome from Michel Chavanne, President of Lavaux World Heritage Site, and Frédéric Herman, Rector of the University of Lausanne and himself a geomorphologist. Christophe Lambiel then took the floor. After introducing the Swiss Geomorphological Society, he said a few words about the geomorphological diversity of Switzerland, before going on to explain the geomorphology of Lavaux, from the formation of the Molasse to the shaping of the area by glacial advances. The rest of the tour took place outdoors, at a view point overlooking the steepest slopes of Lavaux. Emmanuel Reynard explained the geomorphological features of Lavaux and how they influence vine growing.
Despite the biting cold and a tenacious stratus cloud obscuring the view of the Alps, the princess showed great interest in the explanations she was given, taking copious notes and clearly enjoying discovering the geomorphology of this emblematic site in the Lake Geneva region.
