Départ chemin du renard

Chemin de la Vuachère – On the trail of the fox – Lausanne Tourisme – Official Website

## Départ chemin du renard (Lausanne): what it is, and why it’s worth your time

“Départ chemin du renard” refers to the starting point for one of Lausanne’s most satisfying urban-nature walks: the Chemin de la Vuachère – “Sur les traces du renard” (“On the trail of the fox”). It’s a signed, didactic route of about 8 km that typically takes around 3 hours, descending from the upper parts of the city to Lake Geneva, following fox footprints marked on the ground. Tourisme – Official Website

What makes this walk unusually good (by Swiss city standards) is that it doesn’t feel like a “park loop.” It’s a continuous green corridor that threads together neighborhoods, wooded ravines, and river crossings—while still being easy to access by public transport.

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## The route at a glance: distance, time, and terrain

### Core stats (verified)
– Distance: ~8 km Tourisme – Official Website
– Time: ~3 hours at a normal walking pace Tourisme – Official Website
– Navigation: follow fox footprints on the ground + wooden markers at key junctions officiel de la Ville de Lausanne
– Terrain: a mix of sidewalks, footpaths, forest tracks, with footbridges, stairs, and steeper wooded descents Tourisme – Official Website

This isn’t a hike in the alpine sense; it’s a city-to-lake traverse with enough elevation change and steps to feel like you earned your view (and your gelato).

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## Where “Départ chemin du renard” fits in

Your pin (46.5049878, 6.6418985) sits in the 1006 Lausanne area, which aligns with the “upper-city” start concept described by Lausanne’s official tourism material (you begin “from the heights of the city” and work down toward the lake). Tourisme – Official Website

Because Lausanne has multiple sensible entry points into this corridor, you’ll also see other guides mention starting from M2 Croisettes (a practical transit-based start that many walkers use).
If your “Départ” marker is the one you’ll publish, treat it as the official starting POI for your post, and describe the route as a top-to-bottom walk rather than a fixed one-gate trailhead.

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## What you’ll actually see along the way (landmarks you can name confidently)

Lausanne Tourisme lists several named segments/points along the walk, which are useful for on-the-ground orientation and for making your article concrete:
– Praz-Séchaud
– Chemin des Eterpeys
– Passerelle de Valmont
– Vallon de Valmont
– Ferme Aebi
– Dérivation du Flon
– Pont de Chailly Tourisme – Official Website

Even if a reader doesn’t memorize these, sprinkling two or three of them into your directions is the difference between “generic walk” and “I can follow this without stress.”

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## How to follow the trail without second-guessing yourself

The route is deliberately designed for self-guided walking:
– In forest sections and crossings, expect passerelles (footbridges) and stairs as part of the experience. Tourisme – Official Website
– In built-up areas, look for wooden waymarkers at major street crossings. officiel de la Ville de Lausanne
– At decision points, the direction is indicated by fox footprints painted/marked on the ground. officiel de la Ville de Lausanne

If you’re writing this for RealJourneyTravels readers, the practical takeaway is simple: this is one of Lausanne’s lowest-friction “nature without a car” walks—because wayfinding is built into the concept.

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## Accessibility and inclusivity notes (what to say, and what not to promise)

### What’s confirmed
– The official city description is explicit: parts involve narrow, steep forest descents, stairs, and multiple crossings. officiel de la Ville de Lausanne

### What some guides add (useful, but not official)
– A family-focused Lausanne guide notes the walk can be done with a stroller but includes some steps, and is not suitable for a wheelchair.

### How to phrase this responsibly in your post
– Say it’s not step-free, and that mobility needs vary—so readers who require fully step-free routes should choose another lakeside walk or a paved promenade option.
– Avoid making blanket claims like “accessible for everyone.” The stairs/descents make that inaccurate for many travelers.

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## Best time to go (seasonality, without guessing)

These are safe, non-hype conclusions based on the route type:
– Because you’ll be on forest paths, bridges, and stairways, traction matters after rain or in winter conditions. officiel de la Ville de Lausanne
– In leaf-heavy months, the wooded ravine sections can be slippery—so a basic “city sneaker” is fine on dry days, but a grippier sole is the smarter recommendation.

(If you want to add more granular seasonal detail—ice closures, maintenance, detours—you’d need a current status source for the exact week you publish.)

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## “Outdated data” flag (what could change)

A few core facts are stable (the concept, the length, the waymarking idea), but some details can drift:
– The City of Lausanne pages and some third-party guides about the Vuachère/fox trail have been online for years, and signage, path works, or temporary detours can change in any city green corridor. officiel de la Ville de Lausanne
– For a high-accuracy publish, point readers to the official Lausanne Tourisme page for the route overview as the “check-before-you-go” source. Tourisme – Official Website

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## Two internal-link slots you can add in your CMS (anchor text ready)

– Internal link #1 (contextual): “More walks in Lausanne (city-to-nature routes)”
– Internal link #2 (contextual): “Lake Geneva lakeside strolls and viewpoints in Lausanne”

(These are anchor-text suggestions only—I’m not assuming your site’s exact URL structure.)

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## Summary for the top of your post

Départ chemin du renard is the start point for Lausanne’s “Sur les traces du renard” walk along the Vuachère corridor: an ~8 km, ~3-hour self-guided route that drops from upper Lausanne down to Lake Geneva, following fox footprints, with bridges, stairs, and wooded paths that make it feel like a real nature outing—without leaving the city. Tourisme – Official Website