Tasty night-time experience under the stars in Les Diablerets

Discovering Les Diablerets at night

On a beautiful Saturday in January, we decide to set off on a moonlit hike. One of us knows the Diablerets region pretty well, so we decided to go there to discover this nocturnal activity for the first time and enjoy a meal in typical mountain restaurant.

Discover the Rard trail with snowshoes

After collecting our snowshoes from the Jacky Sport shop in Les Diablerets, we parked at the Col du Pillon car park and set off for a 45-minute walk. The walk took us to the Auberge du lac Retaud.

Following the signposted path along part of the Rard itinerary (linking the Col du Pillon to Lac Retaud), we are lucky enough to witness the sunset. Right from the start, we can see the beautiful lights on the panorama of the mountains around us: Glacier des Diablerets, Scex Rouge and Oldenhorn. The further we go, the more the stars offer us an extraordinary spectacle.

In the heart of the snow-covered forest

With our headlamps illuminating the trail, we had the sensation of being transported out of time. The presence of animals can be guessed from the various footprints left on the snow-covered ground. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing any this evening!

Ascent and arrival at the Auberge du lac Retaud

After a 40-minute hike, we see the inn glimmering in the darkness. The restaurant's wood-panelled interior makes for a warm and friendly atmosphere. The staff tell us that they took over management of the establishment in 2023. The new menu offers typical Swiss and traditional dishes. 

We choose the "Auberge" menu and enjoy a charcuterie board with a half-and-half fondue, both of which are excellent. To round off our meal in style, we treat ourselves to a crème brûlée for dessert.

The return journey under the magic of the full moon

We take the same route back to our car as on the outward journey, which takes around 25 minutes. At times, the return path was lit up entirely by the full moon, with the snow-capped peaks glistening in the light and an almost unreal calm enveloping the forest.

We highly recommend this activity, which we were lucky enough to discover. The route is accessible to everyone, even beginners!