Parcours Vita in Trélex

A fitness trail at the foot of the Jura, free since 1971

On the road climbing from Trélex towards Saint-Cergue, a small free car park marks the entrance to the Parcours Vita. Behind the first trees begins a 2.5-kilometre forest loop, dotted with wooden apparatus and exercise panels, with the occasional opening onto Lake Geneva and the Alps. Inaugurated on 19 June 1971, it carries number 385 in the official register and ranks among the oldest trails in French-speaking Switzerland still fully in use. Everything here is free and accessible at all times.

What your children will discover

Around fifteen stations follow one another along the path, each announced by a panel illustrating the movement to perform. For children, these stations look above all like a life-size adventure course: logs to cross in balance, bars to hang from, obstacles to step over, series of jumps to link together. The route alternates gentle climbs and flat stretches, for a total elevation gain of only around forty metres, well within reach of young legs. For much of the way the ground is covered in wood chips, soft underfoot and reassuring in case of a fall.

What you do there and the atmosphere on site

You park, you set off, and that is it: no ticket office, no opening hours, no booking. Some families run the full loop, others simply stop at the stations they like and turn back halfway. You will come across joggers, walkers, a few volunteers from the club that maintains the site, and rarely a crowd. The atmosphere is that of a country forest at the foot of the Jura: the sound of footsteps in the wood chips, the shade of the trees in summer, an occasional gap in the canopy opening onto Lake Geneva. The ideal ground for channelling children's energy or turning a walk into a shared challenge.

Before you go

• Recommended age: from 6 years old for the loop and most of the exercises; younger children come to walk and climb under supervision.
• Duration: allow 1 to 1.5 hours depending on your pace and how many stations you try.
• Price: free, like every Parcours Vita in Switzerland.
• Booking: none, access is open all year round, day and night.
• Pushchair access: forest path covered in wood chips, not really suitable; a baby carrier is far more comfortable.
• Transport: free car park right at the start; the little red NStCM train stops at Trélex, but expect around 2 km of uphill walking afterwards.
• What to bring: sports shoes, a water bottle, and a light jumper outside the warm season.
• Best season: all year round. Shady in summer, bright in autumn, walkable in winter; muddy ground after heavy rain.

Parents' tips

• Turn the loop into a panel hunt: the children spot the next station and announce the exercise.
• With young children, do half the loop and walk back rather than aiming for the full 2.5 km in one go.
• Slip a snack into the bag, outdoor effort builds an appetite.
• After rain, bring shoes you do not mind getting dirty.
• Warm up together at the first stations, it is the best moment to pass on good habits.

Useful information

• Start: route de Trélex towards Saint-Cergue, 1270 Trélex (Vaud), free parking on site.
• Official website: zurichvitaparcours.ch, trail no. 385, and fitfunnyon.ch for the association that maintains it.
• Opening hours: open access at all times, all year round.
• Getting there: by car via the route de Saint-Cergue, or the NStCM station in Trélex followed by around 2 km on foot.

Why we recommend it

Because it is the simplest sporty outing there is: free, open whenever you like, a few minutes from Nyon, and playful enough for children to forget they are exercising. The trail also has a lovely story. Created in 1971 by the Gym-Hommes de Nyon, now Fit & Fun, it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 on the other side of the road after a gravel pit was worked there, at the cost of 800 volunteer hours. Volunteers still top up the wood chips and keep the route safe, with support from the commune.

In a nutshell

A 2.5 km forest loop, around fifteen exercise stations, a free car park and a view over the lake: above Trélex, one of the best free outings for getting the family moving.

Looking for more ideas nearby? Discover all our activities in Nyon.