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Ecopol Ecovillage
GRANDVAUX ECOVILLAGE is the first ecovillage of the French part of Switzerland, in Grandvaux (VD), in the middle of the vineyards of Lavaux (UNESCO).
Our ecovillage is labelled ECOPOL, and we are part of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN).
Grandvaux is situated at 10 minutes by train from the city of Lausanne and 15 min walking from the Leman Lake. In front of the house, we have a common permaculture garden and some hiking path close to our house.
We adopt an ecological and community-based way of living.
We live in relatively small private rooms (some of them have private bathroom and kitchen)
and we have big shared spaces (cafeteria, party rooms, garage, multi-purpose rooms).
The food is usually vegetarian and organic and we share as many things as possible in our everyday life, material and immaterial.
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About the experience in: Lavaux-Oron District, Switzerland
Colombia
As always, everything is amazing, a spectacular place with a lake view
4 months ago
Ecopol replied
Jonathan returned to our community for his second volunteering experience, this time with his partner, Lucie. It was a pleasure to welcome them back! Both were punctual, respectful, friendly, versatile, and always willing to help with technical tasks, decoration, booth assistance, and events. They showed initiative, teamwork, and a consistently positive attitude. They were truly 10/10 volunteers, and we highly recommend them. Thank you both for your dedication, positive energy, and valuable cont
About the experience in: Lavaux-Oron District, Switzerland
Chile
Before applying, I recommend reading the reviews on Google Maps. The work is entirely technical and I enjoyed it even though I didn't do anything particularly artistic (checking heating, plumbing, bathroom repairs, installing windows). The food was insufficient given the workload, and my room didn't have a door or windows. I didn't feel the treatment was fair. Although there are some very nice people, the community really operates more like a business than a sustainable project. I don't recommend it if you have trouble setting boundaries.
I agree with Daniel's review.
10 months ago
Ecopol replied
Hi Lucca,
Thank you for your feedback. We wish you all the best on your life journey.
We are currently improving the dormitories we provide. Regarding meals: as stated in our volunteer opportunity, we offer basic food items for breakfast (coffee, bread, and milk), as well as ingredients for preparing lunch and dinner.
At our Grandvaux Ecovilla, there is less social life because we are located in the city center. In Cheiry, being in a small village with nearby forests, life is natu
About the experience in: Lavaux-Oron District, Switzerland
Switzerland
I have mixed feelings regarding this experience. All in all I am grateful, I did learn a lot. I've met some really wonderful people. On the other hand, in Grandvaux I missed a real sense of community and didn't feel very comfortable. If you want to explore Switzerland, I wouldn't recommend this place, if you want to (learn to) work manually, I do. The tasks where not always nice, but working with João is very nice and I learned a lot from him - about work and life. Thank you!
11 months ago
About the experience in: Lavaux-Oron District, Switzerland
Spain
I loved the inhabitants of the two eco-villages. Grandvaux is more of a place for people passing through, with the look of a cultural center, and Cheiry is more of a relaxed, family-like atmosphere.
I like the shared kitchen, the freedom to cook creatively, and the ability to socialize with new friends. It is Switzerland, and it may be that you have to put more of yourself in to be able to open up at the beginning, but I ended up loving every character in the house.
It has been a long, very enriching experience; I threw myself into the project and enjoyed as much as I could during my stay. Thank you
about 1 year ago
About the experience in: Lavaux-Oron District, Switzerland
Peru
Grat place, nice people, a good experience, beautiful landscape... :)
over 1 year ago