Here the Rhône valley is flat, straight and wide, a broad plain between two walls of mountains, and the river runs canalised between high dykes toward Lake Geneva, a few kilometres downstream. On the east side, Aigle sits at the foot of vineyards that climb the slopes in terraces, with its castle, a turreted white fortress surrounded by vines, standing at the edge of town. On the west side, the villages of Vionnaz and Collombey sit at the foot of the Chablais Alps, and the Dents du Midi, a jagged ridge of peaks more than three thousand metres high, dominate the view up the valley.
The castle of Aigle is the symbol of the region, built in the Middle Ages by the Savoyards, then taken over by the Bernese, who ruled Vaud until the late eighteenth century. It now houses a wine museum, which tells the story of winemaking in the region, and the vineyards around it produce Chasselas, the main white grape of the Vaud and Valais. Aigle is also home to the headquarters of the UCI, the international cycling federation, and its world cycling centre, which explains why you might see racing cyclists on the roads.
For riders, the plain itself is a transit zone, with straight roads, roundabouts, industrial estates and traffic. The motorway runs along the valley, and the main roads can be busy with trucks and commuters. The real riding is in the mountains on either side: to the east, the road over the Col des Mosses and the Col du Pillon climbs from Aigle into the Alps, with sweeping curves and lovely views, while to the west, roads climb into the Chablais toward Champéry and the Portes du Soleil, or over the Pas de Morgins into France.
Aigle has everything you need: fuel, shops, restaurants and cafes, and the villages on the plain have fuel stations and supermarkets. Monthey, a larger town a few kilometres south, has more choice. If you want a break, the wine cellars in Aigle and Yvorne offer tastings, but remember that Switzerland has strict drink-driving laws. In summer, the plain can be hot and humid, while in winter fog can settle on the valley for days, so the best riding is often in the mountains above.