Rivaz - Travel & Tourism Guide Rivaz - Suisse

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At 32 ha, Rivaz is the smallest commune in the canton of Vaud... but it does have 1.15 ha of vines! The first mention of Rivaz dates back to 1199, under the name Ripa, a Latin word meaning bank, shore. It would appear that a riverside town, Ripa or Riva, located near today's Château de Glérolles, was swept away by a gigantic wave in 563, following a landslide caused by the collapse of Mount Tauretunum, one of the foothills of the Dents du Midi. The town was rebuilt higher up in the vineyards and kept its name, which is no longer at all suited to the village's current geographical location!