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Municipality in Vaud, Switzerland
Photo: Flickr user: Eric Wahlforss https://www.flickr.com/people/ericwahlforss/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Montreux is mostly known for its world-famous two-week-long Jazz Festival, but it is well worth a wander through, if only to get to the scenic Château de Chillon or to get to the hiker's paradise of Hauts de Montreux.
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A historic castle and the country's most visited place, on a small island in Lake Geneva only a few meters from the shore. It was built to allow the occupants to extract a toll from people and goods passing between Italy and the rest of Europe on the road north from the St. Bernard pass. The roadway here is wedged between the lake and the cliffs, so there was no way to get around Chillon. The Castle is more famous in modern times for having inspired Lord Byron's poem, "The Prisoner of Chillon", based on the true story of François Bonivard, a political prisoner from Geneva who was released in 1536. Byron is said to have carved his name in one of the columns in the dungeon where Bonivard was detained during a few years.
Likely the best known statue in Montreux, the voice of the rock band Queen overlooking the lake.
Montreux Vieille Ville
Like Lausanne, Montreux has an old town on a quite steep hill above the modern city with a nice view over the city, the lake and the Alps. There isn't a funicular here, though, but you can ride the local bus about halfway to the highest point.
It was built in 1881, then rebuilt in the 1970s after a fire in 1971 which was immortalised by the Deep Purple classic "Smoke on the Water".
Musée Suisse du Jeu
The collection spans more than 10,000 games, from antiquity to the present and from all over the world.
It is the second largest annual jazz festival in the world after Canada's Montreal International Jazz Festival. As more rock and pop artists have been invited, you're just as likely to catch Beck as, say Steve Coleman.
An award festival that takes place annually in April in Montreux and is the first international advertising and multimedia competition in Europe, starting the global season for awarding creative excellence. Montreux has been home to a number of creatives and artists, such as Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, Vladmir Nabokov, and Freddie Mercury, and the awards reflect that history.
Offers a range of sandwiches and salads.
There are two supermarkets (Migros and Denner) selling sandwiches.
Unique architecture and beautiful terrace
The main fare is (delicious) pizza but you can also enjoy other kinds of Italian foods, or just an ice cream or a drink. Both indoor and outdoor seating.
Authentic yet creative cuisine. Fantastic terrace located right on the lake shore. Very nice atmosphere inside the restaurant.
North of Montreux, in the village of Brent. Before Gérard Rabaey retired, it had 3 Michelin stars. It still has two.
In Chexbres, follow the motorway towards Lausanne.
In St Saphorin, near the lake west of Montreux.
The prices are not bad, and the view superb. There's a saxophonist who plays along to some kind of super drum machine during the early evening hours, and he's pretty good. Even if you're not normally into the sort of music he plays (smooth jazz) you'll have to admit that it works in this environment.
The Italian restaurant in this family-owned hotel seems to get more attention than the building, however accommodations are an inexpensive bet near the city center. Groups of up to 24 can rent out the entire place.
Charming Belle Epoque-style hotel is outside the city center but close to the lakeside promenade.
Billing itself as the oldest hotel in Montreux dating from 1829, the Masson offers proximity to the lake and the outdoors, but is a bit of a hike from the city center. The location is a bit of a hike from town though near the Château de Chillon.
Quiet hotel that is only a few minutes walk from the city center. Unlike many of the hotels in Montreux, the Bon-Port doesn't have lake or mountain views, however it makes up for this with an extra-friendly staff and pleasant ambiance.
Charming Art Nouveau-style villa next to the lake. The hotel sits about 1 km from the city center and 2 km from the railway station. You can access free amenities such as a business center and spa in the Royal Plaza across the street.
Victorian-style four-star that overlooks the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva. It sits about 2 km from the city center, but offers a variety of spa and wellness facilities on site.
All rooms lake view, you are only 5 meters from the lake.
A Belle Epoque-style building constructed in 1906, this renovated hotel is part of the Fairmont group (previously owned by Raffles), offers the usual 5-star amenities, and overlooks Lake Geneva.
In a town of very fancy hotels the Suisse-Majestic stands out at least for its fine location. Also it's a four-star and as such not nearly as expensive as the five-stars further down the list, so given that it receives rave reviews this makes the Majestic a great value.
A chateux-like hotel sitting in the foothills above Vevey and Montreux.
This renovated hotel sits right on the shores of Lake Geneva and can offer you 5-star views of the "Swiss Riviera" - if you manage to get a room on that side of the hotel.
By train
Montreux is served by direct rail services from Geneva, Lausanne, Visp and Brig, and is easily accessible via rail connection from almost anywhere else in Switzerland.
By foot
The waterfront and the old town are best accessed by foot. If you like to take a little longer walk, the castle is a few kilometers southeast from the city center along the shore of Lake Geneva.
By bus
There are a couple of bus lines in and around Montreux, operated by the company VMCV. Their website is however only available in French.
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