I first heard about Montreaux 3 years ago when I was in Geneva. I was told that it was famous for its Jazz Festival held in July and is a pretty town. Little did I realise how true was the information, till I got there.
Montreaux lies on the north eastern shore of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It has been a very important settlement from the Roman times.
It has one of the most beautiful walks along the lake stretching from Villeneuve to Vevey. Deep Purple's famous song "Smoke on the Water" tells of the events of 1971, when a Frank Zappa fan with a flare gun set the Montreux Casino on fire.
The Chateau de Chillon is a beautiful castle at one end of Montreaux and was the inspiration for the poem The Prisoner of Chillon by Lord Byron. The poem is about Francois Bonivard a Genevois monk and politician who was imprisoned in the castle's dungeons from 1530 - 1536. The castle is also one of the settings in Henry James' novella Daisy Miller. The castle is influenced by 3 different periods from the 12th Century - the House of Savoy, the Bernese and the Vaudois. Studies show that there has been human settlement here from the Bronze Age!
Montreaux is famous for its Jazz Festival held every year in July
The beautiful lake front
The flower clock in Montreaux
A tribute to Freddie Mercury and I believe there is a special celebration held in his honour in September
First view of the Chateau de Chillon
This is wine country
View of the Lake from the top of the castle
The beautiful castle
Vevey
The flower clock in Lausanne
The lake front in Lausanne
