A beautiful city right on the edge of the Lac Léman, otherwise known internationally as Lake Geneva. As locals, we much prefer calling it Lac Léman however, as we feel it definitely does not belong to Geneva alone!
Montreux is known internationally for its very famous Montreux Jazz festival, held annually since 1967. Founded by Claude Nobs, it has been a success of immense proportion, gathering artists from every corner of the world, making music history year after year.
Ella Fitzgerald, Carlos Santana, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Miles Davis, to name just a few among a hundred or more talented artists, all played here and I remember seeing quite a few artists in concert there in the late 70s.
It is also known worldwide by fans of the late Freddie Mercury, who elected to live here in the later part of his life. He recorded, alone or with Queens, at the Mountain studios, a studio the band later purchased. Their presence on the Riviera was always quite discreet, as they enjoyed the peace and quiet Swiss people generally gave them, being quite reserved around celebrities. You can take the Freddie Mercury tour there, it is an interactive guided tour and we recommend it. You can read more about it here:
Montreux, and smaller towns around the area, (Villeneuve pictured above)
have been home to many famous people over the years, because of the mild climate and natural local beauty. You can even see palm trees as you walk along the boardwalk.
It was home to the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, otherwise known as Sissi. She stayed in Switzerland, mostly in Montreux and Caux, hiking all over the area. She tragically was killed by a madman on the boardwalk in Geneva, as she was about to board a boat to come back to Montreux, in 1898. Her statue graces the town of Territet, where she would walk often with her friends or entourage.
The town is also a very convenient destination, easy to reach by train from both Geneva or Zurich, and pretty near world class resorts, by car or train, where you can ski or hike. Nothing is ever too far away in Switzerland, as you can easily cross the country in about 3-4 hours from end to end!
Montreux is home to a few international schools, and it is fun to hear the many varied languages spoken by the students, as you shop in the local grocery stores.
If you visit the area, take the funiculaire from Territet to Glion. It is a breathtaking, but short, trip up to the town of Glion, a true balcony over the whole lake. Not to be missed.
As always, stay healthy and stay curious!
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