Montreux, capital of Montreux-Jazz
Festival and it is mountain country and 1 hour from
Geneva-Cointrin airport. It is also the region of
the Rochers-de-Naye, where you can enjoy a
breathtaking view of the Swiss alps and of lake
Geneva.
The most popular resort on Lac
Léman (Lake Geneva), Montreux is blessed with a
uniquely balmy microclimate that allows even palm
trees to survive the Swiss winter! These unusual
conditions make Montreux a garden spot at its lower
altitudes, even though grand mountains tower just
above the town at Rochers-de-Naye (reached by a
small mountain train) and the ski hills of the
Pléiades.
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Something is always happening in
cosmopolitan, French-speaking Montreux—its famous
jazz festival, television awards ceremonies, and
international conferences. But most visitors come to
the cafés and outdoor restaurants along the
waterfront promenade to simply be (and to be seen).
The combination of Swiss mountains and an almost
Mediterranean climate also attracts many artists to
Montreux. The galleries in Vieux-Montreux, above the
lakeside promenade, feature works by both famous and
lesser-known artists.
East of the resort is the Château de Chillon, the
best-known castle in Switzerland, thanks to Lord
Byron's poem, "The Prisoner of Chillon." The hero of
the poem, an early 16th-century prior of St. Victor
in Geneva, was only one of many Genevese prisoners
held here by the dukes of Savoy for speaking out
against their authority. Some 25 buildings linked
around three courtyards constitute the castle on
this small island—a stone's throw from shore.
