City of Montreux, Switzerland. Montreux, Switzerland - Tourist. A brief excursion into history
Language: French
Population (with surrounding area): 23 thousand people
Square: 33 sq. km.
Montreux is located in the western part of Switzerland and is considered one of the centers of the "" - strip of resorts that are located on the northern coast. On the other side of the lake, a city with a population of twenty-three thousand people is “propped up” by the picturesque Alps.
The once small village of winemakers and fishermen has long ceased to be such. The status of "one of best resorts Europe" dictates its own rules - every year in Montreux there are more and more comfortable hotels offering rooms for every taste and budget - from modest single rooms, to "royal suites". The streets and embankment are gradually becoming overgrown with chic restaurants, cute cafes and expensive boutiques.
Montreux has long become a “resort for the rich” who prefer going to a good expensive restaurant, expensive hotels, comfortable walks along Lake Geneva and excursions to elite vineyards for all other types of recreation.
Among the attractions, it is worth paying attention to the Chillon Castle, located in the suburbs of Montreux and described by Lord Byron in the poem “The Prisoner of Chillon. It is considered one of the most famous in Switzerland and has long become a symbol of this prosperous country. From Montreux station to the castle it takes no more than forty minutes on foot. And along the way you will be able to admire the beautiful views of the city. On the embankment Lake Geneva Two monuments have been erected - to Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury.
Every year at the beginning of July, musicians, cultural figures and simply connoisseurs of good music arrive in Montreux to fully enjoy the international jazz festival for two weeks. This event has been held annually since one thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven. IN different years the festival stage featured the most different stars on a global scale. Claude Nobs has remained the director and inspirer of the Montreux Jazz Festival all these years.
Over the years, Montreux was visited by such personalities as Vladimir Nabokov, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky and Leo Tolstoy.
At the recording studio "Mountain Studios", owned by the group "Queen", they recorded over the years great amount famous stars.
Watch a short beautiful video with the main beauties and attractions of Montreux.
A stunning view opened up to us even at the entrance from the E27 highway, a floating lake and “floating” mountains, the lower part of which is hidden by haze.
The spring day turned out to be surprisingly warm and sunny. The wondrous nature took your breath away! A well-groomed embankment with original flower arrangements, and now, as if from a fairy tale, the flap of a white swan’s wing and it is ready to eat from your hand. By the way, swans are not at all friendly, and if you go down to the beach and have a picnic on the sun loungers, you cannot avoid the attack of the white-winged divas.
We park at the hotel that started it all, the Montreux Palace or Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, which is now one of the main attractions in Montreux. The most luxurious hotel in Montreux in Switzerland, guests have at their disposal mini golf, a garden and a swimming pool.
Where else if not here could he while away his last years such a figure in life as Vladimir Nabokov? In a luxurious six-room suite number 64, he lived here with his wife for the last 16 years of his life. Well, what about without a monument?
Opposite the hotel you can stroll through the garden with cast iron figures of Nabokov, B.B. King and Ray Charles. In addition to cultural figures, the surrounding area was also chosen by Russian revolutionaries: Bukharin, Figner and even the Ulyanovs...
Let's move on main street city of Grand’ Rue, and here it is - an embankment stretching along Lake Geneva for 15 km! Here the city noise subsides and you find yourself in a different reality. If a person is capable of leaving a negative review about Montreux?
Like most Swiss cities, it is - ancient city, with its own history. Residents small town They quietly and peacefully caught fish in the lake and grew grapes on the slopes of the mountains. But how could such a wondrous place fail to attract the attention of privileged people? I wonder if there are still such untouched corners left in the world? Since the 19th century, Montreux became one of the first resort places Europe.
It's time to refresh yourself! By the way, if you are tired, there is always a free place for a picnic; the creators of the embankment wisely took care of this; there are a variety of benches, seats, and chairs in abundance here.
Local designers arrange surprises for visitors literally every season! We were lucky to play musical instruments.
Residents of the Swiss Riviera are not without a sense of humor. We were very surprised by such piles of all sorts of rubbish, I sinfully thought that this is modern art! I'm behind the times, I need to get involved. But it’s true, such installations improve your mood!
And, after 3 months, the trash turned out to be an example of landscape design =)
It should be noted that there are also examples of modern art here!
Arriving late autumn, we saw the dismantling of masterpieces of landscape design. Danya was very sad about the car, he loved to twist the steering wheel there.
When bright colors examples of gardeners' creativity are fading - they are being dismantled and something new is being created. The pearl of the Swiss Riviera does not lose its zest. In winter, according to a twenty-year tradition, plant sculptures are created here - thematic compositions from natural materials - moss, spruce branches, branches. Dinosaurs, gnomes, chess, fairy-tale characters and more have already become ideological inspirations. This year we were greeted by the Smurfs, the hands of the Belgian artist Pierre Culliform (pen name Peyo).
We managed to catch the creation of these creations.
First, a metal frame was created, which was then filled with pine needles.
By the way, if you believe the legend, it is almost impossible to penetrate the village of the Smurfs. So we can consider ourselves very lucky.
On the way, Danya is pleased with the gorgeous playgrounds that we cannot pass by. And again the romance is similar to the Geneva Montbalne: lake, mountains, swings….
And literally behind the site is located Marché Square or Place du Marché.
Here, through the efforts of the Czech artist Irena Sedlečka, one of the main attractions of Montreux flaunts - the monument Freddie Mercury.
Of course, no tourist can pass by this. It’s simply impossible not to take a photo with Mercury.
It was in Montreux, Switzerland, that Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury decided to stay until last day own life. And it was here that he recorded his latest album, Made in Heaven. Queen musicians bought a local recording studio, Mountain Studios. In it they created the album "Jazz", named after the jazz festival held in the city.
The monument was originally planned to be installed in London, but the authorities, for some unknown reason, were against it. Freddy Mercouri loved the capital of the Geneva Riviera dearly, so he didn’t have to think long about where the monument should be!
Since 2003, the first weekend of September has become “Mercury days”. Fans of his work come here, excursions to Freddie’s favorite places are organized, concerts are held, and the monument is buried in flowers.
And motor ships glide past, cutting through the surface of Lake Geneva. Fleet " Belle Epoque"is a separate source of pride for the Swiss. Among the ships there are also historical steamships, which are already more than a hundred years old! All of them are recognized as the historical heritage of the Confederacy and are protected by the state.
The local fountain on Place Marché is another fun activity for children and, if desired, for adults.
On Fridays, Place Marché turns into a market, and before Christmas it almost completely changes its appearance and transforms into one of the most beautiful fairs in Europe.
Marche de Noël - no less interesting attraction of Montreux .
More than 140 artisans and traders, located on the shores of Lake Geneva in colorful, brightly decorated houses, offer a myriad of original gifts: souvenirs, jewelry, sculptures, New Year's decorations. A wide range of Swiss dishes: fondue, chocolate, sausages.
And I can’t help but mention the casino Casino Barriere- the oldest gambling house in Europe.
This casino is famous for the fact that it is about it that is sung in the Deep Purple song “Smoke of the water”. On December 4, 1971, at a Frank Zappa concert held in the casino building, one of the fans fired a flare gun into the ceiling. A fire started and the casino burned down. And the title of the Deep Purple song, translated as “Smoke on the Water,” reflects the impressions that the band members experienced:
“We all came out to Montreux at the Lake Geneva shoreline...”
But that's not all that can be interesting in Montreux in Switzerland. The Jazz and Classical Music Festival, the Golden Rose TV Festival and the Festival of Laughter also attract crowds of tourists.
Local closed private schools are famous throughout the world, however, the cost per year starts from $25,000 per year.
Walking along the embankment, you should carefully look around, as not only the historical monuments, but also just signs, which are masterpieces in themselves!
A guide from Difficulty.net to the resort of Montreux in Switzerland.
Montreux: Main Resort Swiss Riviera
The so-called Swiss Riviera, located on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, includes coastal resort towns, smoothly flowing one into another, with an almost uninterrupted and unblocked embankment. The largest of them are Lutry, Vevey and, of course, the “star” of these places - Montreux.
Riviera, by analogy with the seaside, these Swiss resorts were called, among other things, because of the local microclimate - this part of the lake is reliably closed by the Alps from cold winds, and in winter it is warm here, and in summer it is hot, like on sea resorts. Therefore, plants from more southern latitudes grow quietly in this area - palm trees, magnolias, and many types of flowers. Add to this the fresh mountain air, the luxurious resort infrastructure that has been taking shape since the beginning of the 19th century, breathtaking views of the mountains and lakes, as well as Swiss service - and you get the recipe. ideal place for relax.
In a review article about there is a main one general information about this resort: its history, attractions, what else to see around.
Here I propose to take a walk around Montreux on a summer day and see what it looks like, why it is famous and why it was so loved by numerous aristocrats, rich people of all stripes and representatives of the artistic world of the 19th-20th centuries. I think after viewing the photos you will have no questions left as to why. Simply because these lands are so damn beautiful.
So, let's go.
The main place in Montreux, as in all self-respecting seaside towns, of course, embankment. It stretches along the lake for seven kilometers. Along the embankment there are the most best hotels resorts built in the 19th - early 20th centuries.
An important thing for vacationers is that there are no beaches in Montreux, at least along the main part of the city embankment. In summer there is intense heat here, and the sight of blue water beckons you to dive into its coolness. But it was not there. You will have to look outside the resort to look for where you can take a cultural swim - on a beach with infrastructure, or even without it, but still in a specially designated place for this. Of course, if you get into the water, most likely no one will reprimand you, but no one will be responsible for you. In general, it is not accepted. Here, rather, decorous strolls along the embankment in the manner of the last century, under an umbrella and with a dog, are encouraged. And to imagine women in swimsuits wandering along this embankment with inflatable rings in their hands is somehow wild. So maybe it’s for the best that you can only swim outside Montreux.
One of the attractions of Montreux - casino (Casino de Montreux). Knowing its history - it burned down in 1971 due to the unbridled rock fans of Frank Zappa and was then restored again - we are no longer surprised that it is inferior in its modern appearance to the luxurious historical buildings casinos on this and that side of Lake Geneva.
(In general, the Savoyard nobility knew a lot about entertainment, and the casinos in these parts amaze with their monumentality and at the same time elegance, for example, the casino in or).
Another iconic landmark of the city is, of course, monument to Freddie Mercury, which we were impatiently waiting to see, turning every time around the bend of the winding promenade along the lake. The monument is located on Place Marché, approximately in the central part of the embankment. On the same square, “as the name suggests,” is the city market, as well as the Migros supermarket, where numerous tourists buy sandwiches and ready-made salads to eat while sitting on the embankment curb and looking at the lake. In my opinion, this is still wrong when there are excellent restaurants and cafes all around here. In Montreux you need to allow yourself a little beautiful life.
The Freddie Mercury monument is a place of constant pilgrimage for fans and ordinary tourists
Place Marché and the market located on it. From this square you can go deeper into Old city Montreux and wander through its tangled streets. You need to understand that, despite its apparent compactness at first, this Swiss resort is far from small, and you don’t have to worry that you will walk around it all at once. On the contrary, its entire infrastructure, medical and spa establishments, restaurants, clubs, concert halls, casinos and other respectable places of recreation are specially created so that wealthy guests stay here longer. It’s impossible to get bored here, if only you had the means.
Montreux Jazz Festival
Historically, Montreux has attracted many famous musicians. Russian geniuses with world fame - Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, many European composers of the 19th century in the 20th century were replaced by no less great jazzmen. Since 1967, it has been held in Montreux international jazz festival, in which stars of jazz and other musical styles of the first magnitude took part (and still take part) - from Miles Davis and Ray Charles to David Bowie and Prince. Naturally, over so many years, the Montreux Jazz Festival has undergone a transformation and today it is not only jazzmen who perform there. But thanks to the strict selection policy of participants, the reputation of the Montreux Jazz Festival still remains at the highest level.
Here are just some of the musicians who performed at different times in Montreux:
1970 - Carlos Santana, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans; 1971 - Aretha Franklin and Frank Zappa (during whose concert an incident occurred with a zealous fan and a flare gun, a casino fire and the subsequent birth of the hit Smoke on the water by Deep Ash); 1973 - Miles Davis; 1974 - Van Morrison; 1977 - Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald; 1978 - Ray Charles; 1986, the year of the festival's 20th anniversary, was marked by performances by Eric Clapton, Simple Red, Chris Rea and others; The 25th anniversary is a grandiose concert, the director of which was Quincy Jones, and Sting had a hand in organizing the sound part, with the participation of Elvis Costello, B.B. King, Ray Charles, etc; 1993 - Robert Plant, BB King, Ray Charles again, James Brown and Chris Isaac; in 1999, the festival broke the record for the number of spectators visiting it - 220 thousand - and R.E.M and Blondie became the headliners; 2001 - Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Alanis Morisette. The list goes on and on.
The most convenient way to purchase concert tickets online is on the same official website.
We continue our walk along the embankment. One of the Montreux piers.
And finally, another place from the must see category - chic Montreux Palace Hotel, built at the beginning of the 20th century (1904) in the Belle Epoque style. It was here that the writer Vladimir Nabokov spent the last 16 years of his life. Opposite the hotel is a tiled square with a monument to Nabokov, as well as busts of famous musicians who performed here (and, of course, stayed at Montreux Palace) - Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald.
The Nabokov monument looks very realistic, it is clearly a very successful sculpture.
Carlos Santana
That's probably all about Montreux. By the way, the mini-golf course near the hotel is quite Nabokovian, as if from the dreams of the main character of the novel “Lolita”. Remember in that Adrian Lyne adaptation where the seductive Lolita lies on the grass and dangles her legs?
Montreux is small resort town in the canton of Vaud, located on the coast of Lake Geneva, 90 km from Geneva and 40 km from Lausanne, is the pearl of the Swiss Riviera. The population is just under 20,000 people. Montreux is one of the sunniest corners of Switzerland, protected from cold winds by mountains. The mild climate granted by nature, exotic flowers and palm trees will always delight guests of this wonderful city.Montreux stands on a low hill, stretching between the mountain range and the calm waters of the lake. These places are fantastically beautiful and have a particularly mild microclimate, rightfully bearing the title “Pearls of the Swiss Riviera.”
Graceful mansions are surrounded by greenery of laurels, magnolias, palm trees, cypresses and almond trees. The stairs go down directly to the shore, along which there is a beautiful boulevard. Every season here has its own charm. The Alps here not only offer breathtaking scenery, but are also a year-round accessible paradise for sports enthusiasts.
Montreux is truly the best beautiful city on the Riviera. City of eternal holiday. This is where creative people came to get inspiration. Nabokov and Stravinsky lived here, after whom the concert hall is named; it is here that the famous jazz festival and the Red Rose feature film festival are held every year.
The embankment is decorated with sculptures directly related to jazz. The festival was invented 36 years ago by Swiss enthusiast Claude Nobs. Already in the first years of its existence, the Montreux Jazz Festival gained worldwide fame, glorifying the town near Lake Geneva throughout the world. During the festival, music is heard everywhere; the city seems to be immersed in a whirlwind of funny jazz melodies that captivate with their unique rhythm. The famous Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place in the summer, brings together fans of all styles of music, and simply lovers of a noisy and festive atmosphere from all over the world, which is why the usually measured city life begins to be in full swing.
Montreux has a huge number of clinics that have gained worldwide fame. For lovers active rest You couldn't choose a better place to go on excursions every day.
Close to Montreux, an hour away walking tour Along the shore of the lake, there is one of the most famous castles in Europe - Chillon Castle, which shocked Byron and was sung by him in the poem “The Prisoner of Chillon Castle”. The appearance of the castle, rising majestically on a small rocky island, has not changed since the mid-13th century. The dungeons and dungeons, the knights' hall and the Hall of Justice, the ducal bedroom and the wooden chapel still perfectly preserve the spirit of the era of the struggle of the Dukes of Savoy with the Protestants. The ancient fortress was founded in the 10th century. Pierre II of Savoy significantly expanded and strengthened it. Bonivard, a supporter of church reform in Geneva, languished there for four years.
Lake Geneva is perhaps one of the most picturesque lakes in Switzerland. If you take a trip from Geneva towards Zion, you can be sure that you will be left with a lot of impressions. On one side of the lake you can see slender rows of vineyards that descend from the hills straight to the water surface sparkling in the sun. On the other, “French” territory, the Alpine mountains rise menacingly mountain ranges. Cirrus clouds slowly float over the lake, it seems that they are about to touch the water... And flowers... everywhere: on the windows of houses, on railway stations, along the embankment, on restaurant tables. An extraordinary tranquility reigns here, so conducive to complete relaxation and relaxation.
The Swiss Riviera is truly a paradise for those who can afford to live there permanently or on short visits. Colorful, almost Mediterranean vegetation on the coast, and behind it is a classic alpine panorama. It was the coast of Lake Geneva that many wealthy people chose as their permanent place of residence. Vevey and Montreux are considered especially prestigious, charming towns that were once located at some distance from each other, and now are almost touching with their borders.
You can take the Golden Pass Panoramic train from Montreux to Lucerne - tourist capital Switzerland. This so-called Golden Pass route is one of the most attractive train routes in Switzerland. It connects historical Center Switzerland Lucerne, the snow-capped peaks of the Jungfrau region (Interlaken) and the Swiss Riviera. The 250-kilometer Golden Pass route takes 5 hours and offers you an exciting tour through the most beautiful areas of the country. Distance to Geneva - 86 km, to Zurich -188 km, to Lucerne - 200 km, to Interlaken - 148 km, to Lugano - 364 km.
(100 km from Geneva) has the right to be called one of the most luxurious resorts in Switzerland. Montreux is located in the Vaud region. The nature of this small town surprises with its variety of tropical plants. Along the embankment you can find palm trees, almond trees, cypress trees and magnolias. And all this thanks to the unique microclimate. The landscapes are very reminiscent of Sochi and Crimea. If it weren't for the snow-capped Alps on the opposite side of Lake Geneva. The air here is so clean that you immediately want to quit smoking.
During the day, the Montreux embankment is mostly walked by transit tourists who, driving along the lake coast, stopped here to explore the beauties and attractions of the city. If you have the opportunity to visit this wonderful Swiss resort, this Swiss Riviera, during your vacation, then first of all I advise you to see the monument to Freddie Mercury on the embankment.
Monument to Freddie Mercury in Montreux.
Here in Switzerland, in Montreux, Queen and Mercury rented a recording studio, and they worked a lot here. The monument is easy to find; it is located right on the embankment.
Another attraction of Montreux, which I think also needs to be seen, is the monument to Vladimir Nabokov. The monument is located near the hotel where he lived with his wife from 1960 to 1977. By the way, he moved here from America. The hotel is also easy to find, everyone knows it. The hotel is called Montreux Palace. Here they rented a room on the sixth floor. We walked along these streets and went to nearby cafes to drink coffee or tea. In Montreux, more precisely, not far from Montreux, in the town of Clarence, Nabokov was buried along with his wife, who died in 1992.
In the hotel itself, in the lobby, if you go inside, there is a gift from Yu. Luzhkov. More precisely, a gift from the Moscow mayor's office. This is a sculpture by V. Nabokov.
It is not surprising that bohemians of society vacationed in Swiss Montreux, namely such celebrities as L. Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Including Charlie Chaplin. By the way, I also moved here from America and lived in Switzerland for twenty years. A monument to Chaplin is visible in the Montreux VIDEO. So this is not in Montreux, but in Vevey. Vevey is a town near Montreux, if you go towards Chillon Castle. There are also monuments to BB King and Miles Davis. Montreux is a musical city. It hosts an annual jazz festival, and the Montreux Palace Hotel hosts guitar and pianist competitions. If you're lucky, you can get into these competitions, because... the entrance is free. A jazz festival takes place in concert hall them. Stravinsky. As you can see, Russians loved to vacation in Switzerland, and especially in Montreux, and therefore Russians in Montreux are still respected. Rich Russians.
However, what is noteworthy is that the embankment is now full of all sorts of different street vendors. In my opinion, these are simple (or not simple) emigrant migrant workers to earn money. They sell all sorts of nonsense: cheap watches, knives, etc.
Montreux resort in Switzerland, not for rich people, but for the very rich. The most famous and richest people on the planet send their children here to private closed schools, who, in turn, visit private closed nightclubs, bars and casinos. And their parents, coming to visit their offspring, make appointments at the local expensive clinics and SPA salons. If you're lucky, you might meet some celebrities on the streets of Montreux.
We were not able to swim in Montreux. The shore is strewn with rocks and the water is not at all suitable for swimming. We were in Switzerland in Montreux in the spring, at the beginning of June. We swam later when we went to Chillon. Indeed, the water in Lake Geneva is cold, but we simply could not help but swim. For memory.
The vineyards lie above the city itself, and opposite, on the other side of Lake Geneva, you have stunning views of the Swiss Alps. If you take the rack railway, you can get to the top of the Rochers de Naye mountain at an altitude of about 2000 meters above Montreux and enjoy a magnificent panorama. This excursion passes through the vineyards and you will be very lucky if there is good weather. Especially in summer. Otherwise, you won't see anything and will waste your time. Serrated Railway, this is a type of funicular consisting of two or one carriages. At the top there is Observation deck. The cost of the excursion is something like 30 euros (I don’t remember how many francs it will be).
From Montreux you should definitely go to Chillon Castle.
But that is another story.