Saturday morning we bounded onto a train for the hour long trip to the lakeside town of Montreux. The train ride itself is an attraction, passing through terraced hills and vineyards. Closer to Montreux, the train travels right along Lake Geneva’s shores, which affords views of the turquoise waters and across to the French Alps and towns of Evian and Yvoire.
on train to Montreux
vineyards along train route to Montreux
Once in Montreux, we took a local train just five minutes to the stunning Chillon Castle, built in the 1100s, home to the House of Savoy and later the Bernese/Swiss, and inspiration to many artists and writers including Delacroix and Lord Byron. We had a guided tour, where we learned about the structure and history of the castle, then explored the castle on our own.
Chateau de Chillon
ground floor of Chillon Castle - gothic arches support the entire structure. Ground floor used for food storage and prison.
Chillon and Lake Geneva
outside Chillon
We split up after the tour; some walked the gorgeous lakeside path from Chillon to Montreux, a few went into the mountains above Montreux, and others took the train back to take full advantage of the jazz festival. I was up in the mountains, and below are just a few photos of the views. As no hiking experience in Switzerland is complete without trekking through a group of cows with bells on their collars, we did just that!
So many hiking options - in the mountains above Montreux
Mountains above Montreux
Danielle bonding with happy Swiss cows
We made our way back to Montreux, meandered through the crowds and admired the myriad of food and craft vendors, and finally settled on a grassy hill with others to listen to some of the free outdoor concerts. The festival attracts incredible musicians, and that night B.B. King and Carlos Santana were playing in the auditorium (where you pay for tickets), but the outdoor concerts and atmosphere were fantastic.
wandering through crowds of vendors and festival-goers at Montreux
enjoying the free music at Montreux
