Montreux is located on the north shore of scenic Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), a vibrant, centrally located and easily accessible area that includes the cities of Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and Vevey. The larger area of western and central Switzerland also incorporates the important cities of Neuchâtel and Berne. The entire region has a rich background as a cultural and commercial hub with international recognition, and very close links with the industrial centers in eastern France, northern Italy, and southern Germany. The Geneva International Airport provides easy access to the Montreux-Vevey area from all over the world, while efficient train service as well as scenic highways offer reliable links to all metropolitan centers in south-central Europe. There is also direct, fast and frequent train connection between Geneva International Airport (GVA) and Montreux; the travel time between Geneva and Montreux is about one hour.
Useful Montreux and Switzerland links :
> Official Montreux website > Geneva airport
> Switzerland Tourism > Swiss Railway
> Lake Geneva region > Les Diablerets
> Zermatt > Geneva Tourism

Montreux will be your home port for journeys of discovery through the canton of Vaud, the Lake Geneva Region, nearby France, or places which are famous for their history, their picturesque sites, their food and wine, or all of these and more. A suggestion to start with: the vineyards east and west of Lausanne are traversed high and low by pleasant footpaths, and in many of the vintners' villages - especially at weekends - cellars for wine tasting are open to the public.

In the heart of the country you are quite likely to find a centuries-old castle or fortified village - see Oron or Gruyères, for example. Geneva and Berne are fascinating blends of old and new, while further afield, in Interlaken or Lucerne, Zermatt or Chamonix, nearly every street has a mountain view.



Four excursions are being planned for Friday, September 22nd, to interesting destinations close to Montreux:


The castle of Chillon, a 13th-century castle on the shore of Lake Geneva, situated only 3km south of Montreux, is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe. No Swiss historic monument is better known throughout the world. It has become a symbol of the country, representative of its beauty, the harmony of its shape and the visibie strength and stability it exudes. Built on the water's edge, Chillon is unique with one side a fortress facing the ancient road to Italy, the other a princely residence facing the Lake of Geneva. The castle itself is built on a huge rock that stands right on the edge of the water and its proximity to the mountains that tower just behind it gave its occupants total control of the road. Whoever controlled the castle could exact tolls on the road, sitting quietly in an almost unassailable position. Exactly when the castle was constructed remains unknown but the first recorded mention of it as a stronghold dates from the 11th century.

Program:

09h00 Departure from the Montreux Congres Centre

09h15 Arrival in Chillon

An English guided tour is organised in this beautiful 12th century castle, superbly situated at the foot of precipitous mountains, on the shores of Lake Geneva and facing the Savoy Alps.

Escorted visit of the castle with its fascinating history and immortalised by the poet Lord Byron.

10h45 Departure from castle

11h00 Arrival in Montreux


Rochers de Naye is a majestic mountain peak overlooking Montreux and the entire Lac Leman. (Lake Geneva), and it can be reached by a unique cog railway line that departs from Montreux. In one hour, you climb by rack railway train from the palm trees on the lake shore to the edelweiss flowering above. Modern or steam, the cog railways meander between lake, forests and high mountain pastures taking less than an hour to reach the summit of more than 2,000 m.

The peak provides the most spectacular view of Lake Geneva and its surrounding Alps. On a clear day, you'll see the Eiger, the Mont-Blanc massif and Geneva's famous waterspout.

Program:

13h30 Meeting point in front of the main train station of Montreux

13h46 Departure of the cogwheel train.

Spectacular view over Lake Geneva, the Swiss and French Alps and the vineyards.

Light snack (typical dried Swiss meat with salami and various cheeses) at the Panoramic Restaurant "Plein-Roc" and time at leisure to see the natural life of the 14 different species of marmots.

The beautiful garden "La Rambertia" will make you travel around the world with its 1000 alpine flowers and plants (free entry)

16h46 Departure of cogwheel train

17h41 Arrival in Montreux


Gruyères is a small medieval town in the canton of Fribourg. The pictoresque village is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to the well-known cheese. In addition, the town is also home to the castle of Gruyères, which dates from 1272-1280, was then the residence of a governor until 1848, when it was acquired by the Bovy family of Geneva.

Program:

13h30 Departure from the Montreux Congres Center

14h30 Arrival in Gruyeres
Cheese capital of Switzerland and a picturesque medieval village built on the top of a hill. Excursion ticket includes the entrance fee to visit the beautiful 12th century castle.
Free time for a tea or coffee in a typical Swiss inn (auberge) - and tasting some delicious Swiss specialities and deserts.
You can also visit the famous H.R. Giger Museum, dedicated to the king of fantastic painting, sculptures and film designs (Alien, Poltergeist, Species). This museum is located in the 400 year old castle of St-Germain. Entrance fee: 12 CHF (group fee 8 CHF for more than 12 participants)

You can also visit the cheese factory with its demonstration and exhibition. Entrance fee: CHF 5 (group fee 4 CHF for more than 10 participants)

17h00 Departure from Gruyeres

18h00 Arrival in Montreux


The village is Gstaad is located in the Southwest of Switzerland, right on the border of the French-speaking area and the German-speaking area. The beautiful Alpine region offers tradition, world-class shopping, culinary dining, endless possibilities for all Alpine sports in winter months, as well as hiking, mountainbiking, and rock climbing in the summer. This is the quitessential Swiss mountain village of your dreams.

Program:

09h30 Meeting point in front of the main train station of Montreux

09h50 Departure with the panoramic train to Gstaad

This high-tech train will travel thru Chateau-d'Oex and takes you across the linguistic barrier of Switzerland (French-German).

11h10 Arrival in Gstaad.

Time for leisure to discover our mountain world, in a superb alpine setting. Take time to walk around the traditional region or do some walking tour.

The tourism office can give you maps of excursions depending if you are expert or novice.

14h55 Departure of train, transfer back to Montreux

16h15 Arrival in Montreux