Montreux, Switzerland

After our great visit to Zermatt, we took the train to Montreux, the beautiful Swiss town on Lake Geneva.  Montreux is one of Switzerland's premier lake-side resorts.  This was the second visit to Montreux for both of us, but our first time together.  During our two day stay in Montreux, we explored the sights in Montreux and also took a day trip to the medieval town of Gruyêres.

Freddie Mercury Statue

This 3 meter (9.8 feet) statue of Freddie Mercury stands right on the waterfront.  From 1979 until his untimely death in 1991, Freddie Mercury and rock band Queen recorded hit after hit at the Mountain Studios in Montreux Casino (the studio was owned by Queen during this time).  Freddie Mercury also owned a few properties in the area.  In September each year, a three-day rock festival to honour Freddie Mercury is held and fans from all over the world attend.  

Fairmont Montreux Palace Hotel
We stayed at the Fairmont Montreux Palace Hotel, which is situated in a heritage building right across the street from Lake Geneva.  Nice building and nice location!

Chateau de Chillon

Situated right on the waterfront, this is Lake Geneva's most famous castle.  This 13th century fortress was built by the House of Savoy and gained fame in 1816 when Byron wrote The Prisoner of Chillon, a poem about Francois Bonivard who was thrown into the dungeon for his ideas and freed by Bernese forcees in 1536.  Subsequently, painters like William Turner and Gustave Courbet immortalised the castle on canvas, and writers like Alexandre Dumas and Mary Shelley wrote about it.