The Swiss Riviera

Disclaimer: Included in this post are links to tours I have personally taken, booked for clients or would recommend to clients on Viator. If you book these tours thru the links in this post, as a travel agent, I will receive a small commission.

When we hear the word riviera, we tend to think of tropical locations on the coast of an ocean or sea, like the French Riviera located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. But the true meaning of the Italian word riviera means coastline. That being said, a riviera can also be located along a large lake, as is the case in Switzerland. The Swiss Riviera is located along the northern shores of Lake Geneva in the French speaking canton of Vaud.

With its location along the shore of Lake Geneva, the Swiss Riviera is a popular destination to visit and is very different than the alpine mountain towns that are such popular destinations when visiting Switzerland. With lake views and activities, historic buildings, castles, vineyards and museums, the Swiss Riviera has a lot to offer.

Getting to the Swiss Riviera

Like most destinations in Switzerland, the train is the best and most convenient way to get to the Swiss Riviera. The scenic Golden Pass train line ends in the Swiss Riviera town of Montreux. This scenic train line starts in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland and passes thru Interlaken on its way to Montreux.

The train ride takes 3 1/2 hours from Interlaken or 5 1/2 hours total from Lucerne. While taking the Golden Pass train, you will pass by beautiful blue lakes, waterfalls, country villages and the greenest pastures.

Once you reach Montreux, there are local trains that can take you to the other towns within the Swiss Riviera. This includes one of the biggest and most well-known cities in Switzerland, Geneva, which is located just a little over an hour train ride from Montreux.

Montreux

The most visited town in the Swiss Riviera is the town of Montreux. From gorgeous views, outdoor activities, culture, history and famous festivals, the town of Montreux has a lot to offer.

• Lakeside Promenade: You cannot visit the Swiss Riviera without spending some time along the shores of Lake Geneva. Stretching 8 miles from the town of Vevey south thru Montreux and ending in Villeneuve. There’s a lot to see while walking along this promenade. One of the things that surprised me the most about walking along the lake was the tropical views of the palm trees along the promenade, this was definitely not something I was expecting to see while visiting Switzerland.

Some of the beautiful things you can see while walking along the lakeside promenade are the many sculptures along the promenade:

One of the statues that is not to be missed is the statue that honors Montreux’s most famous resident, Freddie Mercury of the rock group Queen. Queen recorded seven of their albums at a studio located in Montreux (more on this below) and in 1987 Freddie Mercury moved to Montreux since he grew to love its quiet and peaceful atmosphere. In 1996, the town of Montreux erected this statue in memory of Freddie and to commemorate the history of Queen in the town.

• Queen: The Studio Experience: As mentioned above, the rock group Queen spent a lot of time recording in Montreux, so it’s no surprise that there is an exhibit dedicated to Queen in Montreux. Located right on the lakeside promenade is the Casino Barriere Montreux, where you will find Queen: The Studio Experience. The location of the exhibit also happens to be in the former Mountain Studios where Queen once recorded. The exhibit features clothing worn by the band during concerts, instruments, handwritten lyrics and other memorabilia. One of the great parts of the exhibit is that you can see the original sound studio that Queen used in Montreux. Queen: The Studio Experience is open daily, and admission is free.

• Chillon Castle: No trip to Europe is complete without a visit to a castle. Just outside of Montreux, you can visit the medieval Chillon Castle which located right on Lake Geneva. Not only is the castle a great destination, but the journey there is an attraction in itself. While you can get to Chillon Castle via car, bus, train or even walking the more enjoyable way to get there is by boat. The boat ride takes just 15 minutes, but you can take this 2-hour roundtrip Lake Geneva cruise that allows you to stop off at Chillon Castle for 2 hours and then enjoy the remainder of the cruise on your way back to Montreux. This is a great way to enjoy two attractions, the cruise and castle, all in one day.

Once you arrive at Chillon Castle, you have options of either doing a self-guided tour with or without an audio guide or a guided tour with a Chillon history expert dressed in Medieval costume. If you opt for the self-guided tour, you can take as little or as much time as you would like, most people tend to spend an hour to two exploring the castle. Guided tours last from 50 minutes to 80 minutes and there are many tour options to choose from. If you are interested in a guided tour, booking in advance is always a great idea, especially during busier times during the year. I highly recommend a guided tour, the tour guide I had for the tour I took was absolutely amazing, very knowledgeable and also quite hilarious which made the tour not just interesting but also fun.

Chillon Castle dates back to the 12th century and has served many purposes over the years including a military site, a prison, and also as a residence. Being located directly on Lake Geneva gave it a very strategic location for defense reasons and also a very desirable location for residential reasons.

While visiting Chillon Castle, you can see the following areas:

• Courtyards and bridges used for defense
• Great Halls
• Various bedrooms in the castle
• Chapel
• Underground rooms once used as a prison

One of the interesting things about Chillon Castle is that it has its own vineyard just a 10-minute walk from the castle. One of the tours you can book at Chillon Castle includes a wine tasting of the wines made from the grapes at this vineyard.

Lausanne

Another popular city along Lake Geneva is the city of Lausanne. As the fourth largest city in Switzerland, this hilly city along the lake is worth a visit, with lots to see and do. As a note, the city of Lausanne is on a hill, but they do have a great train system to help get you up and down the hill with less effort than walking.

• The Olympic Museum: While visiting Lausanne, I was surprised to learn that it’s considered the Olympic Capital. I bet you would be as surprised as me to find out that Lausanne has been the home to the International Olympic Committee since 1915. Just down the road from the International Olympic Committee offices is the Olympic Museum. At this museum you can learn about the history of the Olympic Games and see memorabilia, some of which dates back more than a century. For all the Olympic lovers out there, this museum is a must visit.

• Lausanne Cathedral: Located within the old town section of Lausanne is the 13th century gothic Lausanne Cathedral. One of the main things to see in the cathedral is the rose window, it’s known to be one of the most beautiful rose windows of all cathedrals in Europe. Another popular thing to do at the cathedral is to climb the bell tower to take in the beautiful panoramic views of the city of Lausanne and Lake Geneva. One of the unique things about the Lausanne Cathedral is that they have held on to the over 600-year tradition of a night watchman who calls out each hour between 10pm and 2am each night.
• Ouchy Promenade: Much like Montreux, Lausanne is the perfect city to enjoy some time along Lake Geneva. Lausanne’s waterfront district is called Ouchy. Here in Ouchy, you will find a beautiful promenade like the one in Montreux, yet much shorter, measuring less than a mile in length. While it’s short, it’s still a beautiful area for a walk. Much like the promenade in Montreux, there are also many beautiful sculptures to see along Lausanne’s promenade. The most striking is the Eole weathervane located in Lake Geneva at the entrance to the port of Ouchy. I do recommend heading to the Ouchy Promenade to enjoy the sunset. Check out my photos below to see why sunset is a great time to visit the Ouchy Promenade.

Escape to the Swiss Riviera

The Swiss Riviera makes for a great lakeside escape after spending some time in the Swiss Alps. It’s one of the things that makes a trip to Switzerland so wonderful. It’s a perfect example that Switzerland is full of many different types of locations to visit that will appeal to a vast number of people.

Are you ready for a visit to the Swiss Riviera? Contact Beyond The Miles Travel today to book your trip.

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