Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 111 Transcript
Top Things to Do in Montreux Riviera
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
Intro
Are you dreaming of visiting Switzerland? Planning a trip to Switzerland is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you choose which of the many scenic cities, towns and villages to visit, which mountain top excursions should you take? And what’s the best way to get around Switzerland and of course, how much of the country can you realistically see within your time frame? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, this is the podcast for you. This is the Holidays to Switzerland travel podcast. And in each episode, your host Carolyn Schönafinger chats with Swiss travel experts to answer your most commonly asked questions, provide practical tips and take you on a virtual visit to the most popular destinations, and, of course, some hidden gems to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. And you’ll hear plenty of conversations about Swiss cheese and chocolate too. Are you ready to plan your trip to Switzerland? Well, let’s get started.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Grüezi, hello and welcome to Episode 111 of the Holidays to Switzerland podcast. I’m your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, and I’m so happy that you’ve tuned in today for your regular dose of Swiss travel inspiration. Today, we’re making a virtual visit to the beautiful Montreux Riviera in the Western and French speaking part of Switzerland. The town of Montreux is well known for its annual Jazz Festival and as the destination or starting point for the GoldenPass Express panoramic train. But there’s so much more to Montreux than just those couple of things. My guest today is Martina Fuhrer from Montreux Riviera tourism. In my interview with Martina, you’ll discover the top things to see and do in and around Montreux and learn why she loves her hometown so much. Martina also shares her ideal way to spend a day in Montreux, and she reveals a couple of hidden gems that you might like to add to your Montreux sightseeing. If Montreux wasn’t on your original Switzerland itinerary. I know Martina’s enthusiasm will have you rethinking your plans. So let’s all hear all she has to tell us.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Hello, Martina, how are you today?
Martina Fuhrer
Hello, Carolyn. I am very well. Thank you very much. Thank you. I mean, all excited to be with you today.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Wonderful. So would you like to start by telling us whereabouts the Montreux Riviera is?
Martina Fuhrer
Oh, with great pleasure. So we are actually based in French speaking Switzerland, on Lake Geneva. So we are on the western part of Switzerland, and easiest to reach us is if you fly into Geneva, then it’s just about our ride to reach Montreux Riviera just on the other side of the lake actually.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Perfect. So what do you think is so special about Montreux Riviera, and why is it a must visit destination for anyone who’s coming to Switzerland?
Martina Fuhrer
For me, it’s a little piece of paradise. Actually, I think it is Switzerland, but it’s still different. It’s Switzerland with the Mediterranean flare. So you have all like what you expect from Switzerland. We have like the mountains. We have the lake, so you can find like these green meadows with cows, but we have the palm trees. It feels a bit Mediterranean. It has a little French touch. And it is Switzerland in a nutshell. So within one hour you reach the eternal snow. So within one hour you’re from the lakefront with the palm trees. And this like more Mediterranean feeling to the eternal snow on glacier 3000 so I think this compactness and this Switzerland, but still being different, makes this very unique,
Carolyn Schönafinger
Definitely. So can you tell us about some of those top sites and the main attractions that draw people to Montreux?
Martina Fuhrer
Yeah, I think there is plenty. But if I would have to highlight, I would say five. I would say it’s one is like a bokus on the lake, which is a must do. It’s very scenic. It’s actually all paddle steamers on the lake. So it’s very scenic to a right. And then, of course, you have to visit Chillon Castle, which is the most visited monument of Switzerland. It’s a medieval castle, and once you enter the doors, you really step into another time. So one of the must dos, and very great to combine. But then you should also visit Chaplin’s World, which was the home of Charlie Chaplin for the last 25 years of his life, which is a place full of emotion and a deep dive in these black and white movies, which we all still know, funny enough. And then, of course, of course, we love wine. So Italy’s not well known for its wine, because we drink it all ourselves, actually. So it’s just about two percent, which are exported, and we are a wine destination. So it’s called the Vineyards of Lavaux and you should definitely visit and have a glass of wine on one of these beautiful terraces with one of the wine growers and coming to us. And if you say, have some more time, why not doing a mountain excursion? I mentioned it before. So there are train rides directly from Montreux to, for example, Rochers de Naye, which is our home mountain, or have like one of these scenic train rides on the Golden Pass Express to Interlaken. But these are just a few highlights. You see, there’s so much to do, but I think if I would have to mention five, these are the five.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, excellent. Now I might actually ask you just about some of the other things too that I often hear mentioned that people are keen to visit. So music fans know that Freddie Mercury spent some of his lifetime in Montreux. So what are the Freddie Mercury theme attractions, I guess, in Montreux?
Martina Fuhrer
Thank you so much for the question. Carolyn. Yes, it is Montreux. It’s quite fun. There are just 25,000 people living in Montreux, and it’s still so it has such a rich music history. So for music lovers, they should definitely do a Freddie tour. So that’s quite a new offer. They started in 2020 but it definitely is a must do as well. When coming to us, it’s on the footsteps of Freddie Mercury at once. So you see where he lived. You learn loads about Queen, you learn loads why he actually loved Montreux and what they all did in Montreux and what kinds of songs were written in Montreux. But it is also a history about loads of information about the music history. So it’s about the casino burning down, and then I’m sure you all know the song Smoke on the Water from deep purple. It’s the story of this, that, that. And then when we all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva shorelines, and you hear the whole story about all of this music history in Montreux, I think the Freddie tours are a must do for music lovers. And then we’re the ones who would love to experience music as such. There’s so much as well. So of course, the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, where we’re so lucky to have it every year, the first two weeks of July with loads of big, big acts, not just from jazz. It’s actually, in the meantime, it is just a music festival. So that’s for music lovers, but there’s much more, maybe not like general music festivals, but there is a very well known, internationally well known, jazz festival called the Cully Jazz Festival. There are classical music festivals. So we are, since last year, a renowned UNESCO city of music. So we are entered in the UNESCO Montreux. The city of Montreux is entered in UNESCO and is now recognized as the city of music.
Martina Fuhrer
I’d also like to chat just briefly about the beautiful Lakeside Promenade there. You mentioned that the Jazz Festival, there’s going to be a stage ad on the water, but just during the day, wandering along that promenade there. And you can actually walk from just below the old town of Montreux to Chillon Castle there. And it’s just so picturesque with all the flowers alongside it. How long should people allow to walk between those two places?
Martina Fuhrer
So it definitely is very scenic, and I think it’s the best way to commute between the city center and Chillon Castle. It takes about, let’s say, one hour, because I think you’d have to stop once or twice to take some pictures, so you wouldn’t walk a full hour. But let’s count with one hour to make sure you have enough time to take pictures and maybe even sit down. You can even take longer and have a drink along the way, it is so scenic, as you said, because you can see, once the Chillon Castle you’re approaching, but then also the lake and the snow capped mountains in the background, and all the flowers, as you said. And you’ll see, if you come to Montreux, you’ll see it feels different. It feels a bit Mediterranean due to the flowers, but also due to the trees growing there. So you’ll have this scenic walk, stroll along the lake. And it’s very easy. It is along the lake. It’s actually flat. There’s just one little part at the end where it’s going a tiny little bit uphill. But otherwise it’s all flat and easy walking.
Carolyn Schönafinger
It is. And in the other direction, you can actually walk to Vevey, another town of the Riviera, and I know there’s a few things that are very worthwhile visiting there. So would you like to tell everybody about those?
Martina Fuhrer
Oh, yes. Be a great pleasure. I love Vevey. It’s different to Montreux, even though it’s just about five kilometers from Montreux, but it is different. And one of my very favorite parts is the old town is very picturesque. It’s very small, but it kept its authenticity. It is. It’s an old town, but with loads of shops, but you cannot find the big brands, but you find loads of small boutiques. So it’s definitely worth straw because it’s very scenic, but also because you can find some hidden gems and some maybe things You wouldn’t find elsewhere. But then as well, same as in Montreux, there’s the lakeside promenade, and in summer, we have loads of bars, and in the meantime, like decks, where you can do some sun bathing and just have a stroll and just enjoy yourself and just relax.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And what about that big fork that’s in the lake?
Martina Fuhrer
Yeah, that big fork is the landmark of Vevey, you know Vevey very well, Carolyn, or the whole region. It’s very exciting. It’s actually there is a fork in the lake, so you can take pictures with the fork within the lake and the mountains in the background. And that’s due to the Alimentarium. And the Alimentarium is the Museum of Nutrition. So it’s all about nutrition. It’s very interactive. You can like, walk through a digestive tract and discover the way it works. And it’s about ourselves, our body, but also about the nutrition as such. So it’s definitely worth a visit. If you have some more time, you should not just take pictures of the fork in the lake and of the statue of Charlie Chaplin just behind. But also go and visit the museum. Is such very interesting.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Wonderful. So with so many things to see and do around Montreux, what about accommodation options? Are there different kinds of accommodation that people can choose from?
Martina Fuhrer
Oh, yes, it all depends on their needs. It’s from the youth hostel to the palace. We have all different categories. What’s great is they are all, or most of them are really offering stunning views, a great service quality, of course, depending on the quality on the let’s say the youth hostel won’t have the same service as the framers of Montreux Palace, for example, which is totally normal. But what’s really amazing. What they all have is also the Montreux Riviera Card, that’s our guest card. And for everyone staying overnight, even if it’s just one night, they get the guest card free of charge, and that entitles them to use the public transportation free of charge and get loads of discounts on excursions and attractions. And for example, all the ones I mentioned, they get a discount. So you get a discount for the Chillon Castle, for the boat cruise, for the Freddie tours and so on. And we’ve mentioned it before. It’s all within walking distance, but it’s still quite easy. If you can just walk to Chillon Castle, for example, and then on the way back, you want to hop on the train, on the bus to go back to the city center. You can do so, and there’s no hassle of taking a ticket. It’s all included in this Montreux Riviera card.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, great. And do they collect that at their accommodation, or do they need to go to the tourist office?
Martina Fuhrer
No, it’s directly at their accommodation. So once you check in, you get the Montreux Riviera card. Some hotels leave it in the hotel room, but mostly you get it while you check in and it’s complimentary, so everyone gets a Montreux Riviera card when staying overnight in Montreux.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Great. So is there any sort of particular part of Montreux or the Riviera that you recommend people stay or again, but depend on their budget and their needs?
Martina Fuhrer
I think it depends on their budget and mainly their needs, I think, more than their budget. But if they want to be in the city center and everything very close by, and just go to a bar and to a restaurant and have a stroll to the lake, then definitely in the city center of Montreux over there would be great. But why not stay in somewhere in the middle of the vineyards when you’re quite isolated so you’re not surrounded by bars and restaurants, but you have one of these stunning views. So it really, as you said, it all depends on their needs.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Wonderful. You mentioned there about the Montreuxl Riviera card and how it includes public transportation. So if someone’s coming to the area, do they need a car, or can they just rely totally on public transportation?
Martina Fuhrer
They can rely on public transportation. It’s really easy, and you can reach everything by public transportation. So if you want to go to the vineyards, for example, you can hop on a train and go to ship and then you can go to a buying grower, which is just five minutes from the train station, to have a glass of wine and to visit a cellar. Or if you want to go to whole main excursions, you can do it all by train. So I would actually say best is to travel by public transportation. And for the ones traveling within Switzerland and combining different destinations, they could even buy the Swiss Travel Pass which entitles them to use all the public transportation, and that includes the boats, which is very interesting, and to just hop on the train. It’s actually like our Montreux Riviera, just for all Switzerland. And of course, it’s not complimentary, unfortunately, but it’s really worth the price. And it’s not just for all the public transportation, but also for all the museums. So with the Swiss Travel Pass, you can hop on the boats and go and visit Chillon Castle free of charge, means it’s actually included. So I would suggest people to travel whenever they can, by public transportation.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, absolutely. And as you mentioned, the Swiss Travel Pass is great for people that are exploring more than just one area of Switzerland. It’s very good value. What is your favorite time to visit Montreux. If you were speaking to someone and they were up in the air about when should we visit? Do you have a favorite season?
Martina Fuhrer
My personal favorite seasons, I think, are from spring to autumn, where it’s a bit warmer, but then at the same time, I love like the Christmas Market, which is always in December, normally from around the 24th of November to the 24th of December, which is very, very picturesque, as there are about 150 chalet houses along the lake, and the whole atmosphere is very unique. And we have like the Santa Claus flying above the Christmas market. So I love this time of the year as well. And then I think what I really like is that the fact it’s open all year round, so In summer it’s or in the warm times of the year. So from spring to autumn, it’s paradise for just having a stroll and sit down and show the lake and jump into the lake, enjoy this more Mediterranean feeling. But then in winter, we just have an hour from the ski slopes. So it really depends on, again, what the people who asked me are looking for. But you can see Carolyn, it’s hard to define when it’s best to travel. I think it’s just nice to travel all year round.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, definitely. So if someone is thinking of visiting in winter, and they’re thinking, well, Switzerland, it’s a mountainous country, it’s going to be cold. Is that the case in Montreux or are temperatures a little warmer than in some other parts?
Martina Fuhrer
It’s definitely a little warmer than in some other parts. We’re not just to make sure no one expects us to be a ski in, ski out destination. We’re not one of these traditional ski destinations. Some people think of Switzerland in winter, but we are, as I said, just a half an hour from the ski slope. So if someone’s looking for a combination of a destination which is not too cold, so you can be five on a sunny day, it feels warmer, maybe 10 degrees in winter, but it’s great place in half an hour, you’re at the ski slopes, but you can still in the afternoon visit Chillon Castle or go to a Chaplin’s World. So to combine the winter sports activities with some cultural parts is something I like a lot about Montreux.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, that sounds great. So if you were, had to give someone a one day itinerary, if they were coming to Switzerland and they just had one full day to spend on the Montreux Riviera, what would you suggest that they do so they get the real Riviera experience?
Martina Fuhrer
I think I’d say to them to stay longer. But if I have to squeeze everything in within one day, I think very important is to have time to enjoy the scenery, to enjoy the atmosphere. We love good food and good vine so that’s very important. But then to get most out of it, to have, like, more attractions, have attractions, and still time to enjoy life, then I would say maybe start with a visit of Chillon castle, and then a boat ride to vervet have lunch in Vevey on the beautiful lake shores, and then in the afternoon, visit either Chaplin’s World or go to the vineyards to have a glass of wine. And depending on the time of the year, you’re traveling to Montreux, in the evening, why not enjoying a concert, a jazz concert, a classical music concert, or if you travel traveling in the first two weeks of July, even a concert of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Definitely. And we mentioned there a couple of times Chaplin’s World. And I have to say that when I first knew about Chaplin’s World, I thought, you know, it’s probably just a museum, but I did visit it the last time I was in Montreux, and it is just amazing. So for anyone who’s sort of not sure and thinks I’m not really into museums, it’s definitely worth visiting, because it just offers so much, doesn’t it?
Martina Fuhrer
It does. I’m very glad to hear. It’s hard to put the word on it, actually, because it’s like in three parts. So one is this mansion where he used to live with his family, and the family Chaplin still lived there until the 2010 years. So there it’s about his private life, who he was, who were his friends. It’s about him as a personality. And then this beautiful house stands in an amazing park where you can have a stroll and enjoy the views and enjoy, actually, all the trees. It really invites you to stroll and enjoy. And then the third part is the studio, which they built to open Chaplin’s World. And there it’s a deep dive in these black and white silent movies. And you step into the scenes, and it’s very interactive, and it’s full of emotion, and everyone gets something out of it. And you can be sure that you leave this place with a big smile on your face, and it touches you. It’s as I said, and as you said, it’s hard to put a word on it, and it’s not just a museum. I think a museum is maybe not the right name for it, but then anyway, you have to name it somehow. So we call it a museum, but it is very, very interactive and very emotional and very good fun and for everyone. So for kids who do not know Charlie Chaplin at all, you can be sure that they really enjoy themselves when visiting it.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, absolutely. And I think some of the facts that you learn, I think, if I remember correctly, he was the first actor to be paid a million dollars for a movie, or something like that, and that was so many years ago. It’s just incredible.
Martina Fuhrer
Very easy to travel to. Again, everything is so easy to travel to public transportation, and this, again, will be included in the Montreux card. So if you stay in Montreux, or Vevey, and you want to go and visit Chaplin’s World, it is so easy to reach it, and it’s easy to get there, and it’s impossible to forget it.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Now we’ve talked about some of the main attractions. Do you have any lesser known sites or perhaps hidden gems that people might not hear about in a regular travel guide that you’d like to tell us about.
Martina Fuhrer
So, yeah, I think once in Montreux itself, and it’s actually it’s all town, because life is all along the lake. Most of the restaurants are along the lake, the bars are along the lake. People are having a stroll. Life is along the lake. But in another part of Montreux, a little bit more on the hilly side, is the old town of Montreux, and it’s very small, but it’s very picturesque, and it’s definitely worth a visit. And something else for history lovers could be like the Fort du Chillon, which is a military fortress which became a museum, and it’s very interactive. You go in there and you learn lots about the Swiss history, not just like Swiss Army history, but the Swiss history as such. I don’t know if you have ever been Carolyn or if you should visit next time you’re coming. It’s quite new. They opened, they also wanted to open in 2020. At the end it was a bit later, unfortunately, due to COVID. But it is very interactive, and it’s actually the same senograv. I don’t know the term in English as in Japanese words. So it is very interactive. You go in there and you learn loads, and you enjoy yourself again, everyone, the whole family does. So for someone who is into history, Swiss history, then that could be something really nice to visit. And you can combine it easily. You have this Chillon Castle, which is the medieval military fortress, if you want to say so. And just on the opposite within the mountain, you have Fort du Chillon which is the more modern military fortress, where it’s more about the modern history of Switzerland.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Fantastic. All right, so is there anything else that visitors should know about Montreux Riviera before they come and visit you.
Martina Fuhrer
I think Freddie Mercury said it very well. If you want peace of mind, come to Montreux. And I think that wants to say the whole.
Carolyn Schönafinger
That sums it up pretty well, I’d say. Thank you so much, Martina, for giving up your time and sharing all that wonderful information about Montreux Riviera, and I hope that we’ve inspired a lot of more people to add Montreux Riviera to their Swiss itinerary.
Martina Fuhrer
Thank you so much Carolyn for the occasion. Thank you that I could talk about the destination I love so much. And of course, if you want to know more, you can visit our website, montreuxriviera.com or you can find us on YouTube, on Facebook, on Instagram, and we from the tourist board, we’re always also happy to help, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re very happy to get all your messages and mails and calls.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Fantastic. Thank you again.
Martina Fuhrer
Thank you.
Carolyn Schönafinger
I love Martina’s description of Montreux. It’s Switzerland, but it’s different, and there really is a little bit of everything on the Montreux Riviera, a beautiful lake mountains just half an hour away, the gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage listed Lavaux Vineyards, Medieval Chillon Castle and homages to Freddie Mercury and Charlie Chaplin, to name just a few. Then there’s the world famous jazz festival and the Montreux Christmas Market, which is regarded as one of the best in Switzerland. This Christmas market has been on my bucket list for years, and I’m so excited to finally be visiting it next month. Yay. If we’ve now got you thinking about visiting Montreux during your Swiss vacation, you’ll be happy to know that it’s just one hour by train from Geneva and around two hours 40 minutes from both Zurich and Basel if you’re traveling to or from Interlaken the Golden Pass Express panoramic train journey takes just three hours and 16 minutes, and it’s even faster if you travel on one of the regional trains. So if you’re ready to start planning your visit to Montreux, you can find the link to the Montreux tourism website. In the show notes for this episode, there are links to lots of other Switzerland travel planning resources too, including my free guide, 21 Useful Things to Know Before You Visit Switzerland. Those show notes are at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode111, thank you so much for joining me today. If you enjoyed the podcast, I’d be super grateful if you could leave a five star rating or a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I would so appreciate it. Thanks again, until next time. Tschüss.
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
