Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 184 Transcript

What to do in Montreux: Two Day Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Welcome back to the Holidays to Switzerland podcast. It’s lovely to have you listening today and my special guest today has been on the podcast before way back  on episode 111 so a long time ago now but it’s a great pleasure to welcome back Martina Fuhrer from Montreux Riviera Tourism to talk to us today about an itinerary that would be wonderful for anyone who’s going to spend a couple of days in Montreux. Welcome Martina.

Martina Fuhrer: Hello Carolyn, thank you very much for having me.

Carolyn Schönafinger: It’s an absolute pleasure. Could you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?

Martina Fuhrer: So hello everyone, I am Martina Furher from Montreux Riviera Tourism as Carolyn already introduced me. I am lucky to represent this beautiful destination for about nine years now, here and abroad. And when I’m not in the office, as a foodie and outdoor enthusiast, you will find me somewhere on a beautiful terrace or cycling along the lake or in the vineyards or at this time of the year, often still on the ski slopes.

Carolyn Schönafinger: okay. So plenty of variety there. You have lots of interests. So, yeah, I’m curious if any of those will be included in your recommended itinerary. But before we get into that, what is it in your opinion that makes Montreux a destination that every first time visitor to Switzerland should include in their trip?

Martina Fuhrer: I think Montreux has it all. We like to call it Switzerland in a nutshell because you can do so many things from one single place. So there are must-sees which you can find in each and every travel guide like the Chillon Castle, the castle you can see behind me, which is the most visited monument of Switzerland and definitely a must-see when you travel to Switzerland. Then we have panoramic train rides like the Golden Pass Express. Connecting Montreux to Interlaken. Panoramic train rides will also be in each and every single travel guide, I assume. But then you will also be able to travel a bit off the beaten track. So you can have the highlights, so what you expect from Switzerland, and you can still also walk on paths which are not with loads of people, where not everyone has been before. And for me, that makes it very special as really, we have it all. We have from cheese to cheese factory to the chocolate factory to the highlights, to the wine. But we can also walk in the Narcissus, for example, in the field of Narcissus in May, where you will just find local people. So it’s everything at once.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and I think you know, you’re right. People often see or hear about those famous sites in the travel guides and on social media and so forth but there’s so much more in every destination and Montreux is definitely no exception there. So let’s assume that our listeners are going to have two full days or close to two full days in Montreux. Can you  talk us through what you would recommend they do for their first day in the region.

Martina Fuhrer: So I would suggest to have a stroll along the lake. You’ll see life, it all happens along the lake and it’s always a stroll along the lake. It’s just in the one or the other direction. So we start in direction to Chillon Castle. If you would like to walk, that’s about 45 minutes or maybe count with an hour to have time for some pictures.  If you would not like to walk, you can hop on a boat or you can hop on a train or hop on the bus.

Public transportation, local public transportation is free of charge for everyone staying overnight. They will get the Montreux Riviera card. So they can just hop on the train, on the bus free of charge. The boat is not included, but the train and bus rides are. And then you should visit this beautiful medieval castle. Personally, my favourite way of visiting Chillon Castle is with a guide in a costume. So you’ll get all the information about the castle in a different way.

They don’t play in the costume. It’s not a theatre at all. But they will explain to the castle from the point of view of the person wearing the costume. So if it’s someone who used to work in a castle, it’ll be different than if it’s someone who used to live in the castle. And that gives you a different angle of discovering Chillon Castle. But that’s definitely something I would do at the beginning. And then the boat pier is just next to the castle. So you can literally hop on a boat, hop on a boat and discover Montreux and where you’re actually based from the lakeside. 

You can also have lunch on the boat. So you are eating your menu whilst you see passing by the landscapes, really beautiful. And then when you’re back in Montreux, I would take a rest and sit on a terrace and have a glass of wine or a cup of tea or coffee and just soak up the atmosphere. It feels a bit Mediterranean. So it is definitely Switzerland, but it feels a bit Mediterranean. 

You’ll see, you’ll see the…the palm trees growing, there are palm trees. It feels a bit like you’d be on the Mediterranean Sea, but you’re still in Switzerland. So,  I think it’s important to soak it all up and just live it for a little moment. And then something I like a lot as well are the Freddie tours. Some of the listeners might have heard of Montreux because of the Montreux Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

It is not a classical jazz festival anymore. It is more a music festival, but still really  great to visit, always the first two weeks in July. And the Freddie tours give you an insight of the rich music history of Montreux. So this small town on Lake Geneva has attracted so many musicians of the last decades. And as the name says, of course, also Queen and Freddie Mercury. There was a studio in Montreux, a recording studio, where loads of bands recorded songs and also Queen, they owned it for a couple of years. And Freddie had an apartment in Montreux. So you’ll discover Montreux as well. Of course, you’ll discover Montreux as such. It’s a stroll through Montreux, but you’ll also discover loads, learn loads about the rich music history. And the tour is really cool because you have someone who is guiding you. So you have a real person showing you around.

But as it is about music,  also have the audio guide because they have to listen to the songs and see some videos and see some pictures. So I’d definitely do that as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, and how long does that tour last for? Are there various lengths?

Martina Fuhrer: They have a very long one, which is about two and a half hours. But of course, if you’re a real Freddie fan and Queen fan, then you should definitely do this tour. If you like Queen or if you’re just interested in the music history, then I would do the one and a half hours tour, which is really, really nice as well and gives you loads of insights already. And after that, I’m sure you’re hungry and want to go and get something to eat. And there’s loads of choice.

And I think I would start with the Montreux Jazz Cafe as we’ve just spoken about music. It’s in the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, our five-star superior property in town. But you can also go there if you’re not staying overnight at the hotel. It is a public restaurant. You can go in, they have delicious food and they have, of course, loads of decoration about the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, great tip. All right. And if people want to perhaps, you know, stay up a bit later and maybe listen to some music, is there anything that you recommend they do after dinner?

Martina Fuhrer: They can literally go next door to the Funky Claudes bar where there’s always live music, it’s a cocktail bar. There are some other places like the Why Bar if they would like to go and have a cocktail in another atmosphere. They do have sometimes live music but not all the times, but they have DJs, but it is still a very cozy place to go and just have a drink or two. And then there are some other places, but I think I would suggest one of these two.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. Okay, all right. Well, that’s a great start for day one in Montreux. So what about day two? What else is in the region that they can go and explore?

Martina Fuhrer: There’s loads, there’s loads. If I would have to choose I would say we’d head on to, I would suggest to head on to Vevey and to Chaplin’s World. Charlie Chaplin spent the last 25 years of his life in Corsier-sur-Vevey in our region, that’s about 20 minutes from Montreux. And the house is now open for 10 years to the public. It’s a beautiful manor house where it’s first of all an insight of who he was.

His family life, his private life, his way of working. Then the house stands in a beautiful park. So it’s worth to take some time to walk around the house through the park. And then of course, you should visit the studio where it’s a deep dive into his black and white silent movies. Charlie Chaplin passed away a long time ago, but the movies are still well known and they are still very touching and whoever is going there, I suggest you will leave the house with a smile on your face.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, absolutely. I have to agree. And even as someone who’s not particularly a Charlie Chaplin fan, when I visited, it just leaves such a great impression on you and gives you such a really good understanding of what it was like to make a film way back then and how things have progressed since then as well.

Martina Fuhrer: Exactly. And he was the first real TV star. So it’s quite impressive also everything he did. Like he did it all himself from the production to he was the artist, he created the music, he did also all the promotion. So the way he traveled back then through the world, it’s really impressive and very, very, very touching. I’ve been there so often and I love to go back every time.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, definitely. And I think isn’t that,  well it’s not strange, but it’s ironic that all those famous people have gravitated to Montreux. It obviously says something about what a beautiful region it is and makes people feel so at home there that they decide to put down roots and stay there.

Martina Fuhrer: I agree. I mean, I’m not famous at all, but  I didn’t grow up here and I came here about 10 years ago and I love it. I think the quality of life is so high because there is the lake and the mountains. You have these beautiful vineyards. You have so many things to do. I mean if I go to the ski slopes in winter, it’s just a 20 minute ride by car.

So everything is very close by and the quality of life is really, really high on my point of view of what I’m looking for. And it seems that these  famous people, I think they also appreciate that the calm on one side and also that they were able to live their own lives without too much distraction. So I think it’s a whole mixture of loads of things. But I agree, it’s a good place not just to visit but also for living.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Yes, but yeah, we’re definitely encouraging ⁓ all our listeners to visit for sure and I’m sure they will get that feeling as well. Okay, so after our dose of Charlie Chaplin, where should we head?

Martina Fuhrer: You might be hungry. So one of my favorite restaurants, there’s really loads, but one of my favorite restaurants in Lavaux is Le Deck from the Baron Tavernier, as it offers one of the most beautiful views and delicious foods. So you’ll have a meal and you’ll look, overlook like the vineyards and the lake and the mountains.

It’s a real place you will not like to leave. I think you would be able to sit there all afternoon.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and  you’re right amongst the vineyards, aren’t you?

Martina Fuhrer: Exactly, exactly. But what I would suggest as well is doing a tour through the vineyards. So if you have  some good shoes, then ask a guide to pick you up at Baron Tavernier to go and have a walk through the vineyards to learn more about the way the wine is produced, about history of the vineyards. It’s really interesting. And the guides are really passionate about what they’re doing. And then you end the tour on a terrace with a wine grower or either in the cellar or on the terrace and taste some local wine. Switzerland is not well known for wine. We drink it all ourselves, so there’s nothing left to be exported. So if you would like to taste some Swiss wine, you should come and taste it while you’re in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah and the Lavaux vineyards that we’re talking about, they’re UNESCO World Heritage listed aren’t they? So they’re quite special.

Martina Fuhrer: Exactly. Exactly. Since 2007, these terraced vineyards are in UNESCO listing and they’re really worth a visit. It’s the longest connected vineyard of Switzerland. And what I love about it is not just it’s absolutely stunning and beautiful that they produce the delicious wine, but there loads of different wine growers. So you do not have one single wine grower looking after all the vineyards, but you have loads of family businesses which makes it very personal and very special and everything is, it’s loads of handwork. So it’s too steep.  You’ll see when you’re here, or if you Google Lavaux, you’ll see it’s pretty steep. So they will not be able to go and work the vine with machines. So it’s loads of handwork.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, Yes, and lots of beautiful villages amongst those vineyards too. Yeah, all right. So what else are we doing on day two?

Martina Fuhrer: Yes, definitely. I wouldn’t pack the days too much, I think. That’s my personal way of travelling. This is why I always suggest to have some time to relax and soak it all up. I think I would go back to Montreux. If you still have time, have a little stop in Vevey because you pass by Vevey. That’s the town next to Montreux and really, it’s a really beautiful old town. It’s also directly on the lakefront, so you can also have a stroll. It’s…easy to discover and you can do it on your way but if you do not have time then you head back to Montreux, get changed and then go to Lilo bar. It’s a bar directly, you’re sipping on a cocktail and you’re having your feet in the water. It is really, really beautiful and very special and after that I would suggest to go and have dinner at CocoMama and watch the sunset over the lake and to eat some Peruvian Japanese fusion food.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Sounds like the perfect way to end the stay in Montreux. All right, so now unfortunately some of our listeners probably aren’t going to have two full days to spend there. So if they’ve only got one day to spend in Montreux what would you suggest that they prioritize?

Martina Fuhrer: That’s a challenging question, Carolyn. I think one of the highlights is Chillon Castle, as this is in each and every guidebook and I’m certain people would like to visit and see that. And it’s definitely worth a visit. So I would go and do Chillon Castle. I think I would do a boat ride, as this gives you a different way of seeing where you’re based and you see also the vineyards from the lake and it’s really absolutely stunning.

And then it depends on the interest. Either I would go to Lavaux and have a glass of wine, or I would go to Chaplin’s World and discover more about the artist and about this impressive place. Yeah, it’s hard. There’s so much to do. So I think I would make a combination of both, depending on the interest of the traveler.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Sure, okay, and folks can take a boat from Chillon Castle to Vevey can they? And then get a bus to Chaplin’s World?

Martina Fuhrer: Yes, thank you Carolyn. I can see you’ve been here. Exactly.  You can take a boat from Chillon Castle directly to Vevey and then there is a direct bus to Chaplin’s World so it’s very easy, easily connected by public transportation. Being Swiss, we do love our national public transportation so we always suggest to travel by train and by boat and by bus.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah and I think that’s what makes Switzerland so special and in Montreux there obviously you can combine your attractions  because one of them is a mode of transport. So whilst you’re saying “let’s do a lake cruise” well that lake cruise is actually getting you from one place to another  so it’s a great way to combine all the attractions.

Martina Fuhrer: Definitely. Definitely it is. I totally agree.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Now you did say before that there was so much to see and do in the area so for the people that are lucky enough to have more than two days in Montreux, what else can they go and see and do?

Martina Fuhrer: So I would say if you would have more time then you should definitely go to Glacier 3000 as it’s really very close by. If you go by public transportation it might take you one and a half hours from the palm trees to the eternal snow. So you have it both in one day which is very impressive and then if you’re up on Glacier 3000 of course it’s not just the snow and the ice. You can also see, you get a beautiful view over the mountains. You can see so wide, so much, so many mountains, you really, it is really definitely worth a visit. I would do that for sure. I would suggest that. Then, Switzerland is well known for cheese and chocolates. You can also go and visit Gruyères, the cheese factory and it’s  medieval town. So also worth a visit. You could go to Maison Cailler, which is a chocolate factory where you can learn more about chocolate, do some chocolate tasting. You can also do a chocolate workshop.

There is loads to do, like the Golden Pass Express to go to Interlaken. You can go hiking if you’d like to, to the mountains directly behind Montreux on Les Rochers-de-Naye. So I could go on for hours and hours because there’s really… That’s a good thing about Montreux and I think that’s why we like to call it Switzerland in a nutshell. So many things are so close by and you do not spend loads of time in transfers.

So you can discover all Switzerland, you can find these chalet-style houses and green meadows and you can also find the eternal snow and you can find the lake and you can find the vineyards and everything is very very close by.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, well, it’s a wonderful destination for all of those things, that’s for sure. So is there anything that our listeners should know in terms of seasonal operating dates or best times of year to visit? Are some things closed at certain times of the year or any important info about any of the activities and places that we’ve already mentioned?

Martina Fuhrer: It’s a very good question Carolyn, thank you very much. We are lucky that we’re an all year destination, which means things are open all year round. So of course we’ve got the four seasons, depending on what travellers are looking for, if they’re more looking for the warmer season, then it’s more between, I would say, now (April) and October. And if they would also like to combine some skiing, then it’s more really during the winter time, so between…December and March, I would say, but everything is always open. Just Chaplin’s World closes for a few days in January, but otherwise things are open. Chillon Castle is always open. The boats are operating a bit less in winter than in summer, as it’s a bit colder on the lake in winter. It’s a bit less popular in winter than in summer, but there’s literally everything is open. Hotels are open all year round. Restaurants are open all year round. Shops are open all year round. The excursions and activities are open all year round. So it depends on when people would like to travel, they can come and visit us all year.

Carolyn Schönafinger: All right so that’s a very good  tip. If other places are closed you can always go to to Montreux. So what’s one thing that you tell everyone that you speak to who’s planning to visit Montreux for the first time and they’re asking you what’s one thing that I must do? What’s your answer?

Martina Fuhrer: Come and soak it all up, come and visit and once you’re here you’ll see. I’m certain that you would like to spend time on the terrace and just enjoy the views and just enjoy the atmosphere. And then maybe try not to do too much but enjoy the things you do. Like pick maybe just two activities per day like Chillon Castle and the boat cruise or the vineyards and…take the time to discover it and to enjoy it.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, that’s such good advice because I think so many people get into this mindset of, I’ve got to tick all these things off my list. I’ve got to do this and this and this. And then at the end of the day, they’re just exhausted and they didn’t really have time to appreciate or make the most of all the activities that they did. You don’t want to get to Chillon Castle and rush through it in 10 minutes and then move on to the next thing. You want to really…immerse yourself in it and get a very good understanding and enjoy being there.

Martina Fuhrer: I would say so. I totally agree.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Good, we’re on the same page there. Okay, now you mentioned before about the Narcissus Trail that you can do. Can you tell our audience a bit about that and perhaps just some of the other lesser known things that you like to do around Montreux?

Martina Fuhrer: So the Narcissus are in bloom in late April and in May, and we like to call it the May snow, as there are some fields above Montreux where you literally walk through a field of white flowers.  There are different trails. We do have a website for the Narcissus weather, where you can see when you come to travel, if you travel to Montreux in this period, so late April and in May, you can watch on the website and see where the flowers are in bloom to choose which trail you would like to go to really get most out of it. Then of course, each and every single hike offers stunning views, but it’s something really special, in my point of view, to walk through these fields of white flowers. So definitely something to do if you travel late April and in May. And there are loads of other things  off the beaten track.

Great things for me are the little festivals. There loads of things going on. They’re very local festivals  about wine, about food, about music. You might not find them on your travel guides, but it’s very local experiences and it gives you an insight of the way we like to celebrate and we like to spend our days and we like to spend our weekends.

We have an event calendar on our website where you can find most of them, to really see what’s going on when I’m here, to see where can I find the locals? And then on, I think if you go up to the mountains and if you go hiking or if you go cycling, there are loads of trails and they are, there’s still space on the trails. So it’s really possible that you walk for an hour and you do not meet someone. And for all these tips, I’ll always be there, Carolyn. I’ll always be very happy to suggest, depending on what the travellers are looking for, to suggest something off the beaten track or a local experience.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Fantastic, that’s wonderful. Thank you. I will of course include a link to the Montreux Riviera Tourism website in the show notes for this episode so that people can click through and get in touch if they need to. So before I let you go do you have any other tips for people who are considering including Montreux in their Switzerland vacation itinerary?

Martina Fuhrer: I think I would try to combine, if you would combine Montreux with other destinations, I would try to combine it really with a train ride. So either with the Golden Pass Express or just with a national train. We are literally very close to loads of things, but we’re in Western Switzerland. So maybe just try, when you prepare the route, to maybe be in Interlaken before and then hop on the Golden Pass Express and travel by panoramic train in three and a half hours directly from Interlaken to Montreux. Then again, it’s what you said before, the journey, it’s not just a transfer, it is an experience. So then you can combine destinations in a very nice way.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, and if you are traveling in that direction too, I think as you approach  Montreux, the first views that you get over Lake Geneva, just wow! And that really sets the tone for what it feels like when you’re in Montreux.

Martina Fuhrer: I think you could be an even better ambassador. You’re doing great. It’s great to see how much you like our destination.

Carolyn Schönafinger: It’s one I definitely haven’t spent enough time in, but have to get back to for sure. Well, I hope  my enthusiasm and your fantastic information has  helped our audience to come to the conclusion that Montreux definitely has to be part of their Swiss holidays. So thank you so much for sharing all that with us. And what is the website address if folks want to look that up?

Martina Fuhrer: It is Montreux Riviera, so montreuxriviera.com.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And of course, I’m guessing Montreux Riviera is on social media.

Martina Fuhrer: Yes, we are on all traditional social media channels. You can find us. So you can have a look on Instagram or go on Facebook or go to YouTube and have a little sneak peek. Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: I’ll put those links in the show notes as well. Look forward to chatting to you again on a future episode of the podcast, Martina. Thank you so much for your time today.

Martina Fuhrer: Thank you so much, Carolyn. Looking forward to seeing you back in Montreux soon.

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.