Montreux Riviera

The Montreux Rivera which stretches from Chateau De Chillon at one end to Lutry at the other is one of the most interesting parts of Lake Geneva.

It has attracted artists (Duchamp, Kokoschka, Courbet), writers (Jean-Jacque Rousseau, Lord Byron, Ernest Hemingway and Nabokov who lived at Montreux Palace), and musicians (Tchaikovsky, Qunicy Jones). The best way to travel is by lake steamer which stops all along the way.

The 13th century Chillon Castle with its dungeon made famous by Byron’s poem and a double wooden toilet with deep drops into the lake below.

Of note is the extraordinary cuisine at the Victoria hotel, the confiserie Zurcher and the Valmont clinic made famous because of the poet Rilke who died there.

The beautiful Lavaux vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage site is recommended because of wine tasting at the villages. A renowned sommelier Jerome Ake at the Auberge de l’Onde should not be missed at St Saphorin nor Le Corbusier’s Villa Le Lac at Corseaux.

One-off experiences include a visit to Le Liboson at Caux, a centre of music and art with an Egyptian crypt and a large guest room as well as Oron Castle.