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Rue du Pont, |
t's difficult for me
to be objective about Montreux, the pearl of the Swiss Riviera, but happily I don't have
to be. Each time I visit, my heady expectations are exceeded by the giddy beauty,
serenity, and diversity it offers.
A few lifetimes ago, I briefly attended one of the many international schools scattered across Switzerland, and so I spent six months in Montreux staring up at the mansard-roofed houses, the neat chalet-style buildings, and the orderly traffic patterns and imagining that I lived there. It only took me thirty years, but when I finally returned, I discovered that my childish awe was neatly replaced by adult wonder. The place enchants me still.
usually arrive by
train, anticipation and delight growing as the train moves along the north coast of Lac
Leman, or Lake Geneva. It's just over an hour from the Geneva airport, and it doesn't take
long for the distinctive Lavaux scenery to begin rolling by. I see the lake on the right
side of the train almost immediately, and keep watching to catch glimpses of its blue
waters as we pass Nyon, Morges, various small boat docks, and many large villas. After
passing Lausanne, vineyards begin to rise on hills to the left as if to counterbalance the
lake. Arriving at Montreux gare, I descend the escalator to the city streets.
In all my travels to Montreux, I have only arrived by car once and have never, strangely, taken a taxi from the gare to my hotel. I am too anxious to wait for a taxi so simply take off down the road. It must be some kind of twisted ritual for me to roll (used to lug) my case along the sidewalks, taking in the smells, sounds, and sights of the place I once imagined as home. So, naturally, I usually arrive at the hotel hot and sweaty and rumpled and joyful. It's a good way to begin! Luckily, all of the hotels I've chosen are only a 10 to 15 minute walk from the station.
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Promenade Fleuri |
he very,
very first thing I do is to get to the flowered lakeside promenade, officially called the
Promenade Fleuri , as soon as possible. The Promenade stretches from Vevey to Villenueve
(it really doesn't -- there is a one-mile stretch between Clarens and La Tour-de-Peilz
that runs next to some large villas that line the lake, but that's the only caveat, and
the villas are beautiful and interesting, so try it anyway!), uniting the resorts of Vevey
and Montreux with the Chateau de Chillon and providing a nice but long walk.
Along the quais, there are many benches to sit and read or simply stare at the majesty of the lake and the mountains in the distance. These benches are a great spot for people-watching, and I have seen the unwashed fringes of artistic European society stroll side by side -- literally -- with Chanel-suited matrons exercising their little terriers along the quais. This is a favorite and necessary activity to begin to get acclimated to the area.
Of course, there are plenty of cafes to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass or wine along the way to replenish your strength. I favor the café of the Hotel Eden au Lac because it's in a populated area and the people-watching is prime here. I also favor the La Pavillon café at the Port de Territet for the opposite reason: less traffic here, less activity, more calm. There is a small playground just beside the cafe, and I usually find one or two young families to watch when the spectacular scenery of the snow-covered alps in the distance across the lake bores me. If you have managed to walk all the way to Villeneuve, reward yourself with a wonderful pizza & beer lunch at one of the lakeside cafés in Villenueve (these cafés offer specialties of fresh fish, but I haven't yet developed a taste for fish . . . )
n addition to the
flowers along the quais, the city gardeners construct witty and elaborate sculptures along
the promenade, changing their statues every few months. The first one I saw used colorful
flowers to represent paint spilling from large cans, with large straw brooms to represent
paint brushes; another year there were six-foot spiders in the trees and four-foot ants
along the way; one year there were large cows; last November I saw the gardeners working
on six-foot godzillas and lizard monsters. Each time I return, I look forward to seeing
their latest efforts!
f you are not up to
doing the entire length of the quais in one day, the walk is easily divided in two: from
the Forum (or the Casino) in the center of town, go east to Villeneuve, passing the
Chateau de Chillon on one day, and from the Forum go west to Vevey on another day. You can
return to Montreux by bus or train, or, if you visit during the summer months, take the
ferry for the short trip back to Montreux. The ferry stops running in late September or
early October. Because I haven't visited the Chateau de Chillon since I was young, I can't
make any serious recommendations for this activity. If you haven't been inside, its
notorious dungeon is clearly worth at least a short visit, if only to imagine being
chained to a pillar there, as Byron imagined during his stay and immortalized in poetry.
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To get to the old town, walk uphill from almost anywhere (!!) and follow the signs for "Vielle Ville" or "Vielle Montreux." There are three interesting sights in the old town: the old church on rue du Temple, the Musee du Vieux-Montreux on rue de la Gare (open 1 April - 31 October daily from 1000 - 1200 & 1400 - 1700; 6 chf), and the panoramic views you catch as you wind your way uphill. Eventually as you meander uphill you'll find yourself on rue de la Gare behind the train station; follow it until you find the museum. The museum also offers a restaurant with fondue, raclette, and grilled specialties; unfortunately, the restaurant and the museum have been closed every time I try to visit! Continue along rue de la Gare and bear left onto rue du Pont and take a left onto rue du Temple to find the old church. Take a few moments and step into the gardens of the old church and enjoy the views of the city below. Be sure to look for the pretty flowered bridge in front of the Hotel du Pont on rue du Pont.
On the way back to Montreux stop at Chateaux d'Oex, where the only successful round-the-world-by-hot-air-balloon trip was launched. Or stop at Glion for lunch at the Hotel Victoria with its panoramic views of the lake; then walk the rest of the way down to Montreux on a stair-step path through the forest that starts just next to the international hotel school -- or take the train to Montreux or the funicular to Territet.
Hotel Victoria in Glion above Montreux, a member of the Relais and Chateaux group, a four-star. Probably my favorite hotel in Montreux for ambiance, service, charm, and dining. I only tear myself away if I want to get a room/balcony right on the lake. You get to Glion by rack-rail from the Montreux train station (up a short flight of stairs from the train platforms) or by funicular from Territet-Veytaux (upstairs and across the road from the Port de Territet). Both rack-railway and funicular arrive at the same station in Glion, and the Hotel Victoria is about two blocks on the right. The funicular runs every 15 minutes, so it's much more convenient than the train if you are on the Territet side of the lake. If you decide to stay here and don't have a car, the Le Pavillon café near the Port de Territet is a good place to stop for a coffee and to make change for the funicular before going up to Glion. Royal Plaza Intercontinental, right on the lake next to the Auditorium Stravinski, a five-star. Despite its modern rooms and flat ambiance, this hotel is my second choice because of its location on the lake; its balconies are ideal for picnics or late nights with brandy. The restaurants and cafés are very good, too, and sometimes on Thursday evenings in the summer months they have an all-you-can-eat raclette event. The hotel also runs frequent special offers that make the hotel nearly reasonable. The service at the hotel is also first-class. I think this hotel would be ideal for those attending the Classical Music Festival in late August-early September. Hotel Eden au Lac, right on the lake in the busiest section, a member of SRS, a four-star. I like its location and its charming Victorian rooms, but I don't like having to "rent" a personal safe during my stay, and I also didn't like that the personal safes were located publicly in the lobby next to the reception desk. I also can never find any tempting dishes on its restaurants' menus. L'Ermitage, right on the lake in Clarens a few steps from the Auditorium Stravinski, a seven-room inn (with emphasis on its well-respected restaurant), a three-star. I stayed in the suite with a balcony right over the restaurant and was kept awake most nights by the noise and titters of the diners. Because there was no air conditioning and I was visiting in August, I had to keep the windows open to the diners below.
www.montreux.ch (find their picture gallery) Copyright © 2001 swandav Questions about planning a similar
trip? Comments for the author? Born and reared outside of the United States, swandav first discovered Montreux while attending boarding school in 1968. The author now teaches part-time and fantasizes about returning to the same school to teach English before senility sets in! Would you like to add an article about your travel experiences in Europe? It's easy to do. Complete Index of Articles on Switzerland Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Published September 13, 2001 The
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nother
way to get pleasantly oriented in Montreux is to walk up to the old town, away from the
tourists and the lake and the new buildings. One day I was wandering around the narrow
cobbled streets and enjoying the many-colored houses when an old man came up to me and
began chatting in French. I'm hardly fluent, but I soon understood that he was joyfully
welcoming me and advising me where to find the most picturesque viewpoints.
ther excursions to get
out of Montreux include a day (or several!!) in Vevey. If you don't walk, scoot, or
bicycle along the lake to Vevey, the train trip is only 5-10 minutes on the local run.
There, you can hunt down the antiques shops in the old town or stroll along the lakefront
and admire the Grenette at the Place du Marche and find the statue of Charlie Chaplin who
lived nearby. Then have lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve on the Pl. Marche (reviewed --
sort of-- in NY Times Travel section. Go to www.nytimes.com, then to the archives of
"What's Doing," then find "What's Doing in Vevey" from summer '99).
There is also the Musee Historique du Vieux-Vevey on rue du Chateau, open from 10:30 to
12:00 and from 2:00 to 5:30 in the summers (4 chf). 
lose to Lausanne,
the lakeside village of Cully is a pleasant excursion, especially if you want to sample
one of their two well-known restaurants, the Auberge du Raisin (a member of the Relais
& Chateaux group) and the au Major Davel (recommended by the Karen Brown series of
guide books). Both restaurants also offer a few rooms for overnight guests. 
utry, another small
lakeside village, has a unique offering: a walking tour with 11 information panels about
the village's medieval history. The walk over ancient cobblestone streets includes
information on the origins of the village as well as a tower and many preserved buildings.
You can preview the tour on Lutry's web page, but it appears only in French. It would be
ideal to combine a visit to Lutry with Cully, as they are both on the outskirts of
Lausanne. 
ere are useful websites: