Walk along Montreux’s Flower-lined Promenade to Chateau de Chillon

30 July 2018

Having walked a portion the beautiful flower lined lakeside promenade of Montreux on the first evening of our stay in Montreux, we did a late morning walk on the same promenade on our third day. We started near the Freddie Mercury memorial statue and headed towards the Chateau de Chillon or Chillon Castle.

The Chateau de Chillon is located in Veytaux, by the shores of Lake Geneva and about 4 km or 45 minutes’ walk from Montreux along the lake-side path. 

There were lesser people along the promenade on a Monday morning.  We stopped often to snap photos of the beautiful views of the scenery and also colourful flowers that lined the promenade.

Montreux’s Flower-lined Promenade.

 

One of the interesting sculptures and artworks along the promenade.

The street stalls along the promenade.

Freddie Mercury Memorial Statue.

The round platform where we sat to watch the performance of a Queen tribute band on our first evening in Montreux.

Sample of the colourful flowers that were planted along the lakeside.

The tall apartment building in the background is where we stayed, the Tour d'ivoire.

The paths from Montreux to Chillon Castle mostly follow the lakeshore.

Walking from Montreux towards Chillon Castle allowed us to see the castle by the lake with views of the Swiss Alps as the backdrop.

Gorgeous view of Chillon Castle set on the shores of Lake Geneva with the Alps in the background.

The castle is located on a small rocky islet in Lake Geneva and accessible by a covered bridge. In the old days, this could be a drawbridge. Entrance fees are collected on this bridge. This thousand year old historical monument is the most-visited historic building in Switzerland but we had no plans to see the inside of the castle.

 

Entrance to the castle via what used to be a drawbridge.

Close up view of the ancient clock on its tower.

Interesting round turrets on the wall and square towers.

The lake forming a natural moat around the castle.

A romantic way to travel to Chillon Castle would be by the CGN Lake Geneva boats that linked the various lakeside towns on the shores of Lake Geneva. We saw a boat sailing in, just metres away from the castle.

Passenger ferries sail on Lake Geneva with frequent departures from Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Evian, Nyon and smaller towns.

Visitors arriving by CGN ferry boat to Chillon Castle.

After the passengers and boat departed, we went to the pier to shoot photos of the castle. This is a good photo spot for shooting pictures of the castle with the sun behind us. 

Overall, it was an easy and scenic 4 km walk from Montreux to Chillon Castle. This is a “must do” for visitors to Montruex.

After shooting lots of photos of the medieval castle by the lake, we returned to Montreux by public bus #201. This service runs generally every ten minutes and was an efficient way to return Montreux after our visit.

Our plan for the afternoon, after lunch at Montreux, was to visit Vevey for some sightseeing and possible have a swim in Lake Geneva.

Continue Reading »

Trip to Vevey from Montreux

30 July 2018

According to Swiss travel websites, Vevey is one of the “Pearls of the Swiss Riviera”. It made sense to spend some time in Vevey during our stay in Montreux.

Like Montreux, Vevey is a lakeside town located on the shores of Lake Geneva with breath-taking views of the Alpine panorama. Although smaller than Montreux, Vevey is a modern, regional centre which is headquarters to Nestlé, the international Food and Beverage Group.

There are a few ways to travel to Vevey from Montreux using public transports, i.e. boat, bus or train. The slowest and most expensive way would be to travel by ferry boat and combine a trip to Vevey with a sightseeing cruise on Lake Geneva. The cheapest and fastest way is by either the bus or train.

Travelling by public transport in the canton of Vaud is based on zonal system which can be quite confusing for visitors.

Fortunately, we had downloaded the SBB mobile app on our mobile phone. With that, we just need to enter our origin (e.g. Montreux) and destination (e.g. Vevey) and the app will show us the correct tickets to buy online using a pre-registered account with credit card details.

Tickets have to be purchased before boarding. Using the SBB app, there was no need to hunt for a ticket machine.

All types of public transport, i.e. train, Metro or bus, except the lake boats, are included in the price of the zones we have paid for within the period of validity. 

We chose to go by train. The main reason was that we were at the Montreux train station to make use of the SBB’s luggage forwarding service to send stuff that we do not need for our last two days in Switzerland to Zurich Airport, to be picked up just before our flight out from there. That way, we could travel light on our last day in Switzerland and we had plans to do some sightseeing in Lucerne on our way to the airport.

Although travelling by train from Montreux to Vevey was quick, it took about 10 minutes to walk from the Vevey train station, through the town, to the lake. 

Marina at Vevey.

The rustic area of Vevey.

We arrived at Vevey at about 6 PM. Shops and museums were already closed. However, there are still a few hours of daylight in summer for sightseeing. We had also packed towels and a change of clothes in our daypack as we planned to have a dip in Lake Geneva if we could find a good swimming spot in Vevey.

Kids are swimming in the small circular pool or fountain at the Jardin du Rivage in Vevey.

We saw many people, and even their dogs, swimming near the Vevey-Marché ferry terminal. There was a flight of wide steps leading into the clear water of Lake Geneva. The steps were flanked by sculptures of sea nymphs riding sea-horses, one at each end.

A pair of sculptures of sea nymphs riding sea-horses at the swimming area. Another one could be found in the center of the fountain on the square.

The steps right on the water’s edge were covered with algae and was very slippery. We had to enter the lake cautiously. My son and I went for a swim while my wife sat on the steps watching.

Swimming in Lake Geneva, near the Vevey-Marché ferry terminal.

This was my first time swimming in a Swiss lake. The bottom of the lake was mostly covered with gravel, although there were places with submerged rocks. Tiny fish nibbled our toes if we stood completely still.

By this time of day, the water near the shore had warmed sufficiently to a nice comfortable temperature. Switzerland and the rest of Europe seemed to be suffering from a heat wave again. The dip in the lake on the warm summer day was so nice and refreshing.

We had to watch out for the lake boats going in and out from the ferry terminal.

 

CGN Ferries berthing at the Vevey-Marché ferry terminal.

We did not see any changing facilities at the Jardin du Rivage, unlike the park at Lutry. We towelled and sunned ourselves on the steps and walked in our semi-wet clothes along the promenade.

One of Vevey’s most famous sights along the promenade is the giant fork protruding from the lake.

The Fork of Vevey is an 8-metre-tall, stainless steel fork on the shore of Lake Geneva.

There are plastic seats mounted on the rocks that invite us to take photos with the fork.

The Fork of Vevey is part of the Alimentarium, a food and nutrition museum with exhibition on food and Nestlé's history. We had no plan to visit the Alimentarium. Otherwise, we would have planned to visit Vevey during its opening hours.

A monument dedicated to Charlie Chaplin statue is also located by the promenade, in front of the Alimentarium. Charlie Chaplin spent the last twenty five years of his life at Vevey. His former country home in Vevey is now converted to a museum called the Chaplin’s World, with interactive displays, memorabilia & a cafe.

Hello Charlie, we meet again.

It was a bit strange to encounter Charlie Chaplin again. My wife and I stayed at the Saigon Morin Hotel while visiting Hue in 2017. Our room happens to be next to Suite 111, which was where Charlie and his wife stayed in while he toured Southeast Asia during their honeymoon in 1936.

Interesting red stickman seen on the terrace of a resident’s house by the lake in Vevey.

Vevey also boasts of a flower-lined promenade that stretches almost all the way to Montreux.

Flower-lined promenade at Vevey.

After our visit to Vevey, we returned to Montreux by the VMCV public bus #201. The #201 bus route was next to the lakeshore. At 8 PM in the evening, the frequency of this bus was every 20 minutes, instead of the usual 10 minutes. Although the journey took about 30 minutes, the bus stop at Montreux was right outside our apartment.  The bus was a very convenient way to travel back from Vevey to Montreux.

Continue Reading »

Day trip to Gstaad and Saanen from Montreux

31 July 2018

On our last day in Montreux, we decided to do a day trip to Saanenland in the western corner of the Bernese Oberland, about 1.5 hours by train from Montreux. 

We took the 9.44 AM GoldenPass Panoramic train to Gstaad, the main village of the Saanenland. The ultra-modern trains that operate on the GoldenPass Panoramic line between Montreux and Zweisimmen have some unique features designed for sightseeing. In addition to being extremely comfortable, they are also fitted with large panoramic windows for passengers to enjoy a scenic train journey.

Soon after the train departed from Montreux, we had views of Lake Geneva and Montreux as our train zig-zagged its way up the mountain.

View of Montreux and Lake Geneva from the GoldenPass Panoramic train.

We could see the apartment that was our “home away from home” for the last 3 days in Montreux. It was easy to spot. It was the tallest building in the city, by the lake.

It was good that we sat on the right side of carriage, as it offered better scenery than the left side.

View from the GoldenPass Panoramic train as it heads towards Gstaad.

Our train passed through forests, little quaint Swiss villages and the occasional short tunnels as we headed towards Gstaad. Green pine covered mountains formed the backdrop.

Food and beverage service were offered on board the GoldenPass scenic trains. The menu was placed on each table between the seats. Besides the usual coffee, tea and snacks, one could also travel in style with red and white wines served on board.

Sample menu of the food and beverage service on the GoldenPass train.

Arriving at Gstaad from Montreux via the GoldenPass Panoramic train.

First glimpse of Gstaad.

We arrived at Gstaad at 11.05 AM, right on schedule. Gstaad is a charming village full of restored weathered-wood chalets.

A statue of a bear outside the Gstaad station served as a reminder that we are now in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern.

Pedestrian only shopping street in Gstaad.

The middle of the village features a picturesque pedestrian-only street bounded by numerous shops, restaurants, art galleries, and hotels.  Some of these buildings are a few hundred years old, including the Hotel Olden and the Posthotel Rossli, the oldest hotel in Gstaad built in 1845.

Hotel Olden, built 1899.

Typical store in Gstaad.

The shops along the shopping street offer designer labels such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada, Rolex, Ralph Lauren and Cartier. It was strictly window-shopping only for us.

Gstaad is a popular ski resort frequented by the rich and famous. A famous resident of Gstaad is the actress Elizabeth Taylor. Her daughter commissioned a bronze statue and fountain called Rosie featuring a calf sipping at a stone trough, in honour of her mother.

A bronze statue of a calf (called Rosie) drinking at a stone trough and fountain, in front of the Posthotel Rossli, the oldest hotel in Gstaad built in 1845.

Other celebrities who lived in Gstaad include actress Julie Andrews and director Blake Edwards. She also donated a fountain and a duck statue, called Sitting Duck, created from a drawing by Edwards, which sits next to the pedestrian main street not far from Rosie.

Julie Andrew’s fountain called Sitting Duck at Gstaad.

A small church in the middle of the town.

Gstaad Palace – a luxury hotel on a mountainside overlooking the village.

The cow - favourite animal of the Swiss.

There were many cafes and restaurants in Gstaad. After browsing around, we finally decided to have lunch at the Restaurant Bar Rialto.

Excellent grilled veal at the Restaurant Bar Rialto.

Pizza Lebanese – a pizza that we tried at the Rialto.

Veal escalope with spinach.

The Rialto serves good and reasonably priced food. The friendly waiter offers excellent service. The terrace that we sat in was next to the pedestrian street. A perfect spot to watch people strolling on the promenade while we enjoyed our meal.

After lunch, we did a walk to the Saanen, a neighbouring village about 3.2 km away.

Typical view of Saanenland. Green meadows and alpine mountains.

Part of the walk from Gstaad to Saanen is on the path next to the Saanen River.

We stopped briefly to admire young girls practising their riding skills at a riding stable on our right.

Making an impromptu stop at the river.

As usual, Daniel could not resist putting his feet into the water.

The trail between Gstaad and Saanen is a very popular and easy hiking route, called the Philosopher's Way.

Walking past campgrounds, next to the Saanen River, on the way to Saanen.

Approaching Saanen.

Saanen Railway Station – small and prettiest train station I ever seen.

The icon of Saanen – the white dairy Saanen Goat.

Saanen is a quiet, rustic, sleepy village with much lesser visitors compared to Gstaad.  There was not much to do within the village, except browsing at a few shops selling traditional handicrafts.

Village centre in Saanen with chalets dating back to the 15th to 18th century.

A small tea house in Saanen where we had our afternoon tea.

We made the mistake of not checking the schedule of the trains that will bring us back to Montreux until we had almost finished our afternoon tea. The frequency of the Goldenpass trains serving this route is approximately one per hour. We realised that the next train that leaves Saanen for Montreux would be in ten minutes’ time. We hurried to the train station, just in time to see the train pulling away from Saanen station. Swiss trains ran like clockwork and will arrive and depart within minutes of the schedule.

While waiting for the next train, due in over an hour’s time, we walked to the Saanen Airfield to watch gliders landing.

Saanen Airfield.

Walking back to Saanen Station to catch the 5.01 PM train back to Montreux.

Missing our earlier train in Saanen was a blessing in disguise. The next train we took at 5 PM was the GoldenPass Classic, instead of the GoldenPass Panoramic. 

The “Classic” Golden Pass train is a replica of the elegant Belle-Époque trains. It offers the chance to experience a scenic train ride as it might have been in the old days when the famous “Orient Express” ran through Switzerland.

The cars have been refurbished or rebuilt with carved wooden decoration, rich fabric seats, brass fittings and bevelled and etched opal windows between the coaches.

Riding the GoldenPass Classic train back to Montreux.

The route and the scenery of both the Panoramic and the Classic are the same. On the way back to Montreux, we passed through beautiful mountain meadows of grazing cows, villages with ancient wooden farm chalets, pine forests, crossed rivers and views of Alpine peaks.

We arrived back in Montreux at about 6.30 PM. We headed towards the promenade near to our apartment and took a dip in Lake Geneva once again.

The weather in Switzerland had been unusually warm this summer and many were taking to the cool waters of the lake.

Taking a dip in the cool waters of Lake Geneva near our apartment in Montreux.

This was the last day of our stay in Montreux. The next day, August 1, is the National Day of Switzerland and we would be heading home  via Lucerne to Zurich Airport on this day.

We were treated to a fireworks display over Lake Geneva at almost midnight, as the Swiss celebrated their National Day. 

In a way, it seemed that Montreux was bidding us farewell.

Continue Reading »