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Best Things to Do in Montreux: 5 Bucket List Items

 
best things to do montreux switzerland

Thank you to Montreux-Vevey Tourism and Rail Europe for hosting me. As always, all opinions and recommendations are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

We had such a great time in Montreux. Switzerland is just beyond beautiful and Montreux truly helped define that experience! We only had three days, but there is so much to do here that you could stay a lot longer! These are my Five Bucket List Items…the best things to do in Montreux, Switzerland!

Best Things to Do in Montreux

1. Chillon Castle

best things to do montreux switzerland

We started our first morning with Château de Chillon or Chillon Castle.

best things to do montreux switzerland

Located on a rock island in Montreux, the castle dates back to the 12th century. I tried my hardest to find the significance of 1585 and surprisingly could not!

best things to do montreux switzerland

I loved all the doorways, unique window seats, and the outdoor courtyard with the cute fountain…

best things to do montreux switzerland

as well as the arches in the rooms, the outdoor hallways, and the colorful crests. I always love a good cannon barrel pic too. 😉

best things to do montreux switzerland

The exterior of the castle and what I called the “checkered” room (for lack of the correct word) were interesting. The chapel was pretty too. However, my favorite had to be the “windows to the world”…

best things to do montreux switzerland

and most definitely the views from the top of the castle. They were absolutely stunning!

best things to do montreux switzerland

Chillon Castle is the historic site most visited in Switzerland. It was even visited by such famous people as Dickens, Hemingway and Victor Hugo! Definitely, put it on your bucket list!

2. Walk The Lake Trail

best things to do montreux switzerland

The views are gorgeous.

best things to do montreux switzerland

I even saw my favorite tropical flower the hibiscus! This was a nice surprise because this isn’t the first place that comes to mind when I think of hibiscus. However, Switzerland can do flowers. Exceptionally well. As in better than anywhere else I’ve seen!

best things to do montreux switzerland

You can also walk along the boardwalk in Vevey.

best things to do montreux switzerland

The flower and tree-lined trail go for miles…

best things to do montreux switzerland

or just sit down on one of the many benches and take in the calming view of the lake and Alps.

best things to do montreux switzerland

You never know what you might find. A fork in the water…

best things to do montreux switzerland

or an anchor by the shore. This made me think of all the Marines, Navy, and the Coast Guard. Thank you all for your service, especially my cousin who is a member of the US Coast Guard!

best things to do montreux switzerland

Stay for a Vevey sunset. Each one is unique!

3. Tour Vevey

best things to do montreux switzerland

After walking the boardwalk, you can see the marina on the way into town…

best things to do montreux switzerland

and pass by beautiful houses. I wonder if it’s just easy to maintain flowers here…because they are making it look effortless and I know from personal experience that it is, in fact, NOT effortless!

best things to do montreux switzerland

When you get into town, there are quaint streets with buildings of endless personality and color.

best things to do montreux switzerland

I truly want to meet the people behind this flower maintenance thing. I feel like they should teach classes. Maybe they do? 😉

4. Rochers de Naye

best things to do montreux switzerland

Take a day trip to Rochers de Naye. At an altitude of 6,700 ft (2,042 m) above sea level, it sits 984 feet (300 m) above Montreux and takes about an hour to arrive there via cogwheel train. Don’t forget to use your Swiss Travel Pass!

best things to do montreux switzerland

You can see Chillon Castle on the left. The white, triangular-shaped building to the right of the castle? That’s our hotel, the Eurotel Montreux. If you are looking for a fabulous place to stay, I highly recommend it!

best things to do montreux switzerland

If, however, you want to spend a night up in the Alps, an interesting feature of Rochers de Naye is its original Mongolian Yurts. I don’t think I could pull this off, but I’m highly impressed with anyone who can!

best things to do montreux switzerland

There is even a Love Yurt for that special occasion.

best things to do montreux switzerland

The cute marmots might even pop up to say hi! They live in Marmot’s Paradise, an animal park where kids can learn about all different kinds of marmots.

5. Be A Chocolatier

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We got to make our own chocolate cows during our class with Läderach. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience!

best things to do montreux switzerland

Before we began, we got to hone our chocolate-tasting skills. We learned how to recognize flavors originating from all over the world!

best things to do montreux switzerland

Then, we got down to business…my own workstation complete with the Läderach apron I got to keep. 🙂

best things to do montreux switzerland

I have a newfound respect for what goes into this process. It wasn’t easy…

best things to do montreux switzerland

but I thought they turned out pretty cute! Stop in to try Läderach chocolate and take the class. It’s my favorite in Switzerland!

A Few Other Suggestions

These are activities that either weren’t happening at the time we were in Montreux/Vevey or for which we ran out of time, but I would love to go back and do them!

best things to do montreux switzerland

The famous Montreux Jazz Festival occurs every summer.

best things to do montreux switzerland

Vevey is home to the Nestlé international headquarters. Their building is the large, gray one with the green glass to the right in the above photo. They had just recently opened their new museum, The Nest when we were there.

best things to do montreux switzerland

Vevey had also recently opened Chaplin’s World. If you are a Charlie Chaplin fan, this might be of interest! Aren’t these chocolates by Läderach the cutest?

As you can see, there is plenty to do in this gorgeous lakeside town. Make sure you put these best things to do in Montreux on your Switzerland itinerary!

Have you been to Montreux? What were your favorite things to do there? Let me know below!

‘Til next time…

Trimm Travels,

Heather

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2 Comments

  1. I love Montreux and think it’s one of the most picturesque towns in Switzerland. I met a guy once who grew up in the Chateau Chillon, his parents where the caretakers there for many years and they lived inside the castle.

    1. Hi Nina-Oh my goodness, how interesting! I can’t imagine growing up there! It is a beautiful area though. Thanks for sharing and ready 🙂

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