When we woke up it was raining in Geneva. We ate breakfast that was brought to our room and checked the weather forecast for our planned destination. We planned on visiting Montreux and Lausanne and according to the weather websites the rain was going to stop later in the morning. We decided to go to Montreux first as it is a little further from Geneva and hopefully the sky would clear by the time we arrive there.
The train from Geneva to Montreux goes by the Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman) and we had really beautiful view of the lake from the window. We took this route night before but were a bit too tired to enjoy it.
Lac Leman is a glacial lake formed by a withdrawing glacier and is shaped like a giant croissant. It is noted for its deep blue and remarkably transparent waters. It lies on the Swiss-French border and the southern shore of the lake is in France. The slopes on the northern (Swiss) side are exposed to the sun and bounded by vineyards and orchards. Because of the steep incline the vineyards are cultivated in terraces, supported by stone walls. The sun shines on the grapes three times: from the vine, the walls and the lake.
Because of this region's mild and sunny climate this area is known as Swiss Riviera and Montreux in particular is blessed with uniquely balmy microclimate that allows even palm trees to survive the Swiss winter! Montreux is the chief resort of the Swiss Riviera and has long attracted artists, writers and musicians. We took a stroll down the street of Old Montreux and descended to the lake at Place du Marche (market square), the main square of the town. The 19th century covered market in the middle of the square was built with funds from Henri Nestle, the founder of the famous company. The headquarters for Nestle are located in nearby town of Vevey. The square also features a statue of Queen's lead singer, Freddie Mercury, facing Lake Geneva. The statue's feet are covered with flowers that are brought by fans every day.
We had a lunch by the lakeside and by the time we left every swan and duck (and there were a lot of them) had their photograph taken by Richard. The lakeside promenade is ideally placed for strolling and admiring the fabulous lake and mountain views. It was also highly recommended as the grandest way to arrive at Château de Chillon (Chillon castle). The French language version on Chillon's website referred to promenade as "Chemin Fleuri" (Flowered Path), a very fitting name as it was covered with beautiful flowers. During Montreux Jazz festival some concerts take place right on the promenade and we passed several very creative sculptures representing various musical instruments.
We also passed by Montreux Casino. In 1971 during Frank Zappa concert at the casino, one of the fans fired a rocket-flare into the ceiling and set the building on fire. The smoke from the fire spreading over the lake inspired the song "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple who were in town for recording session and witnessed the fire from their hotel.
It took us a lot longer than we expected to get to the castle but it was so well worth it. The flowers, the lake and view of the mountains across the lake made it so enjoyable. The view was so stunning it's easy to see why many famous writers came here for inspiration.
We could see the castle long before we arrived there and from the distance it looked like it was rising from the water.
The setting is spectacular - it is strategically built on a rocky island and is guarding a narrow point of land between the water and the steep hills. The rock was occupied by men in the Bronze Age and later used by the Romans. To get in the castle we had to cross the covered bridge on stilts that seats over the natural moat. The bridge replaced the ancient drawbridge in 18th century.
Château de Chillon is regarded by some as the best preserved medieval castle in Europe. It has never been damaged or destroyed; it's always been inhabited and maintained. The oldest parts date back to the first millennium; it was considerably enlarged and partly rebuild from 11th to the 13th centuries and its current appearance dates back to that time.
At the ticket window we were given the follow-the-numbers pamphlet. The tour starts in the vaulted dungeons. The underground chambers were once used as the storehouse, arsenal and a prison. The vaulted ceilings were added in 13th century but the area was already in use earlier. The walls and pillars are covered by graffiti; one of them belongs to Lord Byron who wrote a poem "Prisoner of Chillon" after visiting the castle.
Constable's Grand Hall belongs to the Savoy period; windows and oak pillars date to the 13th century and the ceiling and fireplace date from the 15th century.
Aula Nova is the former banquet hall. It has been turned into a museum and displays furniture, antique pewter objects, armor, weapons, chests and other items found during the excavation. The Coat-of-arms Hall is decorated with coats of arms of the Bernese High Bailiffs who resided at the castle from 16th to 18th century.
We also visited the Duke's chamber, guest rooms, drawing rooms, chapel, and apartments. Even latrines are on display. The apartments had three beautiful 14th century windows casements. We looked thru the window at the lake and noticed that there was a woman swimming. The Grand Ducal Hall has been used in the Middle Ages for receptions, banquets and other festivities. It was being set-up for some type of event.
The Bastion dates to the 13th century and has been modified to adapt to the defense of the castle. There are 3 bastions at the castle.
From the parapet walk we had a good look of the courtyard below.
The keep, the tower that was the castle's last defense, is one of the oldest elements. The narrow stairs lead to the highest point that offers spectacular view of the castle and its surroundings.
We "escaped" from the castle on the ferry boat. Our boat was named Ville-de-Geneve. It is operated by the Compagnie Générale de Navigation, which provides a steamer service to all towns and major villages bordering Lake Geneva, including those in France. That's why our boat had both French and Swiss flags, one in the front and another in the back of the boat. One of the destinations on the French side is the town of Evian, world famous for providing some of the best mineral water in the world. I guess we should have considered a visit there since we've been drinking a lot of their water. We had a fabulous view of the mountains, promenade, towns and hillside vineyards of the terraced wine-growing region of Lavaux.
We exited the boat at the port of Ouchy on the Lausanne waterfront. Lausanne is the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud. It is the host to the International Olympic Committee and home of the Olympic Museum. Lausanne is a city of steep gradients and set on three hills that rise in tiers from the lakeshore. There is about 1600 feet difference in elevation between lakeshore and the northern edge of the city. The Old Town (Vielle Ville) is on the top and is dominated by the great cathedral. We had a good view of the Cathedral from the boat as we approached Lausanne. We took the MetroBus to the Old Town and had a great view of the cathedral. Unfortunately, to get inside we would have to climb a lot of stairs and that would make it very difficult for some of us, so we admired it from a distance.
We walked a bit around Old Town before catching a train back to Geneva. We finished the evening by having a fondue dinner at a sidewalk café. The traditional fondue sauce is made with a mixture of Emmental and Gruyere cheeses, white wine and kirsch (cherry flavored liquor). It was delicious. And we could really taste that kirsch. That was the reason we politely declined when waitress asked us whether we wanted wine with our dinner. After dinner we walked back to our hotel.
