Things to do in Montreux and Chillon

Montreux sits on the Lake Geneva shore roughly 3 hours from Interlaken on the GoldenPass line, a scenic run of connecting trains rather than a single carriage. 50, moated walls dating to the 12th century. On that same promenade stands the Freddie Mercury statue, unveiled in 1996 near the spot where Queen recorded several albums.

Above the town, the Rochers-de-Naye cogwheel railway climbs to 2,042 metres in about an hour, with a marmot park open from June; a return ticket runs close to CHF 72 unless booked with a Swiss Travel Pass discount. The Montreux Jazz Festival fills the lakefront for a fortnight every July, when accommodation prices climb and rooms book out weeks ahead.