If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, there’s a good chance places like Interlaken, Grindelwald and Lucerne are already on your itinerary. Montreux is perhaps less likely to be at the top of the list, but it ended up being one of my favourite stops.
I originally booked a night in Montreux because it sat on the GoldenPass route and seemed like a convenient place to break up my journey between Geneva and Interlaken. What I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy being there.
Since then, I’ve returned for a second visit during the Montreux Christmas Market, giving me the chance to experience the town in both summer and winter.
If you’re planning a wider trip, my Switzerland travel guide brings together my itineraries, train guides and destination advice in one place.
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Montreux in summer and winter: watch the video
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What is Montreux like?
Montreux sits on the shores of Lake Geneva in western Switzerland, surrounded by mountains and vineyards. It has a different feel from the Swiss destinations where most of your plans revolve around mountain excursions.
Here, you have lakeside promenades, cafés overlooking the water, flower-lined walkways and beautiful views without needing to go very far. I found the atmosphere relaxed, and much of what I enjoyed involved simply spending time beside the lake.
It is also the starting point for the GoldenPass route, making it particularly appealing if scenic trains are part of your Switzerland plans. Despite being relatively small, Montreux feels lively and varied enough to make an overnight stay worthwhile.
Why I think Montreux is worth visiting
The setting is beautiful
One of the things I enjoyed most about Montreux was simply walking around. The lakeside promenade stretches for miles, with views across Lake Geneva towards the mountains beyond.
Whether you visit in summer or winter, there is plenty to enjoy along the waterfront. I found myself spending far longer there than I originally intended, stopping to take photos and enjoying being beside the water rather than hurrying to the next attraction.
Chillon Castle
One of Montreux’s biggest attractions is Chillon Castle, which sits directly beside Lake Geneva and is easily reached from the town.
Even if you do not go inside, I think the setting makes it worth including in your visit. With the castle beside the water and mountains behind it, you can see why this is such a well-known view of Switzerland.
It also gives a walk along the waterfront a destination, which worked well during my first stay. You can enjoy the lakeside scenery on the way rather than treating the castle as an entirely separate outing.
The Freddie Mercury statue
Montreux is famous for its connection to Queen. Freddie Mercury spent significant time in the town, and Queen recorded several albums at Mountain Studios, which was located inside the Montreux Casino.
Today, the Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva is one of the town’s most recognisable landmarks. Even if you are not a huge Queen fan, it is an easy stop to include while walking along the waterfront.
The GoldenPass route
For train enthusiasts, Montreux is a particularly useful stop. The GoldenPass route begins here and takes you through some beautiful scenery towards the Bernese Oberland.
I have travelled on both the GoldenPass Belle Époque and the GoldenPass Express, and both were highlights of my Switzerland trips.
The experiences on board are quite different. The Belle Époque has vintage-style carriages inspired by the golden age of rail travel and runs between Montreux and Zweisimmen, where you can change for Interlaken. The GoldenPass Express offers modern panoramic windows, a direct journey between Montreux and Interlaken and the option of Prestige Class seating.
If you are deciding between them, my individual guides cover the Belle Époque and GoldenPass Express, while my comparison of the two trains explains the main differences.
If you enjoy scenic train journeys, this is a very good reason to include Montreux in your itinerary.
Rochers-de-Naye
Rochers-de-Naye is another reason to allow more time in Montreux. A cogwheel railway climbs directly from the town to the mountain viewpoint, with panoramic views over Lake Geneva and the surrounding Alps.
It is high on my list for a future visit and one of the reasons I would happily return for a longer stay. If you have more than a day, it gives you the option of combining the lakeside town with a mountain outing.
The Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux is also home to the Montreux Jazz Festival, which takes place each July along the shores of Lake Geneva. Despite the name, the programme extends well beyond jazz and attracts major international artists.
During my summer visit, preparations were already underway, and it was clear how significant an event it is for the town. Looking back, I wish I had timed my stay to coincide with the festival itself, but I had not realised it was taking place when I booked.
It is something I would like to return for, particularly combined with a few more evenings beside the lake.
Is Montreux better than Geneva?
I have spent two nights in Geneva and visited Montreux twice in the last couple of years. Personally, if I had to choose one, I would choose Montreux.
The lakeside promenade feels more relaxed, and I found myself spending much more time walking, stopping for a drink and enjoying the views. With Lake Geneva on one side and mountains rising behind the town, it has much of the scenery I look forward to when visiting Switzerland.
I also preferred the food scene. There are restaurants and cafés along the waterfront, and dinner beside the lake was one of the highlights of staying overnight.
There was more to do than I had expected, too. Between Chillon Castle, the Freddie Mercury statue, the Christmas Market, the Jazz Festival and the GoldenPass trains, there are plenty of reasons to visit. Nearby places such as Vevey and Rochers-de-Naye give you options for a longer stay.
Geneva certainly has its place, particularly if you are interested in museums, international organisations and city attractions. For the scenery, atmosphere and lakeside experience, though, Montreux is the one I would return to first.
It is also straightforward to reach if you are flying into Switzerland. My Geneva Airport to Montreux train guide covers the direct journey, ticket options and arrival in the town.
How long do you need in Montreux?
For most visitors, one full day is enough to see the main attractions. You can walk along the lakeside promenade, visit Chillon Castle, see the Freddie Mercury statue, explore the town centre and have lunch beside Lake Geneva.
With two days, there is more room to enjoy the town without rushing and add somewhere nearby, such as Vevey or Rochers-de-Naye. Montreux also fits well into a longer route if you are arriving or leaving on one of the GoldenPass trains.
If you would like a more detailed plan, my one-day Montreux itinerary brings the main sights together.
Is one night enough?
I stayed for one night on my first visit and found it worked really well. Arriving in the afternoon gave me time to explore the town, visit Chillon Castle and have dinner overlooking Lake Geneva.
Staying overnight also meant I could enjoy the waterfront once many of the day visitors had left. That quieter time beside the lake was part of what made Montreux stand out for me.
If you are travelling through Switzerland by train, I think one night in Montreux is well worth including. It gives you more than a quick stop between connections without needing to take several days out of the rest of your itinerary.
Is Montreux expensive?
Like most places in Switzerland, Montreux is not cheap. However, I did not find it noticeably more expensive than the other Swiss destinations I visited.
During my trip, I stayed at Montreux Youth Hostel for around £55, including breakfast and city tax. That was the price I paid for my stay, rather than a current room quote, but it shows that visiting Montreux does not have to mean booking an expensive lakeside hotel.
Food and accommodation prices felt broadly similar to what I encountered elsewhere in Switzerland. I would not avoid Montreux because you think it will automatically be significantly more expensive than Geneva, Interlaken or Lucerne; that was not my experience.
A lot of what I enjoyed most was free, including walking along the waterfront, seeing the Freddie Mercury statue and enjoying the lake views. You can then decide which paid attractions or train journeys you want to add.
For help planning the wider trip, my Switzerland costs guide covers what I spent, while my Switzerland budget guide focuses on ways to keep spending down.
Is Montreux worth visiting at Christmas?
I enjoyed Montreux enough in summer to return for its Christmas Market, and the winter visit gave me another reason to recommend it.
The market transforms the waterfront with festive stalls, lights and seasonal food. Having the main market stretched along the lake makes the setting particularly special, and it was one of the Christmas market visits I enjoyed most.
If you are visiting Switzerland in the run-up to Christmas, I would strongly consider including Montreux. The market usually runs from late November until Christmas Eve, so it can work as part of a longer holiday or a shorter festive trip.
If you are travelling from the UK for the day, my Montreux Christmas Market extreme day trip itinerary explains how I put the journey together.
Who will enjoy Montreux?
I think Montreux is particularly well suited to first-time visitors to Switzerland, couples, solo travellers and anyone who enjoys scenic lakeside walks. The GoldenPass trains make it appealing for rail enthusiasts, while the Christmas Market and Jazz Festival give you reasons to plan a visit around a particular event.
It also suits the kind of trip where you want good food, beautiful surroundings and enough to do without filling every hour. I enjoyed being able to spend time outside and explore on foot without needing a major excursion each day.
I found Montreux one of the places where I felt most comfortable travelling alone. If you are considering a solo trip, I have written more about my experience of travelling solo in Switzerland.
Would I visit again?
I would happily visit Montreux again. What surprised me most was that I originally viewed it as a convenient stop on the way to somewhere else, yet it became one of the highlights of my Switzerland trips.
The combination of Lake Geneva, mountain views, scenic train journeys, good food and a relaxed atmosphere is very much my kind of place. Having enjoyed it in both summer and winter, I would be pleased to include another stay in a future route.
If you are deciding between Geneva and Montreux, I would choose Montreux. If you are wondering whether it deserves a place on your Switzerland itinerary, my answer is yes.
Montreux also works well as part of a wider rail trip. My six-day Switzerland rail itinerary uses Interlaken as a base with scenic journeys along the way, while my 10-day Switzerland itinerary combines several destinations into a longer route.
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Geneva Airport to Montreux by train
Switzerland planning guides
Six-day Switzerland rail itinerary
10-day Switzerland itinerary
My four-day Switzerland trip: Montreux, Interlaken, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen
One day in Montreux
Montreux Christmas Market guide
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