Things to Do in Montreux, Switzerland: Walking Guide

Montreux is a lakeside city in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, known for its music heritage, mountain scenery and historic landmarks. The best things to do in Montreux include following the Lake Geneva shoreline, discovering its connections with Queen and Freddie Mercury, and visiting places such as Châtelard Castle. Neywo has a free audio guide for Montreux with 13 narrated places.

What to See in Montreux

Queen: The Studio Experience

Inside the Casino Barrière de Montreux, Queen: The Studio Experience occupies the former Mountain Studios. The British rock group recorded here between 1978 and 1995, making the studio an important place in Queen’s recording history.

For music fans, this is one of the most distinctive places to visit in Montreux. It connects the city’s lakeside setting with the story of a band that returned to Montreux over many years.

Freddie Mercury Statue

The bronze Freddie Mercury statue stands beside Lake Geneva on Montreux’s lakeside promenade. The three-metre-high figure pays tribute to the British singer, songwriter and musician of Queen.

Created by Czech sculptor Irena Sedlecká, the statue was unveiled in 1996. Mercury faces the lake in a pose associated with Queen’s 1986 Magic Tour concert at Wembley Stadium: his right arm is raised with a clenched fist, while his left hand holds a microphone stand. A small model of the statue also appeared on the cover of Queen’s 1995 album Made in Heaven.

Since 2001, the statue has been one of the stops during Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day, when fans gather in Montreux on the first weekend of September.

Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival takes place on the Lake Geneva shoreline every year in early July. Founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, Géo Voumard and René Langel, it began as a three-day event and grew into a two-week festival.

The festival’s main paid venues include the Auditorium Stravinski, the Montreux Jazz Club and the Montreux Jazz Lab. Free stages have also been part of the event from the beginning, extending the atmosphere beyond the main concert halls. Its long history makes the festival central to understanding Montreux’s cultural identity.

Châtelard Castle

Châtelard Castle, also known as Château du Châtelard, is a historic landmark in the Montreux area. It provides a change of scene from the lakeside promenade and is included on Neywo’s walking route through the city.

Saleuscex Watchtower

Saleuscex, also known as Sallauscex, is an old square watchtower on the summit of Cubly, or Cubli. Probably built in the tenth century, the tower stands at an altitude of 1,157 metres and overlooks Montreux.

Its elevated position gives it a clear connection with the mountainous landscape around the city and makes it a notable viewpoint in the Montreux area.

Le Merdasson and Le Molard

Le Merdasson rises above the commune of Montreux to an altitude of 1,858 metres. It forms part of the Vaud Prealps and is one of the mountain summits that shape the scenery around the city.

Le Molard is another mountain in the Swiss Prealps. It lies at the boundary between the communities of Blonay, Saint-Légier and Montreux, adding an alpine perspective to the city’s landscape.

Churches and Religious Landmarks

Montreux has several churches that contribute to its architectural and cultural character:

• The Reformed Church of Saint-Vincent, also known as Temple Saint-Vincent, includes a former ossuary and has a distinctive place in the heritage of Montreux.
• St. John’s Anglican Church, also known as Saint-John, stands on Avenue de Chillon in Territet, between the railway and funicular stations. Services have been held there in English since 1877.
• Église Néo-Apostolique and Evangelisch Reformierte Kirche offer further religious landmarks in the city.
• Sacré-Cœur Church and Ste-Thérèse are also church buildings in Montreux.

These quieter stops complement the city’s better-known music attractions and provide additional places to notice while exploring Montreux on foot.

Explore More of Vaud and Switzerland

Montreux is part of Vaud, a canton with a varied landscape and several cities worth exploring. Nearby Vevey offers another destination on Lake Geneva, while Lausanne is also in the canton.

For a wider journey through the country, discover Switzerland and compare Montreux with destinations such as Zermatt or St Moritz.

Explore Montreux with Neywo

Neywo’s free audio guide helps you discover Montreux as you walk. The city has one walking tour: Queen, Jazz and Lakeside Montreux, a 4.43-kilometre route lasting about 98 minutes and featuring seven narrated stops.

The walk includes St. John’s Anglican Church, the Reformed Church of Saint-Vincent and former ossuary, Sacré-Cœur Church, Queen: The Studio Experience, the Freddie Mercury statue, the Montreux Jazz Festival and Châtelard Castle with fountain.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, making Neywo a practical Montreux self-guided walking tour for discovering the city independently.