Montreux Attractions
Switzerland
Ray Charles statue in the garden of the Palace Hotel, Montreux, Switzerland
We were ready to enjoy Montreux after a spectacular morning in Vevey, just a few kilometres away. The weather in August was superb and the five star Le Montreux Palace garden (no, we weren't staying there) was elegant, artistic and had fantastic views across Lake Geneva to France.
Lake Geneva; Montreux city centre on the right, despoiled by one monstrously out-of-character hotel tower block.
The beginning of Montreux waterfront on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), coming from Vevey.
Initially the lakeside walks were lush and tranquil...
...but then the rampaging hordes of package tourists appeared, clustered around Freddie Mercury and laying waste to bars, ice-cream parlours and burger stands...
The first weekend of September is Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day while the two week Montreux Jazz Festival is held in July. Actually , non-jazz fans, the festival frequently features artists who are in no way jazz related.
...while their coaches idled CO2 into the fresh lake air.
Later the bus-tards returned to Lausanne or Geneva via Lac Leman paddle steamer while boat arrivals took the coaches home.
The best months to visit Montreux are September and October with the lowest chance of rainfall (about 1/3 days) and high temperatures of 21C (69F) in September and 15C (59F) in October. May and June have the highest chance of rain, about 14 days per month. Winter temperatures almost never fall below zero; December to February highs are generally 4.5C (40F) to 6.2C (43F).
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