Chateau de Chillon - back to thirteenth-century

Excursion in Montreux

Tour Price : From Euro 100.00 Duration : 2 hours Languages: English, German, French

Lake Leman lies by Chillon’s walls: A thousand feet in depth below Its massy waters meet and flow... There are seven pillars of Gothic mould, In Chillon’s dungeons deep and old, There are seven columns massy and grey, Dim with a dull imprison’d ray, A sunbeam which hath lost its way… Lord Byron, "The Prisoner of Chillon" The climax of a journey around Lake Geneva, and one of the highlights of a visit to Switzerland, is the stunning thirteenth-century Château de Chillon . This impressive specimen, among the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe, is in Veytaux, only about 3km south of Montreux. Your first glimpse of the castle is unforgettable – an elegant, turreted pile jutting out into the water, framed by trees and the craggy mountains.

You could easily spend a half-day soaking up the atmosphere. This medieval castle, set wistfully at the edge of Lake Geneva, is a joy. Remarkably well-preserved, it has never been damaged or destroyed — always inhabited, always maintained. The Savoy family enlarged it to its current state in the 13th century, when this was a prime location — at a crossroads of a major trade route from England and France to Rome. Château de Chillon was the Savoys' fortress and residence, with four big halls and impractically large lakeview windows (their powerful navy could defend against possible attack from the water). When the Bernese invaded in 1536, the castle was conquered in just two days, and the new governor made Château de Chillon his residence (and a Counter-Reformation prison). Inspired by the Revolution in Paris, the French-speaking people on Lake Geneva finally kicked out their German-speaking Bernese oppressors in 1798.

The castle became — and remains — the property of the Canton of Vaud. It has been used as an armory, a warehouse, a prison, a hospital, and a tourist attraction. Rousseau's writings first drew attention to the castle, inspiring visits by Romantics such as Lord Byron and Victor Hugo, plus other notables including Dickens, Goethe, and Hemingway. When the Romantic poet Lord Byron came to visit, Bonivard's story inspired him to write The Prisoner of Chillon. You can still see where Byron scratched his name in a column. The chapel (Room 18) uses projectors to simulate the original frescoes. Models in Room 24 explain the construction of the castle. Remember the grand views from the lakeside windows? Notice the small slits facing the road on the land side (Room 25) — more practical for defense. The 130-step climb to the top of the keep (Room 32) isn't worth the time or sweat. Stroll the patrol ramparts, then curl up on a windowsill to enjoy the lake.

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