Train Montreux → Spiez

A city of sophistication, sweets and beautiful music "We all came out to Montreux, on the lake Geneva shoreline; To make records with a mobile, we didn't have much time." And so goes the Deep Purple song, "Smoke on the Water" which documents a fire at the Montreux casino caused by a flare thrown on the stage during a Frank Zappa concert. Music, it seems has always been a part of Montreux. Known worldwide for its jazz festival, Montreux is more than home to music. Lying on sparkling lake Geneva in the heart of the Swiss Riviera, the city is said to be the most beautiful lake promenade in Switzerland. Dotted with palm trees and surrounded by vineyards, the setting has inspired artists and writers, including Delacroix and Courbet, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Lord Byron. The writer was inspired to pen "The Prisoner of Chillon," a château just four minutes by train from Montreux. The most visited historic sight in all of Switzerland, it was originally built to allow residents to collect a toll from people passing between Italy and the rest of Europe on the road north of the St. Bernard Pass. Located on a small island in lake Geneva with a 1,000-year history, the location is magical and glorious (even though it holds a dungeon.) Learn more about Montreux

Spiez, another idea of Switzerland Bountiful vineyards, verdant hills, snowy mountains and the emerald Lake Thun attract nature lovers to the tiny Swiss town of Spiez. Take a gentle cruise on the lake, hike around the Bernese Highlands or take a peek inside Spiez Castle’s 13th-18th-century rooms. Learn more about Spiez