Montreux facts for kids

For other uses, see Montreux (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Montreux

Municipality

A view of Montreux

Flag	Coat of arms

Montreux

Location in Switzerland

Montreux

Location in Canton of Vaud

Switzerland

Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut

Area

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• Total

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Elevation

(railway station)

396 m (1,299 ft)

Highest elevation

(Naye)

2,021 m (6,631 ft)

Lowest elevation

(Lake Geneva)

374 m (1,227 ft)

Population

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• Total

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Time zone

UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)

Postal code(s)

1815 Clarens, 1816 Chailly-Montreux, 1817 Brent, 1820 Montreux, 1820 Territet, 1822 Chernex, 1823 Glion, 1824 Caux, 1832 Chamby, 1832 Villard-sur-Chamby, 1833 Les Avants

SFOS number

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Localities

Baugy, Brent, Caux, Chailly-sur-Montreux, Chamby, Chaulin, Chêne, Chernex, Clarens, Collonge, Cornaux, Crin, Fontanivent, Glion, Jor, Le Châtelard, Les Avants, Les Planches, Mont-Fleuri, Pallens, Pertit, Planchamp, Sonzier, Tavel, Territet, Vernex, Villard-sur-Chamby, Vuarennes

Surrounded by

Villeneuve, Blonay, Haut-Intyamon, La Tour-de-Peilz, Noville, Veytaux

Twin towns

Wiesbaden (Germany), Menton (France), Chiba City (Japan)

Website

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Profile ,

Montreux is a beautiful Swiss town located right on the shore of Lake Geneva. It sits at the bottom of the amazing Alps mountains. Montreux is part of the Vaud area, which is a canton (like a state) in Switzerland.

Around 26,500 people live in Montreux. If you include nearby areas like Vevey, the population grows to about 85,000 people. This area is often called the Swiss Riviera because of its lovely climate and beautiful scenery. Montreux has been a popular place for tourists since the 1800s. You can find many grand old hotels, called Belle Époque palaces, along the lake. The Montreux railway station is an important stop for trains, including mountain railways.

A Look at Montreux's Past

Lake Geneva from Montreux

Montreux has a long and interesting history. The very first settlement here was a village from the late Bronze Age. This was a time when people used bronze for tools and weapons.

Roman Roads and Early Settlements

Montreux was important in Roman times. It was located on a key Roman road that came from Italy over the Simplon Pass. This road split here, with paths leading to the Roman capital of Aventicum and into Gaul. Archaeologists have found a Roman villa from the 2nd to 4th centuries and an old cemetery from the 6th or 7th centuries.

How Montreux Got Its Name

The name "Montreux" comes from a small monastery that was built here around the 11th century. A monastery is a place where monks live and worship. The name changed over time, from words like monasteriolum (Latin for "small monastery") to Mustruel and finally Montreux.

Wine and Rulers

Around the 12th century, people started growing grapes for wine in Montreux. The sunny slopes by the lake became a very important wine region. Over the years, different rulers controlled the area, especially the princes of Savoy. They were generally liked by the people.

Changes in Control

In the 15th century, the Swiss from Bern took over the region without a fight. This showed that the princes of Savoy were not as strong anymore. Under Bernese rule (from 1536 to 1798), Montreux was part of the Chillon area.

The Reformation brought many Huguenots (French Protestants) from Italy to Montreux. They were skilled workers and started many businesses. In 1798, Napoleon took control of the region from the Bernese.

The Rise of Tourism

In the 19th century, tourism became a huge industry in Montreux. Grand hotels were built, attracting wealthy and famous people from all over Europe and America.

Town Mergers

For a long time, Montreux was made up of three separate towns that shared some services. In 1962, two of these towns, Le Châtelard and Les Planches, officially merged to form the Montreux we know today. The third town, Veytaux, remained independent.

Montreux's Location and Landscape

Montreux and Lake Geneva

Montreux covers an area of about 33.41 square kilometers (12.9 square miles). A large part of this land, about 50%, is covered by forests. About 25% of the land is used for farming.

Montreux stretches from the beautiful Lake Geneva all the way up to the foothills of the Swiss Alps. The highest point in the municipality is a mountain called Naye.

Weather in Montreux

Montreux has a mild and pleasant climate. It's known as an "Oceanic climate" (Cfb in the Köppen Climate Classification system). This means it has warm summers and cool, but not freezing, winters. It gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.

Climate data for Montreux-Clarens (1961–1990)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	4.5 (40.1)	6.2 (43.2)	9.6 (49.3)	13.9 (57.0)	18.2 (64.8)	21.8 (71.2)	24.9 (76.8)	23.9 (75.0)	20.5 (68.9)	15.2 (59.4)	9.3 (48.7)	5.5 (41.9)	14.5 (58.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	1.5 (34.7)	2.8 (37.0)	5.4 (41.7)	9.1 (48.4)	13.3 (55.9)	16.7 (62.1)	19.3 (66.7)	18.6 (65.5)	15.5 (59.9)	10.9 (51.6)	5.8 (42.4)	2.4 (36.3)	10.1 (50.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−0.8 (30.6)	0.3 (32.5)	2.4 (36.3)	5.5 (41.9)	9.5 (49.1)	12.8 (55.0)	15.1 (59.2)	14.7 (58.5)	12.0 (53.6)	8.0 (46.4)	3.3 (37.9)	0.0 (32.0)	6.9 (44.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	90 (3.5)	86 (3.4)	104 (4.1)	109 (4.3)	119 (4.7)	157 (6.2)	130 (5.1)	158 (6.2)	117 (4.6)	104 (4.1)	114 (4.5)	91 (3.6)	1,379 (54.3)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	10 (3.9)	8 (3.1)	4 (1.6)	1 (0.4)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3 (1.2)	8 (3.1)	34 (13)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	11.6	10.6	12.4	11.9	13.8	13.1	10.3	12	9.5	8.9	11	11.3	136.4
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm)	2.7	1.9	0.9	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	2.0	8.6
Average relative humidity (%)	81	77	73	70	71	71	69	72	76	81	80	81	75
Source: MeteoSwiss

People and Languages

High rise in Montreux

Montreux is a diverse town. Many people who live here are from other countries. Most residents speak French as their main language. German and Italian are also commonly spoken.

Montreux has a mix of age groups, from young children to older adults. Many different types of households live here, including single people, married couples, and families with children.

Important Buildings and Sites

Montreux is home to several important historical and cultural sites. These places are so special that they are considered part of Switzerland's national heritage.

Famous Landmarks to Explore

The Audiorama (also called the Swiss National Audiovisual Museum) is a place to learn about sound and video.
Crêtes Castle and Châtelard Castle are old, impressive castles.
The Montreux railway station is a beautiful building and a busy train hub.
The Montreux Palace and the Caux Palace Hotel are grand, historic hotels.
The Marché couvert is a covered market.
The Grand-Hôtel/the Hôtel des Alpes is another famous hotel. It was even used as a recording studio by the band Deep Purple!
The Villa Karma is a notable villa.

The areas of Territet, Veytaux, Caux, Montreux, and Villas Dubochet are all recognized as important Swiss heritage sites.

Châtelard Castle
Hôtel Montreux Palace
Marché couvert
The Grand Hôtel de Territet, formerly Hôtel des Alpes

Sister Cities Around the World

Montreux has special friendships with other towns around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities."

How People Work in Montreux

Montreux has many different types of jobs. Most people work in the tertiary sector. This means they work in services like hotels, restaurants, shops, and healthcare. Many people also work in the secondary sector, which includes manufacturing and construction. A smaller number of people work in the primary sector, like farming or forestry.

Many people who live in Montreux also work in other nearby towns. Similarly, many people come from outside Montreux to work here. Public transportation and private cars are common ways for people to get to work.

Religions in Montreux

St. Vincent church in Montreux

Montreux is home to people of many different faiths. The largest groups are Roman Catholic and Swiss Reformed Church members. There are also people who belong to Orthodox Christian churches, other Christian churches, and those who are Muslim or Jewish. Some residents are Buddhist or Hindu. Many people do not belong to any specific religion.

Learning and Schools

Montreux has a good education system. Many people have completed high school and gone on to higher education at universities or special colleges.

Public Schools

In the Montreux school district, there are thousands of students. The local government provides two years of optional pre-school for young children. After that, students attend four years of primary school and then six years of lower secondary school.

Libraries for Everyone

The Bibliothèque municipale de Montreux et Veytaux is the local public library. It has tens of thousands of books and other media for people to borrow.

Private Schools

Montreux is also home to several private schools, including international schools. Some well-known ones are the Riviera School, Surval Montreux (an all-girls boarding school), and St George's School in Switzerland. There are also private schools that specialize in hospitality, like the Swiss Hotel Management School.

Getting Around Montreux

The Montreux station building in 2012

Montreux has excellent train connections. It has three railway stations on the main Simplon line: Clarens, Territet, and Montreux. The Montreux station is also where mountain railways start, taking you up into the hills away from Lake Geneva.

Arts and Entertainment

Montreux is famous for its vibrant culture and many festivals. It has inspired artists and musicians for decades.

Popular Festivals and Events

The Septembre musical de Montreux is a classical music festival that has been held every year since 1946.
The Freddie Celebration Days is a free event held around September 5th, celebrating the birthday of Freddie Mercury, the famous singer from the band Queen.
The Montreux Jazz Festival is a world-famous music festival held every July since 1967. It takes place at the Montreux Convention Centre.
The Golden Award of Montreux is an international award for creative excellence in advertising and multimedia.

Lakeside Attractions

You can enjoy a lovely walking trail along the lake that stretches from Villeneuve to Vevey. In the main town square, Place du Marché, there is a statue of Freddie Mercury looking out over Lake Geneva. The famous Château of Chillon is also nearby, offering amazing views of the lake.

Montreux and Music History

Montreux has a special place in music history. The band Deep Purple recorded their album Machine Head here in 1971. Their famous song "Smoke on the Water" tells the story of how the Montreux Casino caught fire during their visit. The band Queen later bought a recording studio in Montreux called Mountain Studios. Many famous artists recorded there.

The town was also featured in Queen's 1995 song "A Winter's Tale," which was one of Freddie Mercury's last songs. The album cover for Made in Heaven even features the statue of Mercury by the lake.

Sports and Recognition

In 1990, Montreux won the Wakker Prize for its efforts to protect and preserve its beautiful buildings and history. The Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports (an international roller sports organization) was founded in Montreux in 1924. Montreux is also home to Montreux HC, Switzerland's oldest roller hockey club.