Montreux

François Bonivard (1493-1570), a Genevan nobleman and prior of the Priory of Saint-Victor, was imprisoned at Château de Chillon for six years (1530-1536) by Duke Charles III of Savoy for supporting Geneva's independence. He spent the last four years chained to a pillar in the underground dungeon. Bonivard claimed he 'wore away the floor, creating a path in the stone' by walking in circles. On 22 June 1816, Lord Byron visited and carved his name into a dungeon pillar, then composed 'The Prisoner of Chillon,' a 392-line poem translated into 20 languages that brought worldwide fame to the castle.

On 4 December 1971, during a Frank Zappa concert at the Montreux Casino, someone fired a flare gun that hit the wooden ceiling, destroying the entire building. No one was killed. Claude Nobs heroically ran in and out to rescue concertgoers. Deep Purple, in Montreux to record Machine Head using the Rolling Stones' mobile studio, watched the fire from across the lake. Bassist Roger Glover coined the phrase 'smoke on the water.' The song, released in 1972, immortalised the event — its lyrics reference 'Funky Claude' running in and out. The Casino was rebuilt and reopened in 1975.

Igor Stravinsky lived in Clarens, now part of Montreux, from 1910 to 1920. In a tiny rented room — barely 2.5 by 2.5 metres, with just an upright piano, a table, and two chairs — he composed Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) during the winter of 1911-1912, signing the score 'Clarens, March 8, 1913.' The premiere at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on 29 May 1913, conducted by Pierre Monteux for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, caused one of the most famous scandals in music history — the audience rioted.

Queen first came to Montreux in July 1978 to record at Mountain Studios inside the Casino. In 1979, the band purchased the studio. Freddie Mercury increasingly made Montreux his home from 1987, saying 'If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux.' In his final months, he devoted himself to recording as much material as possible so his bandmates could complete arrangements after his death on 24 November 1991. A 3-metre bronze statue by Irena Sedlecká was unveiled on 25 November 1996, with the epitaph 'Lover of life — singer of songs.'

From 1897 to 1957, the Fête des Narcisses was Montreux's flagship event. Each May, when wild narcissi blanketed the heights above Montreux in what locals called 'la neige de mai' (May snow), the town celebrated with international orchestras, ballets, and lavishly decorated floral parade floats. In 1954, the festival became the first event broadcast on Eurovision television. After a long hiatus, it was revived in May 2015. The narcissus meadows above Les Avants remain a beloved spring destination.

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) and his wife Véra moved into the Montreux Palace Hotel in October 1961, taking a sixth-floor suite. He lived there for 16 years, writing on index cards at a standing lectern. Works written there include Pale Fire (1962) and Ada, or Ardor (1969). When not writing, Nabokov pursued his lifelong passion for lepidopterology (butterfly collecting) in the surrounding mountains. He died on 2 July 1977 in Montreux.

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) lived at the Manoir de Ban in Corsier-sur-Vevey, 9 km from Montreux, for his last 25 years. In 1952, while sailing to promote Limelight, the US revoked his re-entry visa during the McCarthy era. On 6 January 1953, the family moved into the 14-hectare estate. Chaplin died on Christmas Day, 25 December 1977, aged 88. In April 2016, Chaplin's World museum opened at the Manoir de Ban — the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to Chaplin, with over 30 wax figures by Grévin.

Château de Chillon, Switzerland's most visited historic monument with over 400,000 annual visitors, stands on a rocky island on Lake Geneva. Archaeological evidence shows occupation since the Bronze Age; first written mention dates to 1150. Peter II of Savoy expanded it significantly in the 13th century. On 22 June 1816, Byron carved his name into a dungeon pillar and composed 'The Prisoner of Chillon,' which was translated into 20 languages and transformed the castle into one of Europe's most celebrated Romantic-era destinations.