Cidade Turismo
Switzerland
Lausanne and Montreux

Vaud · Switzerland

Lausanne and Montreux

The north shore of Lago Léman, between hilly Lausanne and the Museu Olímpico, the terraced vineyards of Lavaux and Montreux of jazz and the Château de Chillon.

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In the photo: Lavaux and Lago Léman

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

It’s the part of Switzerland where French is spoken. English is widely used in tourism, and the currency is the Swiss franc: Switzerland does not use the euro.

Lausanne, the cantonal capital, rises from the lake on steep slopes: the Ouchy waterfront is at 372 m altitude and the Cité, the cathedral quarter, at 526 m. A rubber-tyred metro bridges the difference. The city hosts the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and the Musée Olympique, has a museum district next to the station and a Gothic cathedral where a night watchman announces the hours every evening.

Between Lausanne and Vevey stretches Lavaux, about 800 hectares of terraced stone vineyards above the lake, inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007. Hiking trails, small tourist trains and regional trains connect the winemaking villages, where the chasselas grape has been part of local culture for centuries.

Montreux sits where the lake meets the mountains. The town became known for its Belle Époque hotels and, since 1967, for the Montreux Jazz Festival in July. On the waterfront are the statue of Freddie Mercury and Queen’s former studio; a few kilometers away, the Château de Chillon stands on a rock in the lake. From there depart the rack railway to the Rochers-de-Naye and the GoldenPass Express toward Interlaken.

SBB trains link Lausanne and Montreux in about 20–30 minutes, and CGN steamships follow the same route on the lake. Genebra is about 40 minutes by train from Lausanne.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Lausanne, Montreux.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Lausanne and Montreux is
LausanneMontreux

Contornos: ©swisstopo. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Lausanne and Montreux

✈ Aeroporto de Genebra (GVA), in Genebra · 62 km to Lausanne

The nearest airport is Geneva (GVA), with direct trains to Lausanne in about 40 minutes and to Montreux in a little over an hour. From Zurich (ZRH) the train takes roughly two and a half hours. Check before booking.

Suggested arrival point: Lausanne

Lausanne
Vaud · Lausanne and Montreux Capital Suggested arrival point

Lausanne

Capital of the canton of Vaud, Lausanne rises in slopes from the Ouchy waterfront on Lago Léman up to the Cité, with a Gothic cathedral where a night watchman announces the hours every evening. It hosts the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and has the Musée Olympique, the museum quarter Plateforme 10 and the Collection de l'Art Brut. The m2 metro links the lake to the centre, and the vineyards of Lavaux begin in the neighbouring Lutry.

The local experience

Things to do in Lausanne and Montreux

Cathédrale de Lausanne
Lausanne · Vaud · Church

Cathédrale de Lausanne

Gothic cathedral atop the Cité, consecrated in 1275, with a 13th‑century rose window, a painted portal and a watchman who announces the hours from the tower every night — a tradition kept since 1405.

Château de Chillon
Montreux · Vaud · Castle

Château de Chillon

Medieval castle on a rock in Lake Léman, in Veytaux, residence of the Counts of Savoy and later of the Bernese bailiffs, with painted rooms, a chapel and the dungeon that inspired Lord Byron.

Place de la Palud et Escaliers du Marché
Lausanne · Vaud · Historic center

Place de la Palud et Escaliers du Marché

The Hôtel de Ville square, with the Fontaine de la Justice, a clock with moving figures and a market twice a week, and the covered wooden staircase that leads up to the cathedral.

Quai de Montreux et statue de Freddie Mercury
Montreux · Vaud · Waterfront

Quai de Montreux et statue de Freddie Mercury

The lakeside promenade in central Montreux, with flower beds, the covered market and the 3-metre statue of Freddie Mercury facing the lake.

See 14 more places in Lausanne and Montreux
Ouchy
Lausanne · Vaud · Waterfront

Ouchy

Lausanne's old harbour on the shores of the Léman, with tree‑lined quays, the Château d'Ouchy, the CGN boat terminal and the final stop of the m2 metro, which rises up to the centre.

Queen: The Studio Experience
Montreux · Vaud · Museum

Queen: The Studio Experience

Exhibition at the Casino Barrière de Montreux, in the rooms of the former Mountain Studios, where Queen recorded from 1978 to 1995, featuring handwritten lyrics, instruments and the band's costumes.

Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux · Vaud · Event

Montreux Jazz Festival

Music festival created in 1967 that takes over Montreux for two weeks in July, with shows at the Auditorium Stravinski and the Montreux Jazz Lab and open-air stages along the quays.

Musée Olympique
Lausanne · Vaud · Museum

Musée Olympique

The museum of the Comité Olímpico Internacional, on the lakeside in Ouchy, with three floors about the Games and a park of sports sculptures that steps down to the water.

Montreux Noël
Montreux · Vaud · Event

Montreux Noël

Christmas market on Montreux's waterfront, from late November until December 24, with more than 150 chalets between the boat quay and the Place du Marché and a Santa Claus who crosses the city's sky.

Plateforme 10
Lausanne · Vaud · Museum

Plateforme 10

The arts district next to Lausanne station, with the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA), Photo Elysée for photography, and the mudac for design and applied arts.

Collection de l'Art Brut
Lausanne · Vaud · Museum

Collection de l'Art Brut

Museum dedicated to art brut, made by self-taught creators outside the artistic circuit, based on the collection that the French painter Jean Dubuffet donated to the city of Lausanne.

Rochers-de-Naye
Montreux · Vaud · Mountain

Rochers-de-Naye

Summit of 2,042 m above Montreux, reached by rack railway in about 55 minutes, with views of the Léman and the Alps, marmot enclosures and the alpine garden La Rambertia.

GoldenPass Express
Montreux · Vaud · Panoramic train

GoldenPass Express

Panoramic train that connects Montreux to Interlaken Ost without changing trains, in about 3 hours 15 minutes, passing through Montbovon, Château-d'Oex, Gstaad and Zweisimmen, where the carriages change gauge.

Lavaux
Lausanne · Vaud · Landscape

Lavaux

Terraced vineyards on stone walls above Lake Léman, between Lausanne and Vevey, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, with winegrowers' villages, trails, the little train Lavaux Express and the Lavaux Vinorama.

CGN – bateaux Belle Époque
Lausanne · Vaud · Boat trip

CGN – bateaux Belle Époque

Side-wheel paddle steamers built between 1904 and 1927 that sail on the Léman from Ouchy, linking Lausanne with Lavaux, Vevey, Montreux, Chillon and the French shore.

Chocolate Train
Montreux · Vaud · Panoramic train

Chocolate Train

Day tour departing from Montreux in a Belle Époque carriage to Montbovon, followed by a bus to Gruyères, including the Maison du Gruyère, and a visit to the Maison Cailler chocolate factory in Broc.

Chaplin's World
Montreux · Vaud · Museum

Chaplin's World

The Charlie Chaplin museum at the Manoir de Ban in Corsier-sur-Vevey, the house where he lived with his family from 1953 until his death in 1977, featuring a recreated film studio and a park with lake views.

Alimentarium
Montreux · Vaud · Museum

Alimentarium

Food museum on Vevey's lakeside, in a 1921 neoclassical building that was Nestlé's first headquarters, known for the 8-metre stainless-steel fork embedded in the lake.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From May to September the days are long, boats run more frequently and Lavaux turns green. The Montreux Jazz Festival takes place in July, and the grape harvest usually happens between September and October. From December to February it’s winter with short days; Montreux Noël livens the waterfront from late November until December 24.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Three days allow one day in Lausanne, one in Lavaux and one in Montreux with the Château de Chillon. With four or five days there’s time for the Rochers-de-Naye, Vevey with Chaplin's World and a steamship cruise. If you have only one day, you can do Lausanne in the morning and Montreux and Chillon in the afternoon.

Which city to stay in

In Lausanne, the station and Flon area put trains and the metro within easy reach; the Cité and la Palud lie in the historic center on a hill; Ouchy, by the lake, is quieter and has Belle Époque hotels. In Montreux, the centre between the station and the quay makes everything walkable; Clarens and Territet are calmer, and Glion and Caux, up above, have lake views. Vevey is a smaller alternative between the two.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Lausanne and Montreux

How many days to allocate for Lausanne and Montreux?

Three days are a good guideline: one for Lausanne, one for the vineyards of Lavaux and one for Montreux and Chillon. Five days allow including the Rochers-de-Naye, Vevey and a scenic train ride.

Do you need a car to explore the region?

No. SBB trains link Lausanne, Lavaux, Vevey and Montreux, CGN boats serve the shoreline and buses reach more remote spots. In Lausanne, the m2 metro handles the slopes. A car only helps for high villages in Lavaux outside train hours.

What's the best time to go?

From May to September, with long days and more boat services. July hosts the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the European autumn, September–October, is the grape harvest in Lavaux. In December Montreux has a Christmas market on the waterfront. In winter, December–February, days are short and cold.

Can you do a day trip from Genebra?

Yes. Lausanne is about 40 minutes by train from Genebra and Montreux a little over an hour. In a day you can see Lausanne’s centre and Ouchy, or Montreux with Chillon. To include Lavaux, it’s worth staying overnight in the region.

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