On the road

Km 4.5 – Vouvry (Pop. 2,700)

Church of Vouvry

Foundation: built in the 15th century.

History: the first church was built on the current site, on the hillside vineyard, as the plain was nothing but marshland at the time. Attached to it, its bell tower and octagonal spire date from around 1440. This first church was replaced by a new Gothic building between 1460 and 1496. The 15th-century bell tower has been preserved.

The current bells date from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Chablais History Museum

Location: Strategically built on a narrow strip of land between the Rhône and the rock, just a few kilometres from Montreux, the Château de la Porte du Scex once controlled the entrance to the Valais.

Km 6.8 – Chessel (Pop. 450)

Its Romanesque church of Saint-Nicolas was built in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Km 13.5 – Villeneuve (Pop. 5,900)

The town has twice hosted the Tour de Romandie, in 1985 and 1995, with the stage wins going to Belgian Eddy Schepers and Italian Mario Cippolini respectively.

Île de Peilz

Location: an islet at the eastern end of Lake Geneva, opposite Villeneuve. The origins of this island are mysterious, but it is reputed to be the only natural island in Lake Geneva, as well as the smallest and furthest from the shore.

Km 18.1 – Montreux (Pop. 26,000)

On the shores of Lake Geneva, this is one of Switzerland's most popular holiday resorts, with its grand hotels, posh houses and jazz festival, one of the most prestigious in Europe. Among the celebrities who have stayed in the city are Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Empress Sissi, Leo Tolstoy, Lord Byron, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, Sarah Bernhardt, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. The singer Patrick Juvet was born in Montreux.

Montreux, which has hosted the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse on several occasions, is also the birthplace of Laurent Dufaux, twice 4th in the Tour de France, in which he competed eleven times between 1992 and 2004. He also won the Criterium du Dauphiné twice and a Tour de Romandie.

Montreux Jazz Festival

One of the world's most famous festivals, created in 1967 by Claude Nobs (it is the second largest annual jazz festival after the Montreal International Jazz Festival in Canada). Jazz virtuosos, pop stars and legendary rock bands make up the impressive line-up of the festival, which takes place every year in September (2 weeks). With paid venues (Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Club, Montreux Jazz Lab) and free venues, the festival has welcomed some of the biggest names in music: Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie and Stevie Wonder.

Trivia: in December 1971, Deep Purple settled in Montreux to record their new album when the casino where the band was planning to record caught fire before their eyes. Thanks to Claude Nobs, the organiser of the jazz festival, the English group moved into the Grand Hotel to complete the recording session in two weeks. But the fire inspired Deep Purple to write a song, Smoke on the Water, which became one of the band's biggest hits and a hard rock standard (360 million plays on Spotify, 113 million views on YouTube).

Statue of Freddie Mercury

Foundation: Inaugurated in the 20th century (1996).

Style: Bronze statue (sculptor: Irena Sedlecka).

History: Standing 3 metres tall, the statue depicts Queen singer Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) in an iconic pose, dressed as he was at the opening of the Wembley concert in 1986. Freddie Mercury had a house in Montreux.

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)

Freddie Mercury, whose real name was Farrokh Bulsara, was a singer-songwriter and musician. He was known worldwide as the co-founder of rock band Queen. He was born on 5 September 1946 in Stone Town, in the former British protectorate of Zanzibar. A pianist and songwriter with a wide vocal range and a good command of several opera techniques, he also composed most of the band's greatest hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Love of My Life", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions" and "Don't Stop Me Now". Freddie Mercury died on 24 November 1991 in London, aged just 45, and is officially recognised as one of the first victims of AIDS.

"Bicycle Race": Queen song released in 1978 on the album Jazz.

According to legend, Freddie Mercury wrote the song after watching the 18th stage of the 1978 Tour de France between Morzine and Lausanne while Queen was recording the album Jazz in Montreux.

Château des Crêtes

Foundation: inaugurated in the 19th century (1864).

Style: Second Empire.

History: Vincent Dubochet, a prominent figure in Montreux, had this château built in 1864 on the presumed site of Julie's groves described in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's La Nouvelle Héloïse.

Characteristics: built of brick with architectural elements in molasse stone, it has an octagonal turret crowned with decorative machicolations, topped by a belvedere.

Interesting fact: Léon Gambetta, former French Minister of Defence and close friend of Dubochet, stayed there on several occasions.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 25.4 – Vevey (Pop. 20,140)

Vevey has hosted the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse on numerous occasions. It is also the birthplace of the first professional Olympic road cycling champion, Pascal Richard (1996), who competed in the Tour de France six times, as well as former professionals Aurélien Clerc and Steve Bovay.

Alimentarium or Food Museum

Foundation: built in the 20th century (1864).

Style: neoclassical.

History: built between 1918 and 1920, the first administrative headquarters of Nestlé & Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company was designed by Vevey architect Adolphe Burnat (1872-1946), who supervised the work in collaboration with architect Pierre Nicati. The building was constructed in the garden of the building housing the Cercle du Léman (former Dufresne house), located behind the museum.

Characteristics: The Nestlé Room is the only room in the building that has retained its historic appearance. From 1920 to 1930, it served as the office of the CEO of Nestlé. Today, this room is dedicated to the pioneers of industrial food processing, such as the inventor of tin canning and artificial cold storage.

Current use: since 1985, it has housed the world's first museum dedicated to human nutrition.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 31 – Chexbres (Pop. 2,250)

Physicist, aeronaut and oceanographer Auguste Piccard, inventor of the bathyscaphe and specialist in balloon flights, lived for many years in Chexbres, where he died in 1962. He inspired Hergé to create the character of Professor Calculus in the adventures of Tintin.

Km 42 – Savigny (Pop. 3,520)

Like 25 other towns of the same name in France, Savigny is part of the Amicale des Savigny de France et de Suisse (Friends of Savigny in France and Switzerland), which has a total population of over 70,000.

Km 56.2 – Morrens (Pop: 1,550)

Morrens is the birthplace of Major Davel (1670–1723), a figurehead of Vaud patriotism who was beheaded by the Bernese authorities for attempting to impose autonomy on the canton of Vaud.

Km 67.4 – Daillens (Pop. 1,100)

A native of Daillens, Gilbert Bischoff was one of Switzerland's best amateur cyclists in the 1970s, particularly in time trials.

Construction: 12th century.

History: the first mention of the Church of Notre-Dame de Daillens dates back to 1182 in a papal bull, then to 1228 in the cartulary of Lausanne. Its dedication to the Virgin Mary is attested in 1235. The old, almost square choir, built of thick masonry and vaulted with ribbed arches, dates from the 13th century and was deconsecrated during the Reformation. Today, it is topped by the bell tower. The church was subsequently renovated and modified several times, notably around 1586, when the nave was enlarged, and then in the 19th century.

Special features: in the early 2000s, following a problem with damp in the bell tower above the choir, a significant 14th-century painted decoration was uncovered in the choir, which had previously been hidden by a layer of lime applied during the Reformation. These decorations have retained their vibrant colours. Of remarkable finesse and quality, they can be dated to the years 1320-1330.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 79.5 – Hautemorges (Pop. 4,400)

The municipality was created on 1 July 2021 through the merger of the municipalities of Apples, Bussy-Chardonney, Cottens, Pampigny, Reverolle and Sévery.

The municipality has several castles, including Pampigny Castle (17th century, listed as a cultural property of regional significance), Cottens Castle (15th century) and the elegant Bussy-Chardonney Castle (18th century), which is currently for sale.

Km 91.4 – Aubonne (Pop. 4,200)

The inhabitants of Aubonne are nicknamed the Tourne-Truie (sow turners). According to legend, a sow that entered a vegetable garden was subjected to the same punishment as marauders, namely being placed in the turnstile, a cage equipped with cranks.

Construction: 12th century.

History: Aubonne Castle was built before 1197. Between the 12th and 17th centuries, it passed successively into the hands of the lords of Aubonne, then the counts of Savoy, the Grandson family and finally the counts of Gruyère. The castle was acquired in 1670 by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who commissioned the architect Pierre Billon to rebuild the façades on the inner courtyard, creating a monumental portico with 16 columns. In 1701, the Bernese established a bailiff there. In 1798, the castle became the property of the canton of Vaud and then of the municipality. The last renovation of the castle, which is owned by the municipality, was completed in 1988.

Distinguishing feature: Aubonne Castle is dominated by a white tower topped with an imperial roof, i.e. a bulbous roof. Its upper half was rebuilt in 1677 by Tavernier, who wanted to have a building that reminded him of the Orient, where he had lived for many years.

Current use: It houses a secondary school and several public rooms.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Construction: 19th century.

History: Aubonne Town Hall was built in 1838 to replace the old municipal building dating from the 16th century. It was constructed as part of a programme to renovate the town centre on the site of the former post office. It is located on the market square in the arcades of the former grenette. This grenette, a former wheat store built between 1770 and 1780, also housed the butcher's shop and then the town's covered market from 1801 onwards.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 95.7 – Bougy-Villars (Pop. 510)

Sébastien Loeb, nine-time world rally champion, lived in Bougy-Villars for ten years. The village is dominated by the Signal de Bougy, renowned for its panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. Since 1971, it has been home to a leisure park, the Parc Pré-Vert. During the negotiation of the Évian Accords that ended the Algerian Independence War, the Algerian delegation stayed at the Signal de Bougy.

Km 103.5 – Gilly (Pop. 1,440)

Construction: 18th century.

Style: classical.

History: three châteaux preceded the current building. A château built on a hill in the 11th-12th centuries dominated the entrance to the Vallon des Vaux. This fortress was destroyed in 1293. Further down, two fortified houses stood about a hundred metres apart. The current Château de Vincy was built between 1721 and 1724 for Jean and David Vasserot, bankers in Holland and France, who were ennobled in 1713 by the King of Prussia. Their architect was David Jeanrenaud from Geneva. In 1787, Auguste Vasserot, a royalist, supported the counter-revolution in France and took in many refugees in Vincy.

Fun fact: Voltaire visited the château in 1758. Alphonse de Lamartine stayed in Vincy for around 100 days during his exile in 1815.

Current use: since 2007, it has been owned by the famous British architect Lord Norman Foster.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 105.4 – Vinzel (Pop. 390)

This wine-growing village is home to an old tile factory whose heritage value lies in particular in the preservation of its old Hoffmann kiln (classified as a cultural property of national importance).

Km 108.5 – Begnins (Pop. 2,040)

Film-maker Jean-Luc Godard married Anna Karina here on 3 March 1961 and Anne Wiazemsky on 21 July 1967.

Toblerone Line

The Toblerone Line, officially known as the Promenthouse Fortified Line, is a former Swiss fortification line dating from the Second World War. During this period, thousands of fortifications were erected in Switzerland, including a type of anti-tank obstacle that was given the name Toblerones by the population because of the resemblance of the alignment of these concrete blocks to the famous chocolate.

Km 116.3 – Trélex (Pop. 1,430)

French tennis player Gaël Monfils, who has just retired, lives in Trélex.

Paléo Festival in Nyon (1 km away)

The Paléo Festival Nyon is a music festival created in 1976 and held in Nyon. It is the largest open-air festival in Switzerland and a major musical event in Europe.

Every summer, at the end of July, it offers six days and six nights of music and shows spread over six stages with a variety of styles. Both a springboard for young talent and a place of recognition for established artists, Paléo has gradually opened up to all musical styles, as well as circus and street arts. Originally a folk festival, it now welcomes the biggest names in hip hop, rock, electro, pop and French-language music.

Every year, 250,000 spectators attend more than 250 concerts and shows organised over the six days of the festival.

Over the past fifty years, the festival has welcomed some of the world's biggest artists, including Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Manu Chao, Patti Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stromae, James Brown, Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, Elton John, Kiss, Pink, Sting, Joan Baez, Johnny Hallyday, Björk, Rosalia and The Cure.

In January 2026, the Paléo Festival was named the best European festival. The 2026 edition will take place from 21 to 26 July.

Km 120.5 – Chéserex (Pop. 1,280)

Built: 12th century. Dissolved in 1536 during the Reformation.

Style: Romanesque and Gothic.

Order: Clairvaux.

History: the monastic community of Bonmont is first mentioned in 1123. Initially Benedictine, the abbey joined Clairvaux in 1131. The monastery became the eighth daughter of the abbey. The abbey church was consecrated in 1214 under the patronage of Our Lady. After the conquest of the Pays de Vaud by the Bernese in 1536, the abbey was secularised and the church used as a barn. In 1798, the abbey became national property, was privatised in 1802 and then the former place of worship was classified as a historic monument in 1942. Since then, a foundation has been responsible for its restoration.

Special feature: the restored abbey church is listed and hosts cultural events.

Listed as: cultural property of national importance.

Km 132.2 – Mies (Pop. 2,180)

The municipality is home to the headquarters of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), founded in 1932, which brings together 214 national federations, and also to the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), founded in 1904, which manages 118 national federations and organises 49 world championships.