Rath checks in: Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Montreux: Pearl of the Swiss Riviera

The sea coast here in Montreux, the golden shore as it is affectionately known, has similarities with the Côte d’Azur – here too there is a quasi-Mediterranean climate. I check in at the Palace and meet with hotel manager Michael Smithuis. We have a mutual friend, Ingo C. Peters, the chef at the Fairmont Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, the leading hotel in Germany according to the ranking “The 101 Best Hotels in Germany”.

I learn that the successful Fairmont governor in Hamburg is something of a mentor for Michael Smithuis. Apparently with success: Like its sister hotel on the Alster, the Fairmont Montreux is also the first hotel on the square. Incidentally, the owner of the imposing hotel palace is the German entrepreneur Bernard Grosse Broermann, who also owns the Asklepios clinics and the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg, among other things.

The Montreux Palace was built in 1906 and impresses me with its impressive and listed Belle Epoche architecture. There are 236 rooms and suites. Some, like the Quincy Jones suite, are named after favorite VIP guests. Right from the start, I sense a pleasant atmosphere of tradition and elegance, combined with the latest technologies and first-class service at every point.

The hotel is also a popular conference venue with its grandiose and huge ballrooms and meeting rooms. In 2019, for example, Le Montreux Palace hosted the Bilderberg meeting; There are various conspiracy theories surrounding the “Bilderbergers”.

After moving into my sparkling clean suite – a lot of things in the house are old, but in extremely good condition – with a fantastic view over the lake and the majestic Alps, I am drawn outside: The hustle and bustle here on the Montreux Riviera is best enjoyed experience during a walk along the shore; the promenade extends over 13 kilometers.

At the Place du Marché, Freddy Mercury suddenly appears in front of me. More specifically, the larger-than-life cast-iron statue of the former Queen lead singer. With his bandmates he owned one of the three important recording studios here in Montreux.

Strolling with that Riviera feeling

Freddie Mercury and Queen recorded a total of six studio albums there. Mercury felt at home here and was able to enjoy peace and freedom that he could not find anywhere else. “If you want your peace of mind, come to Montreux,” he said in an interview shortly before his death.

Montreux is the city of music, so I have to mention an event from 1971: at a Frank Zappa concert, a fan fired his flare gun into the wooden roof of the casino and caused a huge fire. The British band Deep Purple, who were inspired by the extreme smoke development for their later world hit “Smoke on the water”, was also there at the time.

I stroll on – from Montreux to the historic fairytale castle of Chillon: The beautiful promenade leads from the market square with small colorful stalls past cafés and bars. This lake route is without a doubt the loveliest on Lake Geneva, no, I’ll make a commitment: in all of Switzerland. Then the magnificent Chillon Castle comes into view, the most visited Swiss monument and the most important sight in the area.

Dating back to the 12th century, the Château de Chillon is the last relic of the Middle Ages, when rivals Savoy and Bern were still at war over control of Lake Geneva. There was no clear winner at the time, which is why France and Switzerland have shared Lac Léman ever since.

The perfect hike: from Montreux to Chillon Castle

Back at the hotel, I look forward to the spa and deluxe relaxation. I go through a tunnel from the hotel under the street and arrive in a true wellness temple. I am impressed by the huge and perfectly clean 2000 square meter relaxation area: indoor pool, outdoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, hammam, everything is there – in my mind I spontaneously award six spa stars. Now in summer, the outdoor pool invites you to swim, the huge garden extends to the lake. I spontaneously jump into the water and feel great.

In the meantime it has gotten a little cooler, the nearby Alps provide fresher evening air, which is very pleasant in warm summers. The Montreux savoir vivre infected me, I feel exhilarated and equally relaxed by this city.

I sit on the patio, look out over the lake with its twinkling lights on the shore. Freddy Mercury comes to mind again and I look for the song on my cell phone that he dedicated to his soul place Montreux and wrote shortly before his death in his apartment overlooking the lake: “A Winter Tale”. And suddenly I feel and understand his emotional connection to the small Swiss town.

I take my glass of the magnificent Valais red wine and toast towards the lake: Salud, Freddy!

Insider tips:

Jogging track: It is best to leave the hotel on the left early in the morning along the bank in the direction of Chillon Castle.

vantage point: There is a spectacular view of the lake from the old town high above Montreux. Five minutes walk from the center.

Excursion: Hiking in the slopes around St. Saphorin. The Lavaux wine-growing region is one of the most beautiful spots in Switzerland – with a view of the almost endless, deep-blue lake.

Sightseeing: Charlie Chaplin spent the last 25 years of his life on Lake Geneva, where he lived with his family in a large mansion in Corsier-sur-Vevey. Today it is home to Chaplin’s World, the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the artist.

Rath’s travel rating (current rating in bold):

1. Explicit Travel Warning
2. Better than under the bridge
3. So-so, not oh, là, là
4. Complaining at a high level
5. If only it were always like this
6. Great cinema

About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of the Travelgrand.ch travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes about for the Handelsblatt on his own account. Rath is the brain behind the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany”, whose partners include the Handelsblatt.