Montreux, Switzerland

The Swiss town of Montreux lies in a privileged position on the shores of Lake Geneva with vineyards and forested slope to the north and the lake to the south, dominated by a breathtaking backdrop of snow-capped summits. With its exceptionally mild, Mediterranean climate, the town is considered the capital of the Swiss Riviera. The surroundings offer a wide range of excursions by bus, train, boat or aerial cableway and unlimited activities and sports on both land and lake. Many famous people have made their home in this exceptional area. The lengthy, flower-lined lake promenade linking Vevey and Montreux and extending to the picturesque Chateaux Chillion makes a stroll along the lake shore a memorable experience. Winter in Montreux also has its appeal, with skiing, winter walking and tobogganing in family-friendly Les Avants and Les Pléiades. In December, one of Switzerland’s most attractive Christmas markets is held in the Grand-Rue market hall. Many cultural events also take place in Montreux, the most famous being the Montreux Jazz Festival, held each year in June/July, in 2009 for the 43rd time. There is no doubt that the Jazz Festival gave Montreux the international fame that it has enjoyed for decades. 

The song “Smoke on the Water” by hard-rock band Deep Purple was first released in 1972 on their “Machine Head” album and its guitar riffs have become part of legend. The song came about when Deep Purple set up camp in Montreux, Switzerland to record a new album, using a mobile studio apparently on rent from the Rolling Stones. A fire broke out in the casino complex during a gig by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention on the evening before the recording session. The entire complex went up in flames together with all the Mothers of Invention’s equipment. During the fire, Claude Nobs, initiator and director of the Montreux Jazz Festival, helped many people to escape the inferno. The title “Smoke on the Water” is reputed to have come to Deep Purple’s bass guitarist, Roger Glover on waking from a dream some days after the fire. It refers to smoke from the burning casino spreading across Lake Geneva. 

Freddie Mercury, lead singer and co-founder of the rock group Queen was born Farrokh Bulsar in 1946 on the island of Zanzibar. He spent his childhood in India before moving to London with his family at the age of 17. After joining a series of unsuccessful bands, he final teamed up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor to form Queen. The band shot to international fame with Freddie’s vocal skills and flamboyant performances. He composed many of Queen’s top hits including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Killer Queen”, “We Are the Champions” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. In 1978, the group recorded an album in the Swiss town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva and also recorded their last albums there. The “Made in Heaven” album features Lake Geneva on its cover. Freddie Mercury fell in love with the town and bought an apartment overlooking the lake in the district of Territet. It was a place in which Freddie could remain anonymous and he spent his last months there before his death from AIDS on 24 November 1991. A bronze statue was erected in his honour on the Montreux lakeside promenade in 1996.