Montreux is a swiss city located on the shores of the eastern side of Lake Geneva. The lake is at the foot of the Alps in Switzerland and northern France. Of course, on the western tip of the crescent-shaped Lake Geneva is Geneva, Switzerland.

Origins

There is evidence of human settlements in the area going back to the Bronze Age. In Roman times, the settlement called Baugy (now Montreux) was at the start of a pass through the mountains on a major Roman road.

Grapes were introduced to the French side of Lake Geneva in the 12th century. The region then became an important region for wine production. Napoleon liberated the area from the Bernese in 1798. In the 19th century, the rich and famous found the southern shores of Lake Geneva and started building luxury hotels and opulent residential estates.

Modern Montreux

Montreux and the whole region are popular tourist destinations in part because of the climate. Some places are still very exclusive and luxurious. If nothing else, the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, a luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, is worth seeing for its majesty.

Many people know of Montreux from the Montreux Jazz Festival. This iconic festival happens every year during the first week of July. The festival began in 1967 as just a jazz festival. However, the event started attracting other types of music, much of which in the seventies made it onto mainstream radio.