Vaud Canton, Veytaux.
Distance: 6-12 km (we did 3km).
Elevation gain: 50 m.
Walking time: 1h 30 min (it took us 55min)
Access: Car, train or bus.
Parking: Blue parking at Chillon Castle - 46.416036, 6.928223
Train: Stop at Veytaux-Chillon.
Bus: Stop at Veytaux, Château de Chillon.
We often wonder what to do and where to go during a rainy weekend day. We found Montreux Riviera promenade fit for all weather conditions - it is flat, wide and is located at a low altitude. Even when most of the mountains are covered by the clouds, the views are still enjoyable and most importantly, we felt happy we managed to be outdoors. The promenade can get very busy in hot days, but it was nice and empty during a cloudy day - our toddler had lots of space to cycle. It is a nice place for doing sports, so we passed a few runners, cyclists and dog walkers.
Near the parking at the castle, there are Café Byron, La Taverne du Château de Chillon, Bella Vista. Many more cafes and restaurants pop up getting closer to Montreux; but there are none towards Villenevue. There are many benches facing the lake and a few picnic spots.
The official Montreux Roviera promenade walk no. 146 is listed as 6km one way, from Villevue to Montreux. The blue parking we suggest is midway on this route. Mainly due to the cold, we cut our walk much shorter and we only did 3km round trip.
Map extracted from SchweizMobil website.
Starting the walk from the castle, we walked towards Montreux and back. The closer we got to Montreux, the more people we passed. The whole path is on a tarmac pavement. Most of the path has beautiful flower displays or other vegetation facing the lake. The route starts next to a rather busy train line and this made our son very happy (he is obsessed with trains!). At the same time, we enjoyed the views at the lake. Close to the starting point of the walk, there is a small beach with nice views at the castle. It is possible to follow the beach until its end, as there is a path connecting back to the tarmac trail. Soon we came across a circular picture frame, small boat port and a few picnic tables. We took a turn back at another small boat port and a boat terminal Territet. Here, our son also took advantage of the play park, while we enjoyed a short break.
- Chillon Castle: Visiting the castle on a rainy day is also a great idea! It only adds character and creates mood during the visit.
- If you are more prepared than us, you could time your walk well and come back to your car by a boat.
More information about the Montreux Riviera promenade walk can also be found on SchweizMobil website here. Other websites listing this walk: MySwitzerland website here, Region du Leman website here. More information about Montreux city can be found on MySwitzerland website here. Information on Chillon Castle can be accessed here. Boat timetable and cruises can be accessed on CGN website here.
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