Montreux’s musical places
Every place tells a chapter of the Riviera’s musical history. Find them all on the interactive map.
Interactive map of musical places ↗
Memorials & tributes
Statue
Statue de Freddie Mercury
Place du Marché, Montreux
The most famous bronze statue on Lake Geneva: Freddie in his iconic stage pose, facing the water, fist raised.
Bust
Buste de Miles Davis
Quai de Vernex, Montreux
A tribute to the legendary trumpeter, a major figure of the Montreux Jazz Festival, by Montreux sculptor Bernard Bavaud.
Bust
Buste de Richard Strauss
Quai de Vernex, Montreux
The German composer, a faithful guest of Montreux, sculpted by Bernard Bavaud, facing the bust of Miles Davis.
Sculpture
Hommage à Adolphe Sax
Quai de Vernex, Montreux
A giant psychedelic saxophone, set on the quays in 2014 for the bicentenary of Adolphe Sax’s birth.
Bust
Buste de Wilhelm Furtwängler
Port du Basset, Clarens
The legendary German conductor spent his final years in Clarens. His bust watches over the Port du Basset.
Statue
Statue d'Igor Stravinski
Devant l'Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux
The composer of “The Rite of Spring”, written in Clarens, in front of the auditorium that bears his name.
Bust
Buste de B.B. King
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The king of the blues and his guitar Lucille, immortalised in the Palace garden by Marco Zeno.
Bust
Buste d'Aretha Franklin
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The queen of soul, microphone in hand, sings facing the lake in the Palace garden.
Bust
Buste d'Ella Fitzgerald
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The “First Lady of Song”, sculpted by Danièle Lauffer, microphone in hand in the Palace garden.
Bust
Buste de Carlos Santana
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The guitarist, arms to the sky, guitar held close: a bust full of joy by Marco Zeno (2012).
Bust
Buste de Ray Charles
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The genius of soul at his keyboard, head thrown back in laughter: a bronze by Marco Zeno.
Bust
Buste de Quincy Jones
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The legendary producer, conductor’s arms raised, a historic partner of Claude Nobs.
Statue
Statue de Claude Nobs
Jardin du Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Montreux
The festival’s founder, harmonica to his lips, watching over his pantheon in the Palace garden.
Bust
Buste de David Richards
Casino Barrière, Montreux
The producer of Mountain Studios (Queen, Bowie), honoured outside the Casino.
Plaque
Plaque Smoke on the Water
Av. de Chillon 78, Territet
Where Deep Purple recorded “Machine Head” in December 1971, after the Casino fire. The most famous riff in rock was born here.
Tribute wall
Queen Tribute Wall
Casino Barrière, Montreux
The wall where Queen fans from all over the world leave their messages, right next to the former Mountain Studios.
Street art
Graffiti B.B. King
Rue de la Rouvenettaz 1, Montreux
A street-art mural in tribute to the king of the blues, a legendary regular of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Memorial bench
Banc Freddie Mercury
Quai de Territet, Montreux
A silhouette bench on the “Rencontres & Inspiration” trail, facing the lake Freddie loved so much, in Territet.
Memorial bench
Banc Claude Nobs (Rencontres & Inspiration)
Quai du Casino, Montreux
The silhouette of the Montreux Jazz Festival’s founder, seated facing the lake, near the Casino he marked so deeply.
Historic site
Site de la Villa Richelieu (Tchaïkovski)
Avenue Claude-Nobs 7, 1820 Montreux (hôtel Royal Plaza)
Here stood the villa where Tchaikovsky composed his Violin Concerto in April 1878, one of the most played in the world.
Cemetery
Cimetière de Clarens
Chemin du Batailleux, Clarens
The peaceful cemetery above Clarens where David Richards, the producer of Mountain Studios, rests.
Public park
Parc Jean Villard-Gilles
Rue du Torrent, Clarens
A park in Clarens dedicated to the songwriter born in Montreux in 1895, author of “Les Trois Cloches” sung by Piaf.
Plaque
Plaque Claude Nobs (Petit Palais)
Avenue Claude-Nobs, près de l'entrée du Petit Palais, Montreux
The plaque of the avenue renamed in 2013 in honour of the festival’s founder, near the entrance to the Petit Palais.
Plaque
Plaque Stravinski (Tavel)
Rue du Sacre du Printemps, Tavel, Clarens
The plaque on the house where Stravinsky lived, in the Tavel district, on today’s Rue du Sacre du Printemps.
Street art
Fresque d'Albin Christen (Grütli)
Café du Grütli, vieille ville, Montreux
The wall of the Grütli restaurant painted by the illustrator of the 2000 Montreux Jazz Festival poster.
Landmark structure / concert posterNot open to visitors
Viaduc de Chillon
Autoroute A9, Veytaux, Villeneuve
The twin A9 motorway viaducts above the Château de Chillon: newly built, they became the backdrop of the Hipgnosis poster for Pink Floyd’s 1975 Knebworth concert.
“Rencontres & Inspiration” silhouette
Silhouette de Clara Haskil
Quai Perdonnet 19, Vevey
On the quays of Vevey, a silhouette recalls the pianist who lived here from 1942 until her death, and whose international competition still bears her name.
“Rencontres & Inspiration” silhouette
Silhouette de Paul Hindemith
Parc Mon Foyer, Blonay
In Blonay, above Vevey, the silhouette of the German composer who refused to return to Germany after the war and chose to end his life here.
School / place of learningNot open to visitors
Collège de Montreux
Rue de la Gare 33, 1820 Montreux
The college, built in 1897, where the chansonnier Pierre Dudan was schooled: his father Camille was its director from 1926 to 1932.
Island / album sleeve
Île de Peilz
Lac Léman, au large de Villeneuve
The only natural island in Lake Geneva, a few dozen square metres and a plane tree: it appears inside the sleeve of “Going for the One”, the album Yes were recording in Montreux.
Cemetery
Cimetière de Corsier-sur-Vevey
Cimetière de Corsier-sur-Vevey, 1804 Corsier-sur-Vevey
The village cemetery where Charlie Chaplin and his wife Oona rest, a few steps from the Manoir de Ban.
Square and town hall
Place de la Palud
Place de la Palud, Lausanne
The square of Lausanne’s town hall, where David Bowie married the model Iman on 24 April 1992.
Venues & stages
Venue with memorabilia
Montreux Jazz Café
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Av. Claude-Nobs 2, Montreux
The festival’s official café, decorated with archives and objects retracing nearly sixty years of Montreux Jazz.
Venue with memorabilia
Funky Claude's Bar
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Avenue Claude-Nobs 2, 1820 Montreux (à côté de Furer)
The former Harry’s Bar, haunt of the stars and of the festival’s jam sessions, renamed in tribute to Claude Nobs.
Historic restaurant
Le Museum
Rue de la Gare, vieille ville, Montreux
Founded in 1965 by Claude Nobs, this former hotspot of Montreux nightlife is today a traditional restaurant.
Historic venue
Le Petit Palais
Avenue Claude-Nobs 2, 1820 Montreux (en face du Millésime)
The Palace’s Belle Époque pavilion: from Rose d’Or-era concerts to the free concerts of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Concert hall
Auditorium Stravinski
2M2C, Avenue Claude-Nobs 5, Montreux
The legendary main hall of the Montreux Jazz Festival, named after the composer of “The Rite of Spring”.
Concert hall
Miles Davis Hall
2M2C, entrée côté Rue Alexandre-Emery, 1820 Montreux
The festival’s legendary second hall, named in tribute to the trumpeter so faithful to Montreux.
Hall of the 2M2C
Quincy Jones Hall
2M2C, Avenue Claude-Nobs 5, 1820 Montreux
The large space of the renovated 2M2C, with a lakeside terrace, named in tribute to the festival’s faithful friend.
Lakeside pier / filming location
Ponton de la Place du Marché
Place du Marché, quai du Casino, Montreux
The pier reaching out over Lake Geneva, a few metres from the Freddie Mercury statue: Sofiane Pamart played “Solitude” there on a grand piano facing the Alps.
CGN landing stage / floating venue
Débarcadère de Montreux
Quai du Casino, débarcadère CGN, Montreux
The boarding point for the CGN’s Belle Époque boats. Nothing took place on the landing stage itself: it was on board that Queen hosted the press in 1986 and B.B. King played a concert in 2006.
Church / recording location
Temple Saint-Martin de Vevey
Rue du Temple, 1800 Vevey
The organ of this Vevey church was recorded in 1977 for “Awaken”, the fifteen-minute piece that closes Yes’s album “Going for the One”.
Casino / entertainment venue
Casino de Montreux
Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux
The building around which the whole musical history of Montreux revolves: burned down in 1971, rebuilt, it houses Queen’s studio and saw the festival born.
Concert venue
NED Music Club
Rue du Marché 19, 1820 Montreux
Montreux’s year-round concert venue: the regional scene and international headliners, outside the festival season.
Restaurant / music memorabilia
Riviera Café
Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux
A downtown restaurant where you dine beneath signed guitars, on loan from the Claude Nobs Foundation.
Convention centre / concert halls
2M2C, Montreux Music & Convention Centre
Avenue Claude-Nobs 5, 1820 Montreux
The permanent building that hosts the Montreux Jazz Festival each summer, and the town’s cultural season the rest of the year: the Auditorium Stravinski and the neighbouring halls under one roof.
Church / recording location
Temple Saint-Vincent
Rue du Temple 30, 1820 Montreux
The old-town church, in the Les Planches district: the choirs of Rick Wakeman’s “Criminal Record” were recorded here in 1977.
Nightclub
Le Millésime
Avenue Claude-Nobs 2, 1820 Montreux
The Montreux Palace’s nightclub, on Avenue Claude-Nobs, the go-to spot for festival nights, opposite the Petit Palais.
Bar & club
Why Montreux
Grand-Rue 92, 1820 Montreux
A cocktail bar and club in the heart of Montreux, a stone’s throw from the lake, where DJs keep the evenings going.
Theatre and cabaretNot open to visitors
Théâtre de l’Alcazar
Territet, dans l’ancien Grand Hôtel de Territet, Montreux
The theatre-cabaret that Dad Régné revived in a building of the Grand Hôtel de Territet; today under renovation.
Music venue
La Scène des Planches
Rue du Pont 24, quartier des Planches, 1820 Montreux
A music venue in the Planches district of Montreux: a stage, singing lessons and workshops for emerging talent.
Music school
Conservatoire de Montreux
Rue du Pont 32, 1820 Montreux
The old-town music conservatory, where the Riviera has trained in classical music and jazz since 1964.
Stadium / major venue
Stade de la Pontaise
Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, route des Plaines-du-Loup 4, 1018 Lausanne
Lausanne’s big stadium, thirty minutes from Montreux, where Michael Jackson performed three times between 1988 and 1997.
Mountain resort
Leysin
1854 Leysin, Alpes vaudoises
The Vaud Alps resort where The Jacksons, Michael among them, filmed for television in February 1979.
Vanished nightclubNot open to visitors
Le Platinum
Casino de Montreux
The Casino nightclub where Patrick Juvet met Freddie Mercury several times.
Pontoon
Ponton du Casino
Quai du Casino, Montreux
The pontoon in front of the Casino, where the Rolling Stones and later Queen posed.
VenueNot open to visitors
Théâtre Rialto
Territet, Montreux
The Territet venue where the Rolling Stones rehearsed in 1972 before their American tour.
Vanished clubNot open to visitors
La Dolce Vita
Lausanne
The Lausanne club whose logo Keith Haring drew, and where Sens Unik played their first gigs.
Museums, studios & shops
Exhibition
Queen: The Studio Experience
Casino Barrière, Rue du Théâtre 9, Montreux
The free exhibition inside the real Mountain Studios, where Queen recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1995.
Museum
Musée de Montreux
Rue de la Gare 40, Montreux
The local history museum, from Belle Époque tourism to the town’s musical saga, gold record included.
Shop
Bazar Suisse
Grand-Rue, Montreux
The Grand-Rue shop where Queen fans find what they are looking for, a stone’s throw from Freddie’s statue.
Shop
Montreux Jazz Shop
Avenue Claude-Nobs 2, 1820 Montreux (à côté du coiffeur du Montreux Palace)
The official shop of the Montreux Jazz Festival, on Avenue Claude-Nobs.
Painting
Portrait dédicacé de Quincy Jones
Montreux Jazz Café, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Av. Claude-Nobs 2, Montreux
A large painted portrait of Quincy Jones, signed in his own hand, on display at the Montreux Jazz Café.
Exhibited item
Le kimono de Freddie Mercury
Montreux Jazz Café, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Av. Claude-Nobs 2, Montreux
The white Japanese kimono given by Freddie Mercury to Thierry Amsallem and Claude Nobs, on display at the Montreux Jazz Café.
Castle museum
Château de Chillon
Avenue de Chillon 21, Veytaux (Montreux)
Switzerland’s most famous castle: pianist Bill Evans chose it for the cover of “At the Montreux Jazz Festival” (1968), the first record made in Europe to win a Grammy.
Museum / Charlie Chaplin’s home
Chaplin’s World, Manoir de Ban
Route de Fenil 2, 1804 Corsier-sur-Vevey
The house where Charlie Chaplin spent his last twenty-five years. His son Eugène grew up here before becoming a sound engineer at Mountain Studios in Montreux.
Vinyl record shop
Montreux Records
Avenue des Alpes 82, 1820 Montreux
Montreux’s vinyl record shop: new and second-hand records, a stone’s throw from the station.
Recording studioNot open to visitors
Hana Road Studios
Avenue du Casino 32, 1820 Montreux
A contemporary Montreux recording studio, a distant heir to Mountain Studios. Not open to visitors: access by appointment.
Shop
La Griffe Ausoni
Grand-Rue 20, Montreux (en face du passage piéton)
The Grand-Rue boutique whose four posters were found in Freddie Mercury’s London home.
Restaurant and gallery
Le Palais Oriental
Quai Ernest-Ansermet 6, Montreux
The Persian house on the quay, where a carpet connected its owner to Freddie Mercury.
Interior design
Viquerat Décoration
Rue du Lac 107, Clarens
The Clarens firm that furnished Freddie Mercury’s flat, in the summer of 1991.
SchoolNot open to visitors
Gymnase du Bugnon
Lausanne
The Lausanne school where Pierre Keller ran his workshops: Keith Haring drew there, David Bowie made an engraving.
Museum
Collection de l’Art Brut
Avenue des Bergières 11, Lausanne
The Lausanne museum of Art Brut, assembled by Jean Dubuffet, which David Bowie said had shaped his life and his creativity.
Festivals & events
Market hall
Freddie Tours
Place du Marché, Montreux
The emblematic hall of the Place du Marché: starting point of the Freddie Tours and heart of the Freddie Days.
Festival / 2M2C convention centre
Montreux Jazz Festival
2M2C, Montreux Music & Convention Centre, Avenue Claude-Nobs 5, Montreux
The heart of the festival since 1993: under one roof, the Auditorium Stravinski and the halls that host half the history of music every summer.
Classical music festival
Septembre Musical Montreux-Vevey
Av. Claude-Nobs 5, 1820 Montreux
One of the oldest classical music festivals in Switzerland, born in 1946, which each autumn spreads its concerts from the Auditorium Stravinski to the Château de Chillon.
Show / festival
Montreux International Guitar Show
Casino Barrière, Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux
The great guitar gathering, every spring at the Casino Barrière: luthiers, exhibitors, concerts and showcases.
Festival
Rock Tribute Festival
Casino Barrière, Rue du Théâtre 9, 1820 Montreux
Three all-rock evenings at the Casino Barrière, every June: tribute concerts to the legends of rock.
Festival
Freddie Days
Place du Marché, 1820 Montreux
The free festival paying tribute to Freddie Mercury, each year around 5 September, his birthday.
Homes, hotels & restaurants
Historic hotel
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace
Avenue Claude-Nobs 2 / Grand-Rue 100, Montreux
The Belle Époque grand hotel of the stars: Michael Jackson lived there for two weeks in 1997 during his Mountain Studios sessions.
Private residenceNot open to visitors
Les Tourelles
Rue de Bon-Port 15, Territet
The Belle Époque lakeside building where Freddie Mercury owned his Montreux apartment, in the attic storey.
Private residenceNot open to visitors, but available to rent
Duck House
Bord du lac, Clarens
The lakeside house Freddie rented in Clarens, where he wrote “A Winter’s Tale” facing Lake Geneva.
Themed hotelNot open to visitors, but available to rent
The Freddie Mercury Hotel
Rue de la Rouvenettaz 7, Montreux
The hotel entirely dedicated to Freddie, reached directly from platform 1 of Montreux station.
Private residenceNot open to visitors
Chalets de Claude Nobs
Caux, sur les hauts de Montreux
The legendary chalets of the festival’s founder in Caux, where he hosted the greatest stars in music.
Private residenceNot open to visitors
Maison d'Hubert Giraud
Quartier du Casino, Montreux
The composer of “Sous le ciel de Paris” lived in Montreux for more than thirty years, until his death in 2016.
Private residenceNot open to visitors
Maison de Patrick Juvet
Vallon de Villard (point affiché : restaurant Le Montagnard), Villard-sur-Chamby
The local boy turned disco star: his family house is tucked away in the Villard valley.
Private residenceNot open to visitors
Clos des Mésanges (chalet de David Bowie)
Chemin de Sainte-Croix 18, Blonay
The chalet above Blonay where Bowie settled in 1976, his main residence until 1982.
BirthplaceNot open to visitors
Maison natale de Jean Villard-Gilles
Avenue des Alpes 90, Montreux
The building where Jean Villard, known as Gilles, Vaudois poet and songwriter, was born on 2 June 1895.
Former grand hotel / recording locationNot open to visitors
Grand Hôtel de Territet
Avenue de Chillon, Territet (Montreux), aujourd’hui Résidence des Alpes
The empty grand hotel where Deep Purple recorded “Machine Head” in December 1971, in a corridor lined with mattresses.
Belle Époque grand hotel / concert venue
Caux Palace
Rue du Panorama 2, 1824 Caux
The stone liner suspended above Montreux: Arthur Rubinstein stayed here around 1905, when the hotel was three years old. It hosts concerts today.
Historic hotelNot open to visitors
Hôtel des Crêtes
Chemin des Crêtes 1, 1815 Clarens
The Clarens guesthouse where Maurice Ravel stayed in the spring of 1913, next door to the Stravinsky family.
Historic villaNot open to visitors
Villa Dubochet
Villa Dubochet 10, 1815 Clarens
In the listed villa quarter of Clarens, the home of Dad Régné, who welcomed passing stars in his private discotheque.
Gourmet restaurant
Le Pont de Brent
Route de Blonay 4, 1817 Brent (Montreux)
The gourmet restaurant on the heights of Montreux, at Brent, where Freddie Mercury liked to dine.
BrasserieNot open to visitors
La Bavaria
Avenue Nestlé 17, 1820 Montreux
The brasserie near the Casino and Mountain Studios where Freddie Mercury and Queen loved the German food.
Mountain resort
Gstaad
3780 Gstaad, Oberland bernois
The Bernese Oberland resort at the end of the MOB panoramic line from Montreux, where Michael Jackson came to take shelter.
Restaurant
La Rouvenaz
Rue du Marché 1, Montreux
The Italian restaurant where Queen dined and where Freddie Mercury had his table, number 19.
Wine-growing village
Saint-Saphorin
Saint-Saphorin, Lavaux
The Lavaux village whose white wine Freddie Mercury had shipped to London by the case.
Vanished restaurantNot open to visitors
Restaurant Denis Martin
Rue du Château 2, Vevey
The restaurant where Queen dined twice a week during the sessions. It has since gone.
HouseNot open to visitors
Le Grand Chalet de Rossinière
Rossinière, Pays-d’Enhaut
Balthus’s house, at the end of the panoramic line, where David Bowie came to interview him.
Hotel
Hôtel Eden Palace au Lac
Rue du Théâtre 11, Montreux
The Rue du Théâtre hotel where Keith Haring stayed, opposite the site of his work.