Montreaux

Castle_2.jpg The Castle of Chillon isn't one of the fanciest castles you'll ever see. But it has a fascinating history. Its the most visited historical buildinq in the country. This would usually scream to me that its an unbearable tourist trap. However, Chillon, unlike the most visited castle in germany, Neuwanstein, is actually quite down to earth. You pay entrance and recieve a numbered tour in your language to read, this leads you through a seemingly endless series of bedrooms, dinner halls, dungeons and weapons batteries. You get to see the different types of architechture used to extend it over 500 years. You can sit in countless stone bay windows on each floor to absorb the glorious view of lake Geneva and its surrounding landscape. And you get to see graffitti scrawled into stone by those who were imprisoned or visited here. Castle_1.jpg The castle sits at a strategic point on the primary route from italy up into europe via the St. Bernard's Pass. From here the romans, various dukes and bishops and eventually the Swiss could most easily collect taxes on those wishing to pass through. city_pan.jpg On top of some of the hills above montreaux are some outragious houses and palaces. it seems that now they are all hotels, which Montreaux seems to have an endless need for. lake_east.jpg In the distance is Castle of Chillon lake_pan.jpg   Lake_West_1.jpg The view from the train on our way to Geneva. All of the green you see are wine vinyards. Lily_in_the_dungeon.jpg Lily is in the dungeon. This was also used as a store room and an arms depot over the castle's history. But its most famous for the fact that the poet Byron based a famous poem on the imprisonment of Bonivard here, who was a bishop who wanted freedom for Geneva. The bishop was chained to one of these pillar for 4 years before the Swiss came and rescued him while they were taking over the area. Byron himself carved his name (now cased in glass) into one of other pillars here. Lily_in_window_2.jpg   Overflow.jpg   The_Scribes_Room.jpg