Musée de Montreux

About

Musée de Montreux is a compact but richly layered museum that captures the town’s evolution from medieval lakeside settlement to glamorous Riviera resort. Housed in a 17th‑century building once used by local wine merchants, it preserves the intimate scale of old Montreux while offering a surprisingly broad collection. Inside, the most engaging section is the local heritage gallery, where everyday objects—embroidered costumes, household tools, and guild emblems—reveal how life along Lake Geneva shaped local traditions. A highlight is the Belle Époque room, filled with ornate travel posters, hotel menus, and early tourism photographs that show how Montreux became a magnet for aristocrats, artists, and wintering Europeans. The museum also features a music and festivals collection, including memorabilia from the Montreux Jazz Festival and instruments used by regional musicians. Its small archaeological display presents Roman-era finds discovered near the lake, adding unexpected depth to the town’s timeline.

Montreux Switzerland

Location

The Musée de Montreux is a local history museum in the centre of Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It stands just steps from the main railway station in a traditional building on Rue de la Gare, placing it at the heart of the town’s Belle Époque district. Housed in a modest but atmospheric building, the museum focuses on the development of Montreux from a small lakeside settlement into a fashionable resort. The museum is surrounded by some of Montreux’s most famous sights. A few minutes’ walk leads to the lakeside esplanade with its subtropical parks, statues and views across Lake Geneva to the French Alps. Nearby are the Montreux Casino and the Auditorium Stravinski, key venues for the Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as the Queen Studio Experience dedicated to Freddie Mercury and the band Queen. The charming old quarter behind the museum offers narrow lanes, small shops and cafés, while the covered market, Marché Couvert, provides local produce and speciality foods. Further along the waterfront lie the Chillon Castle, one of Switzerland’s best‑preserved medieval fortresses, and the vineyards of the Lavaux region, a UNESCO World Heritage site, both easily reached by train or boat from Montreux.