Montreux hosts one of the most famous music festivals – the Montreux Jazz Festival, annually in July since 1967. It boasts one of the most beautiful walks along the lake, stretching from Villeneuve all the way towards Vevey. The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva. Some of the numerous small villages around Montreux include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva and can be easily accessed via bus, walk or boat.
Many know Montreux because of the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water", which tells the events of 1971, when a Frank Zappa fan with a flare gun set the Montreux Casino on fire. The destroyed Casino was reopened in 1975.
In the region around Montreux you’ll find many gourmet restaurants. Among them Philippe Rochat’s „Hotel de Ville“, „Le Pont de Brent“ and „Denis Martin“.