Montreux, situated on Lake Geneva, has a beautiful flower lined promenade which is full of interest. Why not relax for an hour or two watching the lake steamers or people watching from across the globe. Linger at the statues of Freddie Mercury and Charlie Chaplin by the incredibly clear waters of the lake. Nearby, in the Casino is the Queen Studio experience, and see the handwritten notes made by Freddie Mercury in his quest for perfectionism. Also on show is the drum kit used at Live Aid. Admission is free though donations welcome see http://www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com/studioexperience/.
Montreux was also the home of Igor Stravinski where he composed ‘The Rite of Spring’. At the prestigious Montreux Music and Convention centre, is a purpose built concert Hall, the Stravinski auditorium. It is also home to the world famous Montreux Jazz festival – https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/fr/ – held annually in early July.
Just 4 minutes walk from the station, the 3* Hotel Splendid http://www.hotel-splendid.ch/is family run with stunning views of the lake. Definitely offers the best value for such a central location.
A pleasant half day excursion is to take the paddle steamer to the lakeside castle of Chateau de Chillon. Built on a rocky outcrop, it consists of 3 courtyards and 25 rooms. Chateau de Chillon’s history goes back to the twelfth century when a castle was built on a small rocky island in Lake Geneva by the rulers of Savoy. Later, it was taken by the Swiss Bernese, who released its most famous prisoner, Francois Bonivard, a protestant. His imprisonment was made famous by Lord Byron in His poem The prisoner of Chillon. See https://www.chillon.ch/chateau/. Return by train or walk along the flower lined lakeside the 3 km to Montreux.
At over 2000 metres, a little Cog railway takes you up from Montreux to Rochers de Nayehttps://mob.ch/line/ligne-montreux-les-rochers-de-naye/?lang=en, with stunning views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding Alps in just 55 minutes . Explore the Alpine garden with over 1000 plants and visit the marmot’s paradise, a delightful animal park
Take the SBB train for the 10 minute ride to Aigle, starting point for 3 mountain railways, Take the TPC green train waiting at an adjoining platform for the hour trip to Champery at a height of 1000 metres For the final 30 minutes it is assisted by cogs along the dramatic Illiez valley, the snow covered Dents du Midi towering above. At Champery take the 10 minute ride in the cable car to the nearly 2 000 metre summit at Croix de Culet https://www.regiondentsdumidi.ch/en/champery-croix-de-culet-cable-car-fp154. The cable car runs daily in summer and winter, also weekends in Spring and Autumn. Be aware it is cancelled in the event of bad weather. Champery village, a 10 minute walk from the station is a picture postcard collection of chalets overhanging the main street – stay overnight.
The recently renovated Le White Hotel https://www.lewhite.ch/on the edge of the village offers good value and a warm welcome. It a few minutes’ walk from Champery Village station, 10 minutes walk or short bus transfer to the village centre or Croix de Culet cable car.
Rail News
With HS2 in the News, it’s easy to forget about HS1, the company that maintains the High speed line between St Pancras and Folkestone. To a great extent it relies on the tolls it charges Eurostar. These have dropped from 17 000 to an estimated 2 500 transits this year. HS1 are appealing for government assistance for Eurostar so that they can run more than 2 services a day currently operating to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Eurostar have already dropped station calls at Ebbsfleet and Ashford and will not be running services in 2021 to Bourg St Maurice and Marseille. Unlike the franchised UK Train Operating companies, Eurostar have not received any financial assistance from the UK government. Annually the Eurostar service pumps £340 million into the economy of Kent and £2 billion into the UK economy. Although Eurostar is in a difficult financial position it has not requested financial assistance from the UK government.
French authorities have said they are ready to give financial support to the struggling Eurostar.
In January, France’s junior transport minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, told a parliamentary hearing in Paris he was talking with the UK government about ensuring the cross-Channel train operator survives the coronavirus pandemic. He said the French state would be “at Eurostar’s side in order to maintain this strategic link between our two countries”.
Support will be given “based on our involvement in Eurostar, so that we can financially sustain its business model”, he added.
Eurostar is 55% owned by French state rail company SNCF and the UK government sold its 40% stake to private companies in 2015.
The train operator has suffered from COVID-19 restrictions and a fall in demand for travel, much like the aviation sector, yet its plight has not gained as much attention.
What do you think?
The UK government sold its stake in HS1 5 years ago – does it have an obligation to HS1 and Eurostar?
Would such a rescue package include restoring services from Ebbsfleet and Ashford?
Why has Eurostar not formally requested government financial assistance?
