The most impressive castle in Switzerland , the Château of Chillon is on the lake 3.2 km (2 miles) south of Montreux. Most of the castle dates from the 13th century, but its oldest section is thought to be 1,000 years old. The castle was built by Peter II of Savoy and is one of the best-preserved, and most frequently photographed, medieval castles of Europe. So-called sorcerers were tried and tortured here. The most famous prisoner, François Bonivard, was described by Byron in The Prisoner of Chillon. Bonivard was the prior of St. Victori in Geneva, and when he supported Geneva's independence in 1532, the Catholic duke of Savoy chained him in the dungeon until 1536, when he was released by the Bernese.

Rochers-de-Naye at 2,042m (6,700 ft.) is one of the most popular tours along Lake Geneva . From Montreux a cogwheel train takes visitors in less than an hour up to Rochers-de-Naye. The train ascends the slopes over Lac Léman, passing Glion , a little resort on a rocky crag almost suspended between lake and mountains. You come to Caux at 1,097m (3,600 ft.), lying on a natural balcony overhanging the blue bowl of the lake. Finally, the peak of Rochers-de-Naye rises high in the Vaudois Alps. In the distance you can see the Savoy Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Jura Alps. At the end is an alpine flower garden, the loftiest in Europe .

Villeneuve, the little port town at the end of the lake, is where Lord Byron wrote The Prisoner of Chillon in 1816. Mahatma Gandhi visited Romain Rolland when the French novelist and pacifist lived here. The town and its surrounding countryside have been painted by many artists, including Oskar Kokoschka, who once lived here. Villeneuve is a 25-minute walk from the Château of Chillon, which is visible from virtually every point in the village.

One of the biggest musical bashes in Europe occurs at the internationally known Montreux Jazz Festival. Everyone from Bob Dylan to B. B. King is likely to show up for the music and festivities. Ticket prices are high. You pay from 59F to 129F ($38-$84) for each individual ticket. The tourist office in Montreux provides advance information and even sells tickets. If you show up and can't get a ticket, you can still enjoy "Jazz Off," some 500 hours of admission-free open-air concerts, often staged by new or wannabe talent throughout the city. The tourist office keeps a schedule, but much of the fun is spontaneous.

This is my second-favorite activity here, just after the Promenade Fleuri. Take the train from Vevey, and then take the "wine train" to Chexbres. Chexbres is a typical Swiss village of cozy stone, red-roofed houses and narrow, winding streets. After passing small buildings with blooming flower boxes and one small village square, I headed down toward the lake. I was prepared to see the magnificent blue of Lac Leman and the snow-capped mountains beyond, but I was unprepared for the vineyards immediately in front of me. Soon the village was behind me, and I was standing next to a low stone wall with a signpost pointing toward the vast fields of vineyards. The parallel rows of vines ran down the hillside leading to the lake, and the rows were interrupted by a low stone wall border next to a narrow paved road wide enough for one car. These views stretched out as far as could see to my left and right, from Montreux in the east to Lausanne in the west.