At the far end of Lac Leman from Geneva, Montreux is quintessential Switzerland. Visitors are greeted with eye catching views of the fairy-tale like Château de Chillon nestled under the ice-capped outline of Alpine summits, rolling vineyards with the occasional wine cellars at Lavaux and forest trails blooming with wild narcissus. The town itself is laced with grand palaces and Parisian-style blocks, all popping up on lakeside promenades and cobbled plazas.

One of the main reasons folk flock here is to hop on the iconic Golden Pass Railway. It starts in Montreux before weaving through the Swiss mountains to the hidden Shangri-La of the Bernese Oberland, where visions of emerald cow pastures mingle with the silhouettes of glaciers around Gstaad.

If the railway isn't on your itinerary, a few days on the lakeside is perfect for recharging the batteries. Montreux tour guides can whisk you away to handsome medieval hamlets in the Hauts-de-Montreux at the nearby foothills. They can reveal the best roadside cafes in the Villeneuve old town for people watching with a Swiss pastry and coffee. And they can show you the way to the gorgeous Riviera Promenade, where rich cultural events from the Montreux Jazz Festival by summer, to the Montreux Noël in winter keep a festive atmosphere going.