Château de Chillon

About the museum

The castle rises on a rocky island about 100 metres long and 50 metres wide on the shore of Lake Geneva; the oval shape of the island determines the floor plan. The rock was already inhabited in the Bronze Age. Chillon is first mentioned in writing in 1150, when the Counts of Savoy controlled the road between northern and southern Europe here and levied tolls. Peter II of Savoy expanded it into a summer residence in the 13th century; the lower level also contains the dungeon later known as the "Bonivard prison".

After Bern's conquest of Vaud in 1536, the castle served as the seat of the bailiffs, an arsenal and a prison. In 1798 it fell to the Vaudois revolutionaries and has belonged to the Canton of Vaud since 1803. With Romanticism the fame of the place grew: Lord Byron visited it in 1816, and Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Turner and Courbet drew inspiration from it.

From the end of the 19th century the castle was restored under the cantonal archaeologist Albert Naef; his finds form the core of the collection, which belongs to the Vaud Museum of Archaeology and History. The restoration association (1887) was replaced in 2002 by the Fondation du Château de Chillon. Today a tour leads through 36 rooms and around 300 objects, including furniture, weapons and armour, archaeological finds and wall paintings.

Highlights

• Water castle on a rocky island in Lake Geneva
• Gothic vaults, the Savoyards' prison and the Bernese bailiffs' Hall of Arms
• Tour through 36 rooms with keep and armoury
• Wall paintings and furniture from the Middle Ages and the Bernese period
• Café Byron, Savoy Garden and the "Clos de Chillon" vineyard

Permanent exhibitions

• Besucherrundgang durch das Schloss – On the tour through 36 rooms, visitors experience vaults, the prison, banqueting halls, the keep with armoury and the living quarters of the Savoyards and the Bernese.
• Sammlungen von Chillon – Around 300 objects, including furniture, weapons and armour, archaeological finds from the excavations of 1896 to 1903, paintings and wall paintings.

Operated by

Fondation du Château de Chillon

Admission & discounts

Free on presentation of proof: Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Museum Pass, ICOM, Raiffeisen card. Discounts: Montreux Riviera Card (adults CHF 7.50, children CHF 3.50), RailAway SBB (up to 50%), Caritas Culture Card/KulturLegi (30% from November to March), BCV Maestro card, Passeport Loisirs (one additional person free), CGN combined ticket (15%), Magic Pass (points). Other prices may apply for special events.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Due to narrow passages and many stairs, the castle is difficult to access for wheelchairs and walkers. Accessible are the paved courtyards, the cafeteria with a wheelchair-accessible WC, the bazaar and the Café Byron. You can drive to the drawbridge by car (blue parking disc for CHF 3 at the ticket office). In the cafeteria, two terminals show a virtual tour in nine languages. Only certified assistance dogs are permitted, other animals are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Drako tour for children from 6 to 10 years (free at the ticket office, also in English and Chinese). Children's birthday parties with treasure hunt for 5- to 12-year-olds on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Children under 16 years must be accompanied. Changing table in the 2nd castle courtyard.

Getting there & parking

A9 motorway to the Montreux or Villeneuve exit. On foot along the lakeshore from Montreux (4 km, approx. 45 minutes) or Villeneuve (2 km, approx. 20 minutes).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Café Byron (year-round except 1 January and 25 December), kiosk in the Savoy Garden in good weather, bazaar (April to October) and museum shop. Strollers must be left in the cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 232 guests.

Aula Magna (232 people for dinner and reception) and the Castellan's Hall (130 people for dinner, 160 for reception).

Plan your visit