Attractions and Places To See around Châtel-Saint-Denis - Top 20

The 360-degree panorama From the summit, you can enjoy a gigantic panoramic view: To the north: The glittering Lake Geneva and the entire Mittelland region up to the Jura. To the south & east: The mighty peaks of the Mont Blanc massif and the Bernese Alps. 🍴 Gastronomy & Observatory Summit restaurant: The modern restaurant Le Sommet is located directly next to the mountain station. It offers a large sun terrace and local specialities (such as real Gruyère fondue). 🚡 Ways to the summit The comfortable option (train): From Moléson-Village with the funicular to Plan-Francey, then change to the large cable car, which takes you directly to the summit. The sporty option (hiking trails): Via the west flank: A beautiful, classic mountain hiking trail from Plan-Francey (approx. 1 hour 45 minutes, T2). Via ridge paths: Those who ascend via the via ferratas (Le Pilier or La Face) reach the main summit after exiting via a magnificent, secured ridge path in approx. 20 minutes.

Around the middle of the 19th century, there was even talk of writing off Chillon Castle for demolition and using the stones in the construction of the railway. However, the landscape, the grand castle, and the romantic stories of the former prisoners had long captivated many, and interest in the monument's outstanding historical significance was also awakening. And so, more and more travelers visited the castle, which, from the 1820s onward, could also be viewed from the new steamships on Lake Geneva. While Rousseau had already chosen the castle as the setting for a key scene in his 1761 epistolary novel Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse, other writers, such as Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, were inspired by the place, in addition to Lord Byron. The café next to the castle is now called "Byron." The French painter Gustave Courbet depicted Chillon several times during his stay on Lake Geneva, and Eugène Delacroix, who was influenced by Lord Byron's poems, as well as other artists, also painted views of the moated castle, the image of which became widely known through photography in the age of early tourism.

Les Avants The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland. In the nineteenth century, the spa town experienced a certain tourist development with the construction of the first hotels by the Dufour family. The construction of the Jaman tunnel in 1905, which provided a rail link with the Pays d'Enhaut, allowed the resort to become a strong tourist destination until the First World War, notably with the collaboration of the architect Louis Villard. Served by one of the first electrified railways, with a steep slope and no rack railways, the village is a popular destination for the English. It is also home to Switzerland's first bobsleigh run (which later became a toboggan run) and an ice rink. It was on this ice, which was actually tennis courts converted into an ice rink below the "Grand Hôtel des Avants", that the first European Ice Hockey Championship was held in 1910. Since 1910, the Les Avants - Sonloup funicular (still in operation, with the two carriages and the historic machines renovated between June 2012 and January 2013) has been operating on the Sonloup site, allowing sledders to climb to the top of the slopes again. The first war, especially the crisis of 1929, halted development and the large hotels gradually closed. Now competing with the many winter sports resorts created after the 1939-45 war, Les Avants was never to experience the tourist attraction it enjoyed at the beginning of the century. Ernest Hemingway had recently lived in the village for a few months in 1922 (at the "Pension de la Forêt" on the outskirts of Chamby) and wrote about his experiences and pleasures of the sled race there in several chapters of "A Farewell to Arms". In the second half of the century, the village developed into a residential area and experienced a tourist activity such as hiking and some winter activities in the low mountain range (sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski touring). Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/histoire

Les Avants The charming village of Les Avants is located at an altitude of about 1000 meters and is part of the municipality of Montreux. It is at the gateway to the Pays d'Enhaut and the Vaud Prealps. The village was one of the first ski resorts in Switzerland and was home to the first Swiss bobsleigh run. 10 km from Lake Geneva, nestled under the Dent de Jaman and the Rochers de Naye, Les Avants is an ideal place for hiking. Many marked hiking trails, including the Daffodil Trail, attract hikers, especially in May when the hills are covered with the white flowers of daffodils. Also to discover is the flower clock, one of the oldest in Europe, on the Place de la Gare. Text / Source: SIA Les Avants https://www.lesavants.ch/

On foot or by train, for the pleasure of a housewarming or steaming, for a picnic or an alpine restaurant, for the alpine garden or for paragliding, the ROCHERS DE NAYE are the essential destination for thousands of mountain lovers, all different!

In the execution cell, dangling from the rope, you have a great view of the lake for a short time

Summit quickly reached from the train station with great views

The Château de Chillon is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, near Montreux in Veytaux, Switzerland. This medieval and romantic castle is a precious historical jewel that has been enthroned on its rocky island for almost a millennium. The castle is located on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, in a picturesque spot between Montreux and Veytaux. It has become famous thanks to literary works such as “La Nouvelle Héloïse” by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and “The Prisoner of Chillon” by Lord Byron. The castle dates back to the thirteenth century and is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe. In addition to its historical significance, the Château de Chillon also offers wonderful exhibitions, animations and events. You can also rent rooms for special occasions.