There is probably no better way to discover Montreux, a lovely town on the shores of Lake Geneva (Léman), the pearl of the Swiss Riviera, than to explore the Montreux Christmas market! The sparkling cold winter air and the scent of mulled wine and cheese fondue...it’s the perfect way to dive into a fairy tale holiday spirit. From Montreux, you can explore all of the Lake Geneva region easily. For example, you can go for a hike on Mont-Pèlerin or hop on board one of the trains of the Goldenpass Line. Geneva, Gruyères, Fribourg and Murten are less than two hours’ ride.
The Montreux Christmas Market, one of the biggest in western Switzerland; it starts from the end of November to the 24th of December. It has lots to offer, for all ages.
Lakeside Christmas Market
In Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva, 160 chalet stalls offer a variety of Christmas decorations, arts and craft objects and culinary specialties. Visitors can enjoy a walk along the promenade while listening to festive holiday music. This year (2018), a special area in the market is entirely dedicated to gourmet food. Choosing among cheese fondue, crêpes, foie gras and other delicious Swiss specialties can be challenging. Deciding the drinks is not easier either: mulled wine, Christmas beer and other seasons’ specialties can quench your thirst and warm you up!
3D Light Show
A new attraction of this 2018 edition of the Montreux Christmas Market is a 3D light show onto the façade of the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, a five star luxury hotel on the lakeside promenade. This palace hotel built in 1906 is a perfect example of the Belle époque style that can be found in numerous cities around Lake Geneva.
Elves’ Square
Elves’ square is a place entirely dedicated to children and their families. There, you can participate in workshops, such as candle-making and chocolate decorating.
Lumberjack Village
A great place where visitors can meet; this holiday village is built around a log cabin serving nice food and festive drinks.
Santa Claus’s House
It's probably the place that all children would like to visit. On the heights of Montreux, in a grotto on top of the Rochers-de-Naye mount, Santa Claus in person welcomes the children to his house. To reach Santa’s House, visitors will hop aboard a train on the cogwheel railway, taking them all the way up 2,042 metres high. The place offers breathtaking views over the lake and the surrounding Alps. If you go there, please do not forget that you are in high altitude. In December you will certainly find a lot of snow and the outside temperature is literally freezing! Therefore, do not forget to take along hats, gloves, scarves and everything to keep yourself warm.
In 2018, the special guest of the Montreux Christmas Market is Bosnia-Herzegovina. For sure, in addition to traditional Montreux Christmas market, you can also have a taste at their local specialties and discover more about this country.
The author
Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe Renauld
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