Monuments to visit Romandy

The foundations and ramparts date from the 12th century. You first enter a vaulted room that houses a collection of fantasy art and temporary exhibitions. The room of the Counts of Gruyère has a Renaissance décor and furniture, with beautiful tapestries and stained glass windows. In the Knights' Hall, 19th century paintings tell the story of important events in the history of the region. The Belle Luce room reminds us that the Counts of Gruyère are said to have been in love with a beautiful young peasant girl named Luce.

It is an unusual building, to say the least, with an original architecture, erected to the glory of the Duke of Brunswick (1804-1873) on the Quai du Mont-Blanc. Charles d'Este-Guelph, Duke of Brunswick, was a singular character. A distinguished linguist, a skilled horseman and a knowledgeable musician, he amassed an immense fortune through excellent investments. Having spent the last three years of his life in Geneva, he instituted the city as his universal legatee on one condition: that it erect a mausoleum for him "in a prominent and dignified position".

This patrician residence was begun in the ^17th century by Jean-François de Courten. Formerly the Château de la Cour, the building became the Hôtel Château Bellevue in 1888. The hotel welcomed illustrious visitors such as the writer Rainer Maria Rilke and the German philosopher Rudolf Kassner, who stayed at the hotel for seventeen years. In 1964, the city of Sierre purchased the building and the Hôtel Château Bellevue became the present-day town hall. The interior is of great elegance, with magnificent painted ceilings and murals.

The story begins in November 1881, with the inauguration of the Kursaal casino, then more of an English-style concert hall. In 1883, a gambling game called "les petits chevaux" was introduced. From 1914 to 1945, the Kursaal's famous 6-piece orchestra played non-stop. In 1962, the first Venetian-style dance hall, the Lido, was inaugurated, and in 1966, the Montreux Jazz Festival celebrated its first edition here, as well as the twenty-six that followed. On December 4, 1971, the Casino Kursaal burned down during a Frank Zappa concert. The Mothers of Invention orchestra cancelled all its European concerts. In memory of this sad event, Deep Purple composed the song Smoke on the Water, written that very night in the stairwell of the Grand Hotel in Territet, where they were staying. Three and a half years later, the casino reopened. It offers gambling, shows, banquets, a restaurant, a nightclub, a cinema, a swimming pool, a yacht club, as well as a recording studio that has played host to some of the world's most famous artists, including David Bowie, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson, to name but a few.

The 10,000^m2 casino features slot machines, table games, electronic games and poker, as well as three restaurants, two bars, two terraces, a superb swimming pool and the former Mountain Studios, an area dedicated to the band Queen. And don't forget that the casino wins.... extremely often...

Majestic, it blends in naturally with the waters of Lake Geneva. Without doubt one of the most famous silhouettes in the world, Chillon Castle is a symbol of Switzerland, a fine illustration of the country through the harmony of its forms (twenty-five buildings) and the impression of solidity and balance that emanates from it. A fortress set on the water, a veritable lock watching over the old road from Italy, an obligatory passage - due to the narrowness of the site - on the north-south axis, it is also, facing the lake, a ducal residence. It is difficult to date this stronghold precisely, but the presence of a Roman post there already seems to be attested by coins and remains found on the site. Throughout the Middle Ages, the castle was the seat of the powerful Counts of Savoy, established in the region. In 1536, Chillon was known to the Bernese bailiffs, who first made it their residence, before moving to Vevey in the 18th century; as the taste for social life spread, they began to get bored within these solitary walls. Berne took pity on its bailiffs and bought the Tavel house in Vevey to make it their new residence. The demolition of the Chillon castle was then considered; fortunately, the cost of the operation was too high. Finally, the French Revolution led to the fall of Berne. In 1798, the country of Vaud freed itself from Bernese control and since then, the castle of Chillon has belonged to the canton of Vaud.

On site: A modern museography, temporary exhibitions, local wines for sale, souvenir shop and beach.

We can walk on this gigantic dam, which forms a huge lake surrounded by rocks. The prospect of the Alpine massif is exceptional, especially the view on Mont Blanc, which dominates the other summits majestically.

La Maison blanche is the first architectural work created by Le Corbusier alone. For this all-round artist, the house adapts to man. He built it for his parents in 1912, on his return from the Orient. Classified as a monument of national importance, the Maison blanche was brought back to life thanks to the civic commitment of people from all walks of life who created an association. Why white? It comes from its white walls which, thanks to the light, appear to us as white.

The Queen singer fell in love with Montreux while recording an album in 1978. He even said : "If you want peace of mind, come to Montreux" The band will also record their last albums in the Montreux studio, including great songs such as Mother Love. Freddie Mercury will live his last months here, before dying in 1991. Since then, other musicians have come to keep him company : Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, BB King...

Fountains with an allegory of Justice were a great success in the reformed cities of the 16th century. In Lausanne, the stone basin dates from 1557 and the statue is believed to have been executed in 1584-1585. The present copy dates from 1930 (the original, unpainted, is on display at the Historical Museum of Lausanne). Above the fountain, a clock comes alive every hour from 9am to 7pm. Accompanied by carillon music, a man's voice briefly tells the history of the canton of Vaud, while pretty characters appear.

When the Sardinian city installs a hydraulic machine and lays its first lead pipes, J. D. Blavignac, imagine some monumental and fanciful fountains dating from the years 1867-1868 and which are now classified as historical monuments. In addition to the architectural work which the artist wanted, they were also used to supply water to the people of Carouge. They are visible at Place du Marché (the most monumental square which is dedicated to the river along Carouge, the Arve), Place du Temple (known for its dragon-like chimeras and its Gothic appearance), Ancienne Street (basin decorated with two bronze swans) and Jacques-Dalphin Street (the least majestic). Blavignac's fountains are signed by his brand, that is, a snail. They are partly carved from local rocks and decorated with bronze sculptures.

Situated on a rocky spur, the castle dominates Neuchâtel with the collegiate church. Built from the 11th century, it was the main residence of the lords of Neuchâtel. It is a fine example (unique in Switzerland) of non-religious Romanesque architecture. The western façade, restored in 1866, is divided by sculpted cords and has a single window, decorated with a sculpture representing two dogs. The southern part and the upper part are from the 15th century. To the south are the two gardens and the Philippe de Hocheberg Gallery.

Jean Tinguely was a contemporary artist from Fribourg. This animated fountain by the artist is the little sister of the one in Basel. The stone basin is aesthetically combined with the modern sculpture consisting of wheels, metal elements and flexible pipes. It is powered by motor and water, and is a tribute to Jo Siffert, a Swiss racing driver from Fribourg in the 1960s. To be seen in winter because it is particularly impressive when the water freezes, forming beautiful spontaneous ice sculptures.

It was built between 1501 and 1522 on the former site of the castle of the Dukes of Zaehringen, founders of the city. Its symmetrical three-storey façade has a double-flight staircase in the centre. The building has a hipped roof. The tower has a clock and two bells accompanied by their jacquemarts. Inside, the Grand Council room, dating from the 18th century, is covered with Louis XVI woodwork. The room of the Cantonal Court houses two beautiful Louis XV-Louis XVI stoves. Next door, the Town Hall is from the 18th century.

Built by the architect Pierre Racine between 1716 and 1721 in the baroque style, the castle of Delémont was the summer residence of Prince-Bishop Jean-Conrad de Reinach. The castle was bought by the town in 1821. As a visitor, you do not have access to the entire castle, but you can enjoy the facades and the monumental staircase from the courtyard. The courtyard of honour was the place where the bishop took his oath of allegiance. From the car park on the Place Monsieur, you can access the gardens of the castle and its beautiful fountain on the south side.

It was in Vevey that Henri Nestlé perfected the recipe that has made the group so successful and mothers so happy to feed their children: powdered milk. Nestlé's reputation soon soared and contributed to the town's development. In 1950, the company decided to build its administrative headquarters here and commissioned Swiss architect Jean Tschumi to draw up the plans. Influenced by Le Corbusier, its overall Y shape, first floor on stilts and glass façade make it a fine example of the international style in Switzerland.

It was the center of power five hundred and fifty years ago, and remains so today. The tower was the seat of Geneva's communal power in the Middle Ages, and nowadays it houses the Council of State. When you pass the porch, don't miss the visit of the Baudet Tower, built in 1455. Originally, its function was military, as evidenced by the cannons outside. Indeed, Geneva was under a double threat: the House of Savoy was threatening and saw the city as the "key to Switzerland". In domestic politics, the episcopal see which controlled temporal power was partly in the hands of this same house of Savoy. Republican aspirations or episcopal aristocracy? Geneva was torn between these social struggles. Climb to the top of the tower by the ramp; it was designed to allow two horsemen to climb abreast without stepping on the ground, or citizens subject to gout disease to reach the top floor without getting off their sedan chair. In 1762, the works of Rousseau, Emile and The Social Contract, were burned there. These works were accused of "destroying religion and governments". The burning caused the author to renounce his citizenship of Geneva. Sitting on the bench at the entrance, the judges pronounced their sentences. The Alabama Room was the site of the first diplomatic and arbitration decisions: the resolution of a dispute between the United States and England in 1872. On August 22, 1864, the Geneva Convention was signed, the first step towards the Red Cross

A royal building? Classified as a historical monument by the State Council of the City of Geneva in 2001, the Maison Royale is undoubtedly the most impressive building in the harbor, but has never housed a crowned head! Built between 1907 and 1909 by the architects Henri Garcin and Charles Bizot, it aroused the ire of the people of Geneva who named it "the jewel with a macaque taste" during the 1909 facade competition. It was said that the building "embodied, down to its slightest moulding, an architecture capable of impressing the bourgeois and frightening the Genevois".