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Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon), Switzerland
Chillon Castle, Switzerland. 
Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) is an island castle located on Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), south of Veytaux in the canton of Vaud. It is situated at the eastern end of the lake, on the narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve, which gives access to the Alpine valley of the Rhône. Chillon is amongst the most visited castles in Switzerland and Europe.
Chillon began as a Roman outpost, guarding the strategic road through the Alpine passes.
The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively dated, but the first written record of the castle was in 1005. From the mid 12th century, the castle was summer home to the Counts of Savoy, who kept a fleet of ships on Lake Geneva. The castle was greatly expanded in 1248 by Peter II.
Fortified walls of Chillon Castle.
During the 16th century Wars of Religion, it was used by the dukes of Savoy to house prisoners. Its most famous prisoner was probably François de Bonivard, a Genevois monk. Chillon was converted into a state prison in 1733.
In 1798, when the French troops moved in and occupied, Chillon was used as a munitions and weapons depot.
Great Hall of the Count in the Chillon Castle.
Chillon is open to the public for visits and tours. There is a fee for entrance and there are both parking spaces and a bus stop nearby for travel. Inside the castle there are several recreations of the interiors of some of the main rooms including the grand bedroom, hall, and cave stores.
Inside the castle itself there are four great halls, three courtyards, and a series of bedrooms open to the public. One of the oldest is the Camera domini, which was a room occupied by the Duke of Savoy - it is decorated with 14th century medieval murals.
Chillon Castle.
• Opening times
The castle is open every day of the year, except the 1st of january and the 25th of december.
April to September: from 9AM to 7PM (last entry at 6PM)
October: from 9:30AM to 6PM (last entry at 5PM)
November to February: from 10AM to 5PM (last entry at 4PM)
March: from 9:3AM to 6PM (last entry at 5PM)
• Rates
Adult: CHF 12.50
Child (6-15 years old): CHF 6.00
Reduced fee for students, apprentices, pensioners, disability insurance recipients, Swiss military wearing their uniform, local visitors' card holders (presentation of a valid card required): CHF 10.50
Tickets may be paid in cash: CHF, EUR* or USD* (*bills only, change in CHF) or by credit cards (Maestro and Postcard, American Express, Eurocard, JCB and Visa) or with REKA travel cheques (no bank or travellers cheques).
• How to get here
— By car. Autoroute A9, Villeneuve or Montreux exit. Chillon Castle is by the lake side between Montreux (4km away) and Villeneuve (2km away). Large parking lot, free of charge, in front of the castle (but parking disc obligatory, available at the entrance cashier).
— By bus. Line N° 201 from Vevey, Montreux or Villeneuve. "Chillon" stop in front of the castle. Buses every 10 to 20 minutes.
— By train. Direct train to Montreux (4 km away) or local train to "Veytaux-Chillon" (300m away).
— By boat. Regular sailings from Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux and Villeneuve in high season. Boat stop "Chillon" (100m away).
— On foot. Romantic lake-side walk along the "flower-path" from Montreux (4km, 45 minutes) or Villeneuve (2km, 20 minutes), far from the noise and bother of road traffic. Close to the castle, there is a pretty beach just right for a dip in the lake.
Sources
• www.chillon.ch
• www.wikipedia.org
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