Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle): Switzerland's most popular castle

Château de Chillon or Chillon Castle, located on the eastern end of Lake Geneva, is one of the most visited castles in Switzerland and Europe. With the perfectly blue lake on one side, green  mountains on the other and mighty white Alps in the background, the castle is a picture perfect relic of the past which still retains its old beauty and charm.

Chillon castle is actually located on a tiny rock island, barely a few metres away from the coast. It is easily reachable by a walk across the old old rock bridge which connects it to the mainland. For centuries the small castle controlled by the savoys who also made it into a profitable toll station.

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Chilean Castle from a distance
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Chillon Castle from the outside 

Brief History

The foundations of the castle are believed to have been laid during the Romans, though the first documented records are from the 10th Century. Overall the history can be divided into three different periods:
- Savoy Period (12th Century to 1536)
- Bernese Period (1536 to 1798)
- Vaudois Period (1798 to today)

Each of these periods had a different influence and these can be identified easily by an expert eye, but for someone like us it's good to do a bit of research to know. There is audio guide also available, and I think it would be great to rent that out to know the place better.

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The natural moat of the castle
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Looking at the high walls of the castle...

Dungeons of Chillon Castle

Over it’s history of thousand years, it was often used as a dungeon to keep the prisoners. For a curious visitor, the dungeons are stunningly beautiful but the damp and dark spaces were depressing for it’s prisoners. The prisoners were often chained by a neck band which barely allowed them movement of a few metres. They could hear the sound of water, but could never see it and it added to their distress.

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The dungeon at Chillon Castle

Prisoner of Chillon by Lord Byron

Prisoner of Chillon is a 392 line narrative pose written by Lord Byron in the year 1816 and details out the imprisonment of a monk by the name of Francois Bonivard. He was inspired to write this poem when he was traveling with his friend in Lake Geneva and stopped for a visit to the castle. The poem became iconic after it was first published in the 1816 and so did the castle.

Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Lord Byron's name inscribed on the dungeon wall

My experiences

When I first heard about the castle I was not as excited. The alternate option was to climb a mountain for a great summit view of Lake Geneva, and I was terribly confused. A quick search about Chillon and I ditched the mountain and decided to visit the castle.

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View of Lake Geneva during the walk to the castle 
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Castle with beautiful blue sky...
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Swiss flags inside the castle

I was staying at Vevey and decided to use public transportation top reach Chillon. We took an early morning bus and stopped at Montreux to enjoy the Swiss National Day parade. The parade is actually quite unlike India’s Independence Day parade, and its quite a bit of fun. You can practically walk with the parade and take their pictures from everywhere. It’s basically a very chilled out environment out there.

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Another view at the entrance

An hour later we took another bus and stopped close to Chillon and walked for the last hundred metres. Right from the time I saw the castle the first time, I was completely mesmerised. Over the next hour and half, I simply gazed at the high ceilings and beautiful medieval architecture. Every part of the castle is simply prefect and lives up to it’s fairy tale reputation. If I had more time, I could have easily sat down at the castle and written a poem of my own.

What to see at the castle?

More than quarter of a million travellers come to Chillon every year from all across the world. Some of the most famous things to see include the stunning wall paintings from the 14th Century, the the subterranean vaults, parade halls and the bedroom. There are a total of twenty five buildings and the all the structures are protected by two circular walls.

There are a total of 46 elements which can be seen at the castle and it would take the entire day to do it all. If you have time, I would strongly recommend doing that, else just go through the list and see what interests you and then try and discover those place like an explorer :)

If you would like to take home some souvenir from the Chillon Castle, head out to the Museum Shop, where you can even buy the famous Chillon wine which is made and bottled in the castle itself. 

Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
The Dungeon
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Sit here and enjoy the lovely view of Lake Geneva
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
The exquisite glasses...
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Just another passageway...
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle switzerland lake geneva
Old paintings...
Château de Chillon Chillon Castle wall mural paintings switzerland
Another room with old paintings

Chillon Castle Deeba Rajpal Switzerland Grand Tour
With the Passionate Baker - Deeba! Pic credit: Ritu Sharma

How to reach?
Go by bus from Vevey or Montreux. Use your swiss pass for this. There is a bus every ten minutes or so. Get down at the genre bus stand and walk to the castle from there.

On the way back, you can take a boat as well. It's quite a beautiful and romantic ride.

Timings:
9am to 7pm

Entry fee:
CHF 12.5

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Note: I was in Switzerland on invitation of Switzerland Tourism and NDTV Good Times to explore the 'Swiss Made Grand Tour'The story shared here is based on personal experiences and all the views shared are completely my own.

Comments

  1. I am a heritage junkie and this is something i would definitely visit!!

    www.myunfinishedlife.com

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  2. Amazing shots.A lovely view of Chilean Castle from a distance.Great information.Thanks for sharing.

    Cheers,
    Sriram & Krithiga

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  3. I think you definitely made the right choice to visit the castle Sid, what a fascinating journey we have enjoyed through your lens, oh la! So much history.. merci beaucoup.

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    Replies
    1. Yes! I would have cursed myself had I not gone there...the castle is simply un-missable! :)

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  4. Beautiful castle. I like the architecture.

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    1. Thanks Rajesh! The architecture was certainly the highlight...

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  5. What a most wonderful castle.
    I travel to Switzerland today, but just in a different place (to a small village, Reiden, near Zurich). But I have to see this castle sometimes.

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    Replies
    1. Ah! A small village sounds like a great idea...I also stayed at one this time and it was just charming! Have a great trip...I look forward to your images from there :)

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  6. Hey Siddhartha ,
    Such an Interesting post. When I start to read this post I can imagine each and every thing very clearly. And so excited to visit this place in the future. Hope so My friend will plan to visit there very soon.

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  7. Beautiful castle! The sky is such a deep shade of blue, one that we rarely see in India

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  8. Hari OM
    One word.... picturesque!!! YAM xx

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  9. It really Nice Place to visit. thanks to explain beauty of that place

    ReplyDelete

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