Chillon Castle. Chillon Castle is an island castle located on Lake Geneva, 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.
Successively occupied by the house of Savoy then by the Bernese from 1536 until 1798, it now belongs to the State of Vaud and is classified as a Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance. The fort of Chillon, its modern counterpart, is hidden in the steep side of the mountain.
Chillon began as a Roman outpost, guarding the strategic road through the Alpine passes.The later history of Chillon was influenced by three major periods: the Savoy Period, the Bernese Period, and the Vaudois Period. The castle of Chillon is built on the island of Chillon, an oval limestone rock advancing in Lake Geneva between Montreux and Villeneuve with a steep side on one side and on the other side the lake and its steep bottom.
The placement of the castle is strategic: it closes the passage between the Vaud Riviera and the Rhone valley which allows quick access to Italy. Moreover, the place offers an excellent point of view on the Savoyard coast facing. A garrison could thus control access to the road to Italy and apply a toll. According to the Swiss ethnologist Albert Samue
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.
Successively occupied by the house of Savoy then by the Bernese from 1536 until 1798, it now belongs to the State of Vaud and is classified as a Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance. The fort of Chillon, its modern counterpart, is hidden in the steep side of the mountain.
Chillon began as a Roman outpost, guarding the strategic road through the Alpine passes.The later history of Chillon was influenced by three major periods: the Savoy Period, the Bernese Period, and the Vaudois Period. The castle of Chillon is built on the island of Chillon, an oval limestone rock advancing in Lake Geneva between Montreux and Villeneuve with a steep side on one side and on the other side the lake and its steep bottom.
The placement of the castle is strategic: it closes the passage between the Vaud Riviera and the Rhone valley which allows quick access to Italy. Moreover, the place offers an excellent point of view on the Savoyard coast facing. A garrison could thus control access to the road to Italy and apply a toll. According to the Swiss ethnologist Albert Samue
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