It’s not the French Riviera, but this land-locked version is just as entrancing

It may not be quite as famous or glamorous as its French counterpart but the Swiss Riviera rouses the senses with its cinematic scenery, creativity and charisma. In this Gallic corner of Switzerland you’ll find groovy festivals, homages to music legends, surreal contemporary art, atmospheric old quarters, UNESCO-feted vineyards and ravishing belle epoque architecture on the shores of lovely Lake Geneva.

While Lausanne is this riviera’s biggest city, we’re staying in Montreux, its most alluring resort, on our Globus tour of Switzerland and we couldn’t be better placed. Our newly rebranded and revamped hotel, Mona Montreux, is perched right by the lake. Every room has a view. So does the breakfast room and terrace restaurant where we wine and dine.

When it shot up in the 1960s, as the Eurotel, this modernist tower contrasted wildly with other buildings in town, from the low-rise, centuries-old abodes in the ancient hilltop district to the grand, decorative, lake-facing hotels built after the railway arrived in the 1860s. That brought distinguished visitors – royals, bankers, writers, composers – who were seduced by Montreux’s natural beauty, tranquillity and mild microclimate (even in winter, when most of Switzerland shivers, it rarely sinks below freezing here).

It’s early August, 30 degrees, and some fellow guests are renting canoes and paddle-boards. Others are copying the locals and swimming in the lake’s greenish-blue waters. This is my third time in Montreux and I can never resist a wander on the promenade. Hugging the lake for almost seven kilometres, it stretches from Clarens, the neighbourhood where Russian duo Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky crafted concertos, to Chillon Castle, Switzerland’s most-visited historic building.

There are plenty of shade and benches and alfresco cafes and refreshment kiosks along the way, with pine trees sporadically soaring above immaculately tended flower beds and subtropical plants. You could hire a bike but don’t bank on a smooth ride because there’s so much to brake and U-turn for.

The views are consistently entrancing. You’ll see France across the lake and, year-round, snow-capped French and Swiss alps in the distance. Avant-garde artworks stud the promenade from previous years of the Montreux Biennale, including an oversized wire bird sculpture by Swiss artist Michel Buchs. The next biennale will be held from August to October in 2027.

Statues of iconic musicians also stop you in your tracks, especially the one of Freddie Mercury, his right arm aloft. Guided tours follow in the footsteps of Freddie, who had an