Chillon Castle, Switzerland

Following a lovely lunch at Le Deck, we decided to take a scenic drive to the Chillon Castle. Thankfully the GPS took us through Rivaz, a darling little town that was so picturesque, I kept getting out of the car to take photos.

The town was completely empty (rest hour?) and it looked like a perfect postcard. Loved this white building with the beautiful green shutters and wooden doors.

After a 30 minute drive we arrived at the Chillon Castle. We were able to find a parking spot on the side of the busy road and purchased an entry ticket with audio guide (CHF 12.50) to tour the castle.

This is a beautiful medieval castle set on rocks on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva. It was built for the Dukes of Savoy and while it originates to the 11th Century, the present appearance dates from the 13th Century.

Courtyard

During the Wars of Religion in the 16th Century the castle was used as a prison by the Dukes of Savoy. The most famous captive was Francois de Bonivard who was imprisoned for political incitement from 1530-1536 when he sided with the patriots of Geneva who opposed the Savoy efforts to control the region. Bonivard was made famous by Lord Byron who made him the hero of "The Prisoner of Chillon" a 392 line narrative poem written in 1816.

Lake Geneva seen from the prison.

The still visible 14th Century frescoes in the chapel.

Formal great halls where the Savoy Family held banquets and now you can as well! These grand rooms can be rented out for special occasions.

The mountain side of the castle is a fortress with watchtowers, sentry walk, double ramparts, moat and tunnels.

The Chillon Castle is massive, we spent about two hours there and had to skip a few rooms in order to see everything before closing.

We had a lovely time visiting this majestic and massive castle. If we do another Switzerland trip, I would definitely come back to this area.

Joanna

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