Freddie Mercury's Legacy in Montreux. Switzerland

Montreux is a vibrant city located on the shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) with gorgeous views of the Swiss Alps. Known for its luxurious experiences and investment in cultural and the arts, the city features many interesting sites. From iconic statues, like that of Freddie Mercury, and stunning hotels, like Le Palace Montreux, Montreux has a variety of things to see and do. This video offers a brief, but thorough, tour of this great city, featuring some of the most noteworthy sights interesting facts about Montreux.
Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, first came to Montreux in 1978 for the Montreux Jazz Festival. During his visit he recorded the album “Jazz” with Queen. After falling in love with Montreux he took up residence there and also purchased the recording studio called Mountain Studio. Montreux commemorates Freddie Mercury’s presence in Montreux with a bronze statue built in 1996. His fans make sure that his statue is always adorned with flowers.
The Montreux casino is famous for being the site of the Montreux Jazz Festival from the late 1960’s until 1993. Apart from the jazz festival, famous artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Deep Purple all played at the Montreux Casino during its prime. In 1971, the Monteux Casino caught fire from a fan’s flare gun during “The Mothers” concert. In fact, this event was the inspiration for Deep Purple’s song “Smoke on the Water.” The Montreux Jazz Festival is now held at the Convention Center.
Claude Nobs (1936 - 2013) was responsible for the iconic Montreux Jazz Festival. This 2-week festival takes place every summer in Montreux and is known for is star-studded line up of musicians, 250,000 attendees, and, most importantly, its soul, which remains genuine despite the festival’s growth. While jazz and blues are the main focus of this event, other styles of music as also welcomed. Big names like David Bowie, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder also played at the festival. With its alpine backdrop and lake views, Monteux is the perfect location for one of the most revered festivals in Europe.