Château de Chillon is the most visited historical building in Switzerland
Keystone
Château de Chillon, the most visited historical building in Switzerland, set a new record last year: 432,000 people visited the medieval castle near Montreux on Lake Geneva.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
El castillo de Chillon establece récord de visitas
This represents an increase of 7% over 2018, the Chillon Castle FoundationExternal link said on Tuesday. The number of visitors has thus exceeded 400,000 for the third year in a row.
Visitors from Switzerland made up 22% of the total, followed by those from China (15%), the United States (12%), France (6.5%) and South Korea (4%).
Casterly Rock? George R. R. Martin, author of ‘Game of Thrones’, visited the castle in 2014
Keystone
Since 2019, written visitor information at the ticket office has been available in Arabic, Hebrew and Thai. This information is now available in a total of 17 languages. The audio guide is available in nine languages, including Korean since 2019.
In addition, the number of guided tours rose from 2,688 in 2018 to 3,257.
The Chillon Castle Foundation generates over 90% of its income through its own activities, with 65% coming from entrance fees. Only 5% of the income is subsidies for restoration and maintenance work on the building.
Château de Chillon
Located on a narrow road between Lake Geneva and a mountainside, Chillon is a strategic point in the route to Italy. Archaeological finds in the area date back to the Bronze Age.
The first mention of the castle dates back to 1150. Due to its location along the trade route to Italy via the Grand St Bernard Pass, it had a golden age. But that stature progressively declined at the turn of the 14th century, when the Duchy of Savoy’s administrative centre was moved to Chambery.
Under Bernese rule (1536-1798) the castle became a fortress and prison.
It became the property of Canton Vaud in 1803 and was restored at the end of the 19th century, welcoming paying visitors from 1896.
More
More
In the footsteps of the real prisoner of Chillon
This content was published on
We’re in the bowels of the medieval castleExternal link in a huge dungeon with vaults and pillars. A rock face makes up one wall, while another is lined with blocks of stone and a few small openings that provide slivers of light. On the other side of the wall is the vast Lake Geneva. But…
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
This content was published on
The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
This content was published on
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research said it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device to enhance avalanche warnings.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
This content was published on
Two hundred years ago, Lord Byron retreated to Switzerland with fellow Romantics for what would become an exceptionally creative summer.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.