Vernex Park

Vernex Park is a lakeside park in Montreux, a green pocket on the quays of the Swiss Riviera beside the Stravinski Auditorium, the main concert hall of the Montreux Jazz Festival. It lies a few minutes’ walk from the town centre along the lake promenade, and it is one of the places where Montreux’s gardening tradition is best displayed. The mild climate and sheltered position let mature trees grow well, and the park contains broad old specimens and magnolias that give shade in summer and a spectacular show of flowers in spring.

The layout is simple. Gently sloping lawns run down toward the water, with paths winding between old trees and benches in shady corners. A playground makes the park popular with families, and the lawns are used for picnics and sunbathing in warm weather. Because it faces the lake, the view takes in the water and the mountains on the French side, and the rapid changes in the light across the day make it a good place for slow observation. It is not a large park, but its position on the promenade means that many people pass through, and it offers an easy pause on the walk along the shore.

Art and music are present in the park’s atmosphere. Public sculptures and memorials stand along the paths, as they do along the whole Montreux quay, and the connection with the town’s musical tradition is strong. The Stravinski Auditorium next door is named after the composer Igor Stravinsky, who lived and worked in Montreux, and the town has a long history of hosting musicians and artists, from Russian composers to rock bands recording in local studios. In July the park becomes part of the festival grounds, with stages, stalls and crowds, and the whole lakeside changes in character for two weeks.

Vernex Park is easy to combine with other places in Montreux. The Lake Geneva Promenade passes directly through it, and Château de Chillon lies a few kilometres along the shore. Cafés and restaurants in the town centre are close, and the vineyards that climb the slopes behind the town are within reach by train or on foot. The park is free and open at all times.

It suits families, walkers, picnickers and music fans in July. In the quiet season it is an easy place for a coffee break by the water, and in spring and early summer the flowers and trees are at their best.