Chateau de Chillon

What makes it special

The castle is close to a thousand years old and stands on stone pillars on a rock island just off the shore. Down at water level, the dungeon is a long vaulted hall lit only through narrow slits.

Its best-known prisoner, François Bonivard, became the hero of a poem by Byron. Look closely at the pillars: the name BYRON is cut into one of them and framed under a small pane of glass, and tradition holds that the poet carved it himself.

Upstairs, the old banqueting hall has black marble columns and windows over the lake. The hall beside it still stands on its original oak columns.

The Camera Domini, the duke's bedroom, carries murals of medieval animal symbols, with Saint George slaying the dragon over the mantelpiece. The Chapel of Saint George still has its medieval paintings, rare for a religious building in the canton, with Old Testament figures on the ceiling.

Two details are easy to walk past. The window recesses have stone seats where you can sit in the light off the water, and the latrines are a plank over a shaft that drops straight into the lake.

Visiting

Chillon's route is self-guided and runs one way through 36 rooms, a spiral that always turns right, so you will not miss one. Pick up the free brochure and map at the ticket office, or hire the audio guide if you would rather listen.

It begins underground, in the vaults at water level, then climbs through the courtyards to the great halls, the Savoy bedrooms and the chapel. It ends on the narrow stairs up the keep, so do not come late: a late entry means rushing the halls at the top. Step out onto the small balcony off the banquet hall on the way for the view down the lake.

Tips

Wear shoes with grip, because the stone stairs and floors can be slippery, especially when it is damp. Come dressed for a building, not the beach: the castle turns away anyone in swimwear, topless or barefoot, which matters if you walk in along the shore on a hot day.