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The Magic of Montreux and the Swiss Riviera

The Swiss Riviera is undeniably one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Whether you stay in the five-star Beau-Rivage Palace or shack up for a more reasonable price at a UNESCO World Heritage Site winery (like this one), the landscape alone will soothe your soul and inspire your mind. One particular gem along the glistening string of Lake Geneva towns is Montreux.

You may have heard of Montreux in relation Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms (it served as a safe-haven for Catherine Barkley and Lt. Frederic Henry) or the Montreux Jazz Festival, an annual event curated by Claude Nobs which has featured nearly every great artist of the last 44 years (that's how long it's been running), from Aretha Franklin to Prince, from Miles Davis to the Black Eyed Peas. Though no longer focused specifically on jazz, but more on popular music of the times, the festival has become one of the most prestigious in Europe -- this year, they are operating with a 22 million Swiss Franc budget (about $20,992,356) -- and you can be sure the performers don't mind spending time on Lake Geneva (above).

Tags: beauty, Bill Gates, caux, lausanne, lavaux, montreux, swiss riviera, switzerland