I’m going to preface this by saying, I’m a few months late with this. However, I’ve been preoccupied with finding a winter holiday destination this year. Twice in one year? Perhaps.
Here’s my thoughts on the jewel in the crown of the Swiss Riviera, with all the lowdown on the Queen Studio Experience….
As the mid morning sun makes its way over the mountain top, this sleepy Swiss town comes alive under a blanket of gold. Cyclists, parents with small children, and the occasional holidaymaker trickle down the promenade against an alpine backdrop.
I take all this in from behind dark lenses, at a lakeside cafe and sinking an espresso to set myself up for the day. It’s a long way from rural Ayrshire. An even longer way from the bustling drag of Glasgow, in both tongue and terrain. French rolls off my lips with such finesse, you’d never know it had been eight years since I last spoke a word of it. My shoulders loosen and my lungs fill fully for the first time in months. I’ve never felt calm like this. This could be heaven.
But it’s actually Montreux.
I remember the look of confusion on one co-worker’s face when I told her. “Montrose?” She sneered, “but that’s in Scotland? Why would you go there?”
“No, Mon-TROH,” I repeated, striving to bring my best French spin on the name. I had been butchering it all along. It’s pronounced ‘Mon-TRUE,’ by the way. Montreux.
My savvier colleague whirled around in his chair. “You’re going to Montreux?” His eyes were wide with enthusiasm and all the caffeine he had sunk to get him through the day. “Are you going to the Studio Tour?”
That was the main draw of it. Yes.
I’m fascinated by visiting places of cultural significance to me. I’ve been to Jersey to see the home of Springsteen and The Gaslight Anthem first hand. I’ve done all the ‘Borgen’ and ‘The Killing’ location hunting under the sun in Copenhagen. In Berlin, I even visited Studio Babelsberg – the backdrop to many a Hollywood blockbuster and arthouse delicacy alike. So, Montreux was next on my list.
I don’t have to tell the Queen devotees out there how instrumental this drowsy alpine destination has been on their works. You’re presumably well aware of it. Hence why you’re here, reading this, right?
Right.
I should also add that I was in dire need of a holiday. In the grips of another anxiety-fuelled brain fog, I was suffering. The long and short of it was that life’s little monotonies were getting to me in a big way, and I needed out.
I needed good food. Good wine. Sunshine. And a wee slice of heaven. For a little while, at least.
But you’re not here to read about my woes. You want to know about Montreux, don’t you?
Well, Montreux is stunning, for starters. It treats you to cool mornings, and comfortably warm afternoons. Look up at the strands of houses dotted along the hillside, and you’ll strain your neck as it extends into the heavens. Look across the lake and the French side of Lake Geneva beckons with snow tipped mountains fit for postcards, or an Insta-brag. Moreover, when the day nears its end, the scenery bathes itself in a deep, expensive golden radiance that almost screams, ‘money.’
You’re well fed on either pastries and espresso from C’chocolat or beautiful seafood dishes from La Rouvenaz. You’re well watered on music-themed cocktails from Funky Claude’s at the Fairmont. And you’re well rested and zen from breathing in that fresh mountain air while you people watch. It’s a delight for all the senses, indeed.
Although the true highlight of this gem on Lake Geneva is the Queen Studio Experience.
Based inside Montreux’s Casino Barriere, at the site of the former Mountain Studios, the Queen Studio Experience documents the band’s time in Montreux. Its host of memorabilia and trinkets charts the band’s rise to fame, as well as the life of the late Freddie Mercury.
It’s compact, spanning only two (and a bit) rooms in the upstairs area of the casino. Yet, it succeeds in cramming so much history into this small space. It’s overwhelming at times.
There are costumes. Those decadent angel-winged Zandra Rhodes numbers from the early days. The harlequin jumpsuits. And even Freddie’s lightning bolt leggings from the mid 80’s.
Then you’ve got cabinets filled with bits and bobs from Brian May’s own personal collection. Each one corresponds to a particular album, furthering your insight into the band’s process of recording in these very rooms.
At the very back, there’s a live room mockup. Red Special and Ludwig kit included. And even a mini cinema, screening a harrowing documentary of Freddie’s last recording sessions here in Montreux. Even the most clued up Queen fan can glean something new from this stunning space. But bring your tissues.
For the tech aficionados, there’s also an interactive ‘mixing desk’ in the studio area, where you can mix either ‘Made In Heaven’ or ‘Mother Love.’ You can enjoy ‘The Invisible Man’ in a breathtaking surround sound environment too, although it’s a tad loud. Loud enough to blow your tits off. It’s not as fun as it sounds, I can assure you.
But I jest. Leaving the Queen Studio Experience, I felt like I understood the work of these legends on a deeper level. Admiring the views that they must have taken in as they wrote some of their most iconic works, or standing in the very spot Freddie did when he recorded his final vocals before his death. Seeing through the eyes of greatness.
It’s a free exhibition, and I’d recommend a visit. But if you do swing by, please slip a few Francs into the nicely set up bass-drum-collection-bin. It all goes to the Mercury Phoenix trust, who work with grassroots initiatives in the fight against AIDS. Give generously.
Montreux has this wonderful way of getting under your skin. Wandering through colourful lakeside promenades or drinking cocktails at a lakeside bar, I never felt rushed. The throb in my temples, or the pain in my jaw, both of which plague me in everyday life, were gone. For four whole days.
On the plane home, I had never felt so peaceful and well rested. It’s easy to see how Mr Mercury adored Montreux. It may not be heaven, but it’s damn near close to it.
Laura Halbert 