In a bid to cure his creative paralysis, Baldwin Ho heads to the Canton of Vaud, where castles, cellists, comedians, rock gods, vineyards and even a Swiss wrestler work together to coax his imagination back to life….
Writer’s block. We all suffer from this cursed condition. I’ve covered umpteen steakhouses and have struggled to excavate flowery adjectives to describe the common sirloin. I was told reliably that a visit to the Canton of Vaud, in the east of Switzerland, would get the creative juices flowing again, so I followed in the illustrious footsteps of Lord Byron, David Bowie, and Freddie Mercury and headed there to pray for a cure to my condition. And where better to begin than a castle that’s been inspiring tortured writers since long before deadlines existed?
Château de Chillon
This picturesque castle is the most visited historic monument in Switzerland. Located on a rocky island on the shores of Lake Geneva near Montreux, it is the perfect canvas for creativity – Lord Byron famously wrote The Prisoner of Chillon after visiting, and left his autograph on the pillar where the prisoner Bonivard was chained. Its authenticity has been much debated, however. Would Lord Byron really partake in a spot of graffitiing?
It is a distinct possibility, especially if he’d been imbibing the famous white wines from the castle. They helpfully explain that the Chasselas grape reigns supreme in the vineyards around Lake Geneva, and the fresh notes of lime and verbena in their white wine are the perfect panacea for my condition.
But even medieval dungeons have their limits, so I followed the sound of cellos and steamboat whistles further along the lake…
Music festivals and museums
If you can’t get a ticket for the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival in July, the September Musical Festival is a reasonable alternative to consider. I managed to catch the incredibly talented Kian Soltani & Friends. You wouldn’t think a cello is particularly versatile until you see his team perform the soundtrack to Hollywood greats with just eight different cellos. The artistry and expressiveness of Kian’s work are more than inspirational; they are transformative. It will undoubtedly encourage a younger audience to fall in love with the beauty of classical music.
There are numerous scenic boat cruises along Lake Geneva, with the Belle Époque paddle steamboats particularly popular, which ferry you to the picturesque town of Vevey. There, another creative genius spent the last 25 years of his life living in Vevey. Charlie Chaplin’s former house is now Chaplin’s World, a museum dedicated to Chaplin’s achievements in film and his life in the town.
And if Montreux is a symphony, then its soloist is unmistakable: Freddie, eternally mid-pose on the promenade…
The Freddie Mercury connection
I’ve heard the songs. I’ve watched Bohemian Rhapsody, but do I really know the backstory to Freddie Mercury? Not until I went on the Freddie Tour in Montreux. He spent approximately 13 years living there, and this touching audiovisual guided tour goes through the numerous highlights of his career.
The tour is led by owner Lucien Müller, who also hosts Freddie Days, a huge celebration held around 5th September to celebrate Freddie Mercury’s birthday. You can hear the unmistakable melodies of Freddie on the audio guide, see historic photos on the device, and also question Lucien in real time. Locations visited include the famous bronze statue of Freddie Mercury on the shores of Lake Geneva and The Casino Barrière, which houses the “Queen: The Studio Experience” museum. Queen’s original instruments are on display, as well as a mixing desk, where you can show off your creativity and remix Freddie’s classic tunes.
Lucien also talks about Mountain Studios, where David Bowie and Freddie Mercury famously recorded ‘Under Pressure’. By the end of the tour, you cannot help but feel an immense sense of sadness at the loss of a musical icon, a genius taken away from this world too soon.
And once Freddie had wrung out whatever emotion I had left, I sought therapy the Swiss way: by drinking wine that tastes like it’s been blessed by mountain spirits…
The hidden gem of Aigle
Dionysus is the ancient god of wine, but also of theatre. Clearly, if I wanted to unleash my creativity, I needed to drink more of the nectar from the gods. There is no better place for this than the historic town of Aigle. It has a famous 12th-century Château d’Aigle, which houses a fascinating wine museum filled with vintage bottles and immersive experiences for you to understand the wine-making process. The castle itself is surrounded by stunning vineyards, which focus on producing local grape varieties such as gamaret and chasselas.
You can tour the vineyards, such as Propriété Veillon, which has been owned by the Veillon family and their descendants for two hundred years. They only produce around 30,000 bottles a year, so it is only considered a small-to-medium-sized wine vineyard. They avoid using pesticides by using methods such as spraying the leaves with tea. You might also notice a quirk of the region, where they have 70cl wine bottles. This was decreed by law in 1822 in the canton of Vaud.
If you want to pair your Swiss wine with exceptional food, check out the nearby La Pinte du Paradis. They serve up comforting Swiss delights such as stuffed rabbit tournedos and “Pata Negra” pork chop risotto.
Eventually, even the vineyards told me to get some fresh air — so I ascended into the Alps in search of enlightenment, or at least a good view…
Inspired by nature
If you want to head to a higher altitude to be inspired by nature, a convenient base to consider is Villars-sur-Ollon. It is a quaint village in the western Swiss Vaud Alps, which is reachable by bus. From there, you can take a cogwheel train to Bretaye. You can play golf in the clouds at Villars Golf Club. It is the only 18-hole golf course in the Alpes Vaudoises. You can hike through the alpine landscape to the serene Lac des Chavonnes, which only takes roughly 30 minutes.
Finally, if you want to escape from civilisation, consider staying over at the remote village of Solalex. With dramatic sheer cliffs on three sides, this is precisely the kind of location that will take your breath away. You can stay over at the Hôtel Miroir d’Argentine, which is named after the large, smooth limestone slab in the Swiss Alps known for rock climbing.
Before you head back down to the airport, stop over at Ollon, where you will find the wonderful winery that is Domaine de Trécord. Not only are they a 5th-generation wine grower, but the current owner is Harald Cropt, who was also a professional Swiss wrestler. If meeting fascinating characters like Harald and drinking exceptional Swiss wine doesn’t inspire you, I fear your case of writer’s block may be incurable.
For more information on the Vaud Region, visit www.switzerland.com.
Swiss International Air Lines connects Switzerland with the world, offering more than 160 weekly flights from London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh to Zurich or Geneva. One-way fares start from £54 to Geneva.
Switzerland’s Swiss Travel Pass offers international visitors to Switzerland unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus, and boat network. Prices start from £229 for a three-day second-class ticket. travelswitzerland.com.
Photos courtesy of Swiss Tourism
