Montreux | ||
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Montreux in early-April 2014
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Coordinates: 46°26′N 6°55′E / 46.433°N 6.917°ECoordinates: 46°26′N 6°55′E / 46.433°N 6.917°E | ||
Country | Switzerland | |
Canton | Vaud | |
District | Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut | |
Government | ||
• Executive |
Municipalité with 7 members |
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• Mayor |
Syndic (list) Laurent Wehrli FDP/PRD/PLR (as of February 2014) |
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• Parliament |
Conseil communal with 100 members |
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Area | ||
• Total | 33.37 km2 (12.88 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 390 m (1,280 ft) | |
Population (Dec 2015) | ||
• Total | 26,433 | |
• Density | 790/km2 (2,100/sq mi) | |
Postal code | 1820 | |
SFOS number | 5886 | |
Localities | Baugy, Brent, Caux, Chailly-sur-Montreux, Chamby, Chaulin, Chêne, Chernex, Clarens, Collonge, Cornaux, Crin, Fontanivent, Glion, Jor, Le Châtelard, Les Avants, Les Planches, Mont-Fleuri, Pallens, Pertit, Planchamp, Sonzier, Tavel, Territet, Vernex, Villard-sur-Chamby, Vuarennes | |
Surrounded by | Villeneuve, Blonay, Haut-Intyamon, La Tour-de-Peilz, Noville, Veytaux | |
Twin towns | Wiesbaden (Germany), Menton (France), Chiba City (Japan) | |
Website |
www Profile (French), SFSO statistics |
Montreux (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃tʁø]) is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.
It is located on Lake Geneva shoreline at the foot of the Alps and has a population, as of December 2015[update], of 26,433 and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.
The earliest settlement was a Late Bronze Age village at Baugy. Montreux lies on the north east shore of Lake Geneva at the fork in the Roman road from Italy over the Simplon Pass, where the roads to the Roman capital of Aventicum and the road into Gaul through Besançon separated. This made it an important settlement in the Roman era. A Roman villa from the 2nd-4th centuries and a 6th–7th century cemetery have been discovered.
In the 12th century, viticulture was introduced to the region, and the sunny slopes of the lake from Lavaux to Montreux became an important wine-growing region. Montreux is first mentioned in 1215 as Mustruel. In 1295, the Bishop of Sion sold the parish of Montreux to Girard of Oron. In 1317, it was split between the Lords of Oron (Le Châtelard) and the Counts of Savoy (Les Planches). A Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit administered estates and a hospital in Montreux starting in about 1309.