Chillon Castle

Chillon Castle is located on the shore of Lake Geneva, which is full of charm at the foot of the Alps. It is a representative castle in Switzerland. The cornerstone of Chillon Castle is built at the bottom of the lake, giving people a feeling of floating on the lake, but the castle looks extremely solid. The medieval gray-white brick wall with red cone top blends in with the surrounding scenery of mountains and rivers. Picturesque. This ancient castle with a thousand-year history has also inspired literati and writers. Rousseau, Hugo, Byron, Alexandre Dumas, etc. have all left their footprints here, and Byron's "Prisoner of Chillon" is even more impressive. This castle has a great reputation. Castle History The historical records of Chillon Castle can be traced back to the 11th century. Since ancient Roman times, it has been the main traffic road between Italy and France. In the 12th century, it became the residence of the Italian Savoy family, in 1536. After being administered by the Swiss in Bern, it was used as an official residence and armory. Today, the quaint rooms of the castle display various utensils, silver swords, helmets and other items used at that time. Walking across the wooden bridge and stepping into the castle, you will have a feeling of stepping back in time, back to the Middle Ages. Visit and guide the existing castle buildings including courtyards, watchtowers, halls, bedrooms, prisons, castle main towers, etc., especially the prison. Prison The prison is located on the east side of the entrance to the first floor of the castle, where the curved vault of the 13th-century Gothic church is preserved, all around it is built of rock. More than 200 prisoners were imprisoned that year. In 1532, the abbot of St. Victor Abbey in Geneva, Boniwain, advocated the independence of Geneva, and was chained to the stone pillar for four years until March 29, 1536 in Switzerland. After the people captured the castle, they released him. In 1816, when the British poet Byron visited Chillon Castle, he heard about this tragic history, so he left his signature on the stone pillar and wrote "The Prisoner of Chillon". There are many magnificent halls in the castle. They were once the place where the Safoy family feasted, and now they are also used to undertake various banquets, dances and birthday parties. The windows of all the halls face Lake Geneva, and the windows open to the charming scenery composed of Lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains. The castle apartment in the apartment district is as restored as possible to the furnishings and furnishings of the time, and you can admire many representative medieval furniture and decorations. Bourne's bedroom, with its large comfortable four-poster bed with heating, private bathroom and modern plumbing, is well worth a look. The chapel has well preserved religious frescoes and sculptures from the 14th century, which are of great historical and cultural value. The armory exhibition in the castle is also not to be missed. Through the equipment display and multimedia interactive equipment, you can gain an in-depth understanding of various military equipment and defense devices in the Middle Ages.