Castle · Veytaux, Switzerland
Chillon Castle
Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud. Built 1160.
Photo: Giles Laurent via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Veytaux, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1160 |
| Architect | James of Saint George |
| Height | Height: 25 m |
| Coordinates | 46.4142° N, 6.9275° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Chillon Castle is known for
Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud.
About Chillon Castle
Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It is situated at the eastern end of the lake, on the narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve, which gives access to the Alpine valley of the Rhône. Chillon is amongst the most visited medieval castles in Europe.
History
A square donjon was built on the island in the 11th century; the identity of the works' commissioner is currently in question. It was built to control the road from Burgundy to the Great Saint Bernard Pass. A charter of 1150, in which Count Humbert III granted the Cistercians of Hautcrêt free passage to Chillon, shows that the castle was under the authority of the House of Savoy.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Chillon Castle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Veytaux |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Sion Airport (SIR) |
| Distance from the airport | 22.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Geneva International Airport (GVA) · Geneva, Switzerland · 40.9 miles away
- EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL) · Bâle / Mulhouse, France · 86.6 miles away
- Turin Airport (TRN) · Caselle Torinese (TO), Italy · 90.8 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Switzerland
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Chillon Castle?
Chillon Castle is a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva, south of Veytaux in the Swiss canton of Vaud.
Where is Chillon Castle located?
Chillon Castle is in Veytaux, Switzerland. Its coordinates are 46.4142° N, 6.9275° E.
How do I get to Chillon Castle?
The nearest town is Veytaux, and the nearest airport is Sion Airport (SIR), about 22.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Chillon Castle built?
Chillon Castle was built 1160.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chillon_Castle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q372647 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.chillon.ch — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.