Freddie Mercury Statue

Freddie Mercury began visiting Montreux—a town on the eastern coast of Lake Geneva—in 1979 and eventually made his home here while Queen recorded albums at the nearby Mountain Studios. In 1996, the town unveiled a memorial statue of the singer by Czech sculptor Irena Sedlecká. The statue mimics Mercury’s signature stance—arm outstretched, microphone in hand—and was featured on the cover of the band’s last album, Made in Heaven, which was released after Mercury’s death.

Many visitors combine a stop at the statue with a trip to the nearby Queen: The Studio Experience museum. You can also see the statue on many guided tours that also include nearby sights like the magnificent Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon).

• Montreux holds an annual memorial dedicated to Freddie Mercury on the first weekend of September.

• The memorial is free to visit and best accessed on foot; the promenade makes a lovely spot for a morning stroll.

• The area around the statue is wheelchair accessible.

The memorial is located at Place du Marché in Montreux, on the promenade overlooking Lake Geneva. The closest train stations are Montreux Gare and Montreux-Collège; both are about a 10-minute walk away. The town’s ferry terminal is also conveniently close; ferry routes link Montreux to other lakeside towns and sights, including Lausanne and Villeneuve.

The memorial is available to see all year round and is in a public spot with no fences or restrictions. The memorial is particularly popular during the city’s annual jazz festival, which takes place in June and July.

To really learn about Queen’s time in Montreux, head to Queen: The Studio Experience. The museum is housed in the famous Mountain Studios, a recording studio that was once owned by the band and the spot where they made seven albums. The museum boasts interactive exhibitions and displays iconic costumes, instruments, and other fascinating memorabilia.