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The Freddie Mercury Statue in Montreux has been given a new facelift today. Discover the result which is really wonderful!
One week after a cleaning of the base, the various explanatory plates on the base of the statue were restored and thoroughly cleaned. A beeswax treatment was also applied. A big thank you to the company Clément Borlat & fils, who were commissioned by the Commune of Montreux to carry out this restoration.
Come and stay in the Montreux-Vevey area and enjoy the Freddie Tours at 50% off with the Montreux Riviera Card.
The Montreux Riviera Card is given to you free of charge on arrival at your hotel, holiday flat, private clinic or campsite and entitles you to numerous advantages.
Today, 23 March 2021, the statue of Freddie Mercury on the shores of Lake Montreux underwent a complete cleaning in the early hours of the morning.
A big thank you to the municipality of Montreux and the company Clément Borlat & fils, who, under the impulse of Montreux Celebration, proceeded today, March 23, 2021, to this cleaning.
A high pressure spray of chalk powder mixed with water was used to clean the base of the statue and remove dirt and various traces of wear.
Within a few days, the various information plates on the front and back will be polished and a water-repellent product will be applied. Finally a complete cleaning of the bronze of the statue will be carried out.
We will keep you informed of the progress of the work.
The Parc & Lac Hotel, located downtown Montreux, offers you a 10% discount on your stay. You will also get 50% off your tour with the Montreux Riviera Card.
When booking with the hotel, simply provide your Freddie Tour confirmation code and you will receive a -10% discount on the prices offered.
When you stay overnight in Montreux, you will receive a free Montreux Riviera Card which will allow you to get an additional 50% off the price of your Freddie Tour.
The hotel is located 2 minutes walk from the Covered Market of Montreux, the starting point of the Freddie Tour, and about 5 minutes walk from the Congress Centre, the starting point of the Freddie Tour (Extended). The hotel also offers comfortable rooms.
Freddie Tours accompanied a Spanish crew filming a documentary on Freddie Mercury in Montreux with Peter Freestone.
The first day was spent at the Fairmont Montreux Palace, where we were given access to their beautiful hotel. On the second day, after a visit to the Chalets of Claude Nobs, the whole team went to the lake and to the statue to admire a beautiful sunset.
You will of course be informed once the documentary will be released.
Today a warm wind has carried sand from the desert giving an ochre colour to the atmosphere and offering a spectacular view to the statue of Freddie Mercury.
About 60 to 200 million tonnes of dust have risen several kilometres into the air due to the weather conditions and warm temperatures, before being carried to Switzerland by southerly winds. Known to meteorologists, this relatively rare phenomenon is harmless to humans. It is linked to a strong air flow from the south which brings spring temperatures and a high concentration of Saharan dust suspended in the atmosphere. This sand came mainly from north-west African states: Algeria, Mauritania and Mali.
While waiting to resume the Freddie Tours interrupted momentarily because of COVID-19, here are some winter pictures of Montreux.
A light layer of snow covering the statue of Freddie Mercury fell in Montreux between 25 and 27 January 2021. A true "Winter's Tale" as Freddie referred to it in his famous song taken from the album "Made in Heaven".
Queen: The Studio Experience has been closed to the public since November 4, 2020 and for the second time this year. No reopening date has been announced yet.
Indeed, due to the sanitary directives imposed by the state of Vaud in the fight against COVID-19, the Casino de Montreux which hosts the permanent exhibition Queen: The Studio Experience has been forced to close until further notice.
Freddie Tours will keep you informed as soon as a reopening date will be announced.
We have just finished recording the English version with Peter Freestone, Freddie Mercury's personal assistant for over 10 years.
Many thanks to the Conatus Studio and Vladimir Cochet for the excellent work.
In addition to the many photos and videos, it is Peter Freestone himself that you will hear on the audioguides of the English version during the guided tour and who will give you explanations, stories and anecdotes.
We look forward to welcoming you in Montreux from August 1st, 2020 for the long-awaited launch of the Freddie Tours.
Special offer from June 6 to December 31, 2020. The Freddie Tour and Freddie Tours (Extended) are offered to all holders of a valid Montreux Riviera Card.
The Montreux Riviera Card is offered for each night in the Montreux-Vevey area. It is automatically given to you on arrival at your hotel, holiday apartment or private clinic and gives you many advantages. Reservation required.
More information about the Montreux Riviera Card.
After approximately 3 months of closure, the Montreux Casino announces that the doors of the museum will be reopened to the public on Monday 15 June 2020.
As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, the Swiss Government declares the closure of all public institutions in Switzerland on 16 March 2020. The Montreux Casino and its museum, Queen The Studio Experience, were then forced to close their doors for an indefinite period.
This space, which was formerly the Mountain Studio, is the recording place of the band Queen in Montreux and now houses a faithful reconstruction of the place where Freddie Mercury and Queen recorded many albums.
The exhibition is free and open every day of the year from 10am to 10pm.
Since 16 March 2020 the Swiss authorities have imposed a lockdown on the population and banned all public events and gatherings in order to prevent the spreading of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
A mask with a sign "Stay home" was installed by someone later on the statue as a wink and in support of the medical staff who are working hard during this difficult period.
4 days later, on 20 March 2020, gatherings of more than 5 people were banned throughout Switzerland. These measures had a direct effect on the statue of Freddie Mercury. Indeed, since 8 April, just before the long Easter weekend, the Montreux authorities decided to install barriers, in order to close the access to the pontoon in front of the statue and thus avoid all gatherings.
The statue of Freddie Mercury in Montreux is therefore now confined until further notice.
On 19 may 2020, the fences installed in the early hours of the Coronavirus crisis around the Freddie Mercury statue were removed by the Montreux authorities. Little by little life returns to normal in Montreux and many curious people were around the statue this day to admire it.
In view of the Coronavirus situation and the unique measures taken in Europe and Switzerland, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone all Freddie Tours.
Indeed, gatherings of more than 5 people are now forbidden in Switzerland, which makes it impossible to hold these guided visits.
New dates will be announced depending on the decisions of the Swiss authorities and the improvement of the situation related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
On behalf of Peter Freestone and the Freddie Tours team, we thank you for your understanding and remain at your disposal for all your questions.
If you are visiting Montreux in the next few days, we invite you to discover the superb creation of the SIR boutique located at avenue du Casino 55.
Freddie Mercury's face was indeed reconstructed in their window using clothing. Congratulations for their creativity, the result is really impressive and deserved the visit!
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