Situated at the foot of the Alps on the northeast shore of Lake Geneva, Montreaux lies southeast of Lausanne and has been settled since the Late Bronze Age. During the Roman era, Montreaux was an important settlement that was the gateway to Gaul, and several Roman villas can still be seen in the region. While visiting, consider hiring a rental car in order to explore the region on your own time frame. Interesting sites to see in Montreaux include Crêtes Castle, Châtelard Castle, a historic train station, the Hôtel Montreaux-Palace and the Villa Karma, which are all listed as Swiss Heritage Sites of National Significance. In addition, the area along Lake Geneva is particularly beautiful here and stretches from Villeneuve to Vevay. Also of note, Place du Marché is the main square of the town and features a contemporary statue of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. But this is not town's only claim to Rock 'n Roll fame. Montreaux is home to Mountain Studios, where Led Zeppelin recorded the famous Bonzo's Montreaux, and the song “Smoke on the Water,” by Deep Purple was written about a 1971 incident involving a flare gun and a Frank Zappa fan, that ended with the Montreaux Casino in flames.