The Fort de Chillon celebrates its fifth anniversary as a museum with the exhibition ‘5 ans déjà !’

This exhibition invites you to relive the history of the Fort, its evolution as a museum, its achievements, and its regional roots. Open from September 12 to December 12, 2025.

À travers « 5 ans déjà ! », le Fort de Chillon met en lumière le chemin parcouru ces cinq dernières années en tant que musée, tout en offrant l’opportunité de découvrir son passé fascinant en tant que bunker classé secret défense. Grâce à des photos, des récits et des podcasts, les visiteurs vivront une expérience immersive et riche en émotions.

The exhibition is divided into two complementary parts, offering both a visual and auditory experience.

Part One: The History of the Fort, from Bunker to Museum
The first part of the exhibition, located in the General Guisan Room, will immerse you in the evolution of Fort Chillon, from its initial role as a military bunker to its transformation into a museum. Topics covered include:

• • The Fort before the Museum
  • The construction of the museum
  • The scenography, including behind-the-scenes footage of the reconstructions and a 3D visual presentation of the museum project.
  • Hall of Fame: a gallery of portraits of key figures who contributed to the project's success
  • Memorable moments from the past five years: official visits, the arrival of Spyke (the mascot), and reaching 100,000 visitors, among others.

Part Two: Timeline of the museum's five-year history and its surroundings
The second part of the exhibition presents a timeline covering the period from December 12, 2020, to December 12, 2025, recounting the museum's key events alongside those of local institutions and businesses, illustrating the Fort's gradual integration into the region.

Audio podcasts – an auditory immersion with experts
To enrich this visual experience, we are also offering a series of seven audio podcasts hosted by Sylvain Lavey, a well-known presenter among French-speaking Swiss listeners. These podcasts, each lasting 20 to 30 minutes, feature fascinating conversations with key figures involved in the project and its environment. They provide an insight into the history of Chillon Castle, the challenges it faces, and its contributions to the region. A new podcast will be published every two weeks until December 12 on our social media channels and website.

Practical information
Dates: 12 September to 12 December 2025, Wednesday to Sunday or 7 days a week during the Vaud school holidays
Opening hours: 9.30am to 6.30pm in September, until 6pm in October and 10am to 5.30pm in November/December
Prices: the exhibition is included in the museum entrance ticket

Discover the 7 episodes of the Podcast

Premier épisode : les fondateurs du Musée

Second episode online  Christophe RebetezAEAI fire protection expert, and Christophe Kaempfer, architect, reveal the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of the Fort de Chillon Museum.

Troisième épisode en ligne : François Confino, célèbre scénographe, revient sur le travail accompli pour transformer le Fort de Chillon en un véritable « lieu vivant ».

Fourth episode online: Christian Welter, former captain of Company 55 and last commander of Fort Chillon, and Pierre Wyss, ancien premier lieutenant et officier mitrailleur, partagent leurs souvenirs de la vie au fort entre 1980 et 1995.

Fifth episode online: Christine Chevalley, Mayor of Veytaux, and Grégoire Chappuis, Responsable marketing et communication de Montreux Vevey Tourisme, évoquent les opportunités qu’apporte la création du Musée Fort de Chillon pour la commune et pour l’ensemble de la Riviera.

Sixth episode online: Pierre Streit, historien et ancien officier professionnel, revient sur l’accompagnement historique mené lors de la création du Musée Fort de Chillon. 

Seventh and final episode online: Bernard Chalonan enthusiast of Swiss military fortifications, Marc Weber, ancien fourrier ayant servi dans plusieurs forts, sont tous deux membres de l’Association des Amis du Musée du Fort de Chillon.