Montreux lies in the shelter of 2,000 meter high mountain peaks in the Swiss district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud on Lake Geneva. This location and mild climate, which allows for subtropical vegetation on the lakeside promenade, has also made the town a tourist destination of international renown. Furthermore, Montreux is not only known as a music city because of the annual jazz festival.

The first settlements in the region can be traced back to the Bronze Age. The Romans, whose settlement between the second and fourth centuries is indicated by the foundations of a villa, built an army road through what is now Montreux.

A settlement in the Burgundian period, which is documented by a cemetery, was followed by numerous changes of rule between various monasteries in the Middle Ages.

In the 18th century, the town and region first became popular thanks to prominent visitors such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Lord Byron. In the 19th century, the spa and hotel industry expanded thanks to improved transport links and the expansion of the infrastructure.

By 1910, Montreux had developed into a popular tourist destination. After the slumps caused by the two world wars, the city quickly recovered thanks to various music festivals and restored its international reputation.

A town twinning was established with Wiesbaden as early as 1953. To mark the 30th anniversary of this connection, Mayor Jean-Jacques Levey visited the Hessian state capital on May 15, 1982 and signed the city's Golden Book at a festive ceremony in the town hall.