Chernex

Origin of the name Chernex

The origin of the name Chernex is not explained by the sources consulted, and no dated first written mention has been found.

Founding of Chernex

Chernex is a village above Montreux, today in the municipality of Montreux (Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut district). The sources consulted give neither the date nor the founders of its creation. It is one of the seventeen villages and hamlets that made up the former municipality of Le Châtelard, alongside Sonzier, Les Avants, Brent, Chailly, Clarens and Tavel; it therefore shared the history of that municipality (Le Châtelard entry) until the merger of 1962. The municipality of Montreux describes it as one of the oldest villages in its territory. Chernex lay on one of the roads that ran down from the Col de Jaman towards Chailly, with a branch towards Clarens and Vevey.

History of Chernex

15th century. The mule track over the Col de Jaman, coming from the Pays d'Enhaut and the Haute-Gruyère, is attested and ends in the territory of Montreux; one of its roads runs down to Chailly via Chernex and Planchamp, with a branch at Chernex towards Clarens.

until 1961. Chernex is part of the municipality of Le Châtelard, one of the two municipalities in the territory of Montreux.

15 December 1814. A great fire devastates the village. According to local tradition, it later earns the inhabitants the nickname « Lanternes ».

1890-1910. The photographer Elisée Fransioli (1857-1939) photographs the village of Chernex from today's route de l'Arzillière; the picture is kept in the Montreux Archives.

1901. Opening of the Montreux-Bernese Oberland railway (MOB), which today serves Chernex with a station.

1908. Founding of the men's choir « La Jeune Harmonie », which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2008.

1909. Founding of the Chernex development society, which celebrates its centenary in 2009 and publishes the quarterly local newspaper « La Lanterne ».

1962. The merger of Le Châtelard and Les Planches creates the municipality of Montreux, to which Chernex now belongs.

2009. The village has 1'780 inhabitants and has shops, a school, a pharmacy and a post office.

2015. Chernex has about 1'800 inhabitants.

Population of Chernex

Population of Chernex

2009	1'780 inhabitants
2015	1'800 inhabitants (approx.)

Historic sites in Chernex

The village and its view of Lake Geneva. Located above Montreux, Chernex offers a wide view of Lake Geneva. The village has kept an active local life: shops, a school, a development society and local associations such as the men's choir « La Jeune Harmonie ».

Chernex MOB station. The village is served by the Montreux-Bernese Oberland railway (MOB), opened in 1901, and by the PostBus.

Legends of Chernex

Why the inhabitants are called « les Lanternes ». Local tradition gives two explanations for this nickname. According to the first, the inhabitants hunted wolves using lanterns for light. According to the second, after the great fire of 15 December 1814, villagers were forbidden to use open flames such as candles or torches: only closed lanterns were allowed.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Châtelard, Le (VD) »
• Commune de Montreux, « Chernex »
• Commune de Montreux, « Vivre à Montreux » n° 3 (mai 2009), « Centenaire de la société de développement de Chernex »
• Commune de Montreux, « Vivre à Montreux » n° 42 (octobre 2018)
• MyMontreux, « Pourquoi les habitants de Chernex s'appellent "Les Lanternes" ? » (17 mars 2015)
• Commune de Montreux, « Un héritage à redécouvrir » (plan directeur communal)
• Wikipedia (DE), « Montreux »
• Wikipedia (EN), « Montreux »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Other villages near Chernex

• Le Châtelard (VD)
• Brent (VD)
• Chamby (VD)
• Clarens (VD)
• Montreux (VD)