Construction work

Work carried out on the castle ranges from minor maintenance to major campaigns. These projects run in parallel with tourist activities.

Projects at Chillon are split across two branches: in alignment with neighbouring sections or parts of the building, and the annual cycle of themed campaigns.

Sectoral projects are often part of larger-scale campaigns, such as the restoration of the château’s lakefront facades between 2013 and 2025. Annual thematic campaigns enable routine maintenance work (roofing), inventory-related checks (wood, painted decor), or specific projects (improving railings, lighting reform, one-off consolidation of masonry).

Since October 2017, the Chillon Castle Foundation and the State of Vaud have been working on the landscaping of the estate, the installation of public lighting and the construction of a pavilion-cafeteria, the Café Byron. The aim was to beautify the site, better protect the environment and improve the visitor experience. Phase 1a ran from September to mid-October 2018 with the redevelopment of the garden, and phase 1b from mid-October to the end of November 2018 along the quay to the castle. Construction of the Café Byron began on 22.10.2018 and will be completed on 31.03.2020. All these works were completed in May 2020.

In 2024, restoration work was carried out on the curtain walls and the parapet walk. Between 2026 and 2030, the Foundation will embark on the 3rd phase of work on the exterior facades, a continuation of the restoration program begun in 1997.

In order to keep the monument accessible to the public and guarantee visitor comfort, the work will be carried out in several distinct phases.

Since Chillon is open to the public almost every day of the year, a delicate (yet interesting) balance must be struck between construction projects and tourist activities.