The many Faces of Chillon #3 Anne-Sophie

In 2024, we’d like to paint a picture of just some of the people who bring Chillon Castle to life. We’ll be taking a slightly quirky, offbeat peek behind the scenes of the fortress on Lake Geneva. So, ready to take a tour?

The third person to take on the challenge is Anne-Sophie, Cultural Mediation and Visitor Experience Manager. She most notably manages the team of guides who show our many visitors around the monument.

Anne-Sophie, as our brand-new Cultural Mediation and Visitor Experience Manager, what motivated you to join us? The beach? The underground rooms? A penchant for old stones?

Working at the ‘castle to rival all castles’ brings me immense pride and joy. I love this enchanting heritage site. Chillon Castle’s history, surroundings and architecture take me on a journey every single day. So, it makes me so happy that I now get to be part of showcasing that! But I also came here because of the team – they really made me want to join them for the long haul. Our director is an inspiring leader, we have a dazzlingly creative manager, plus a whole team of passionate and enthusiastic guides and events staff… It’s rare to find such dynamism in a cultural organisation. There is always a plethora of projects on the go and I love feeling stimulated by the constant buzz. I feel like I’ve finally found a castle museum that suits my vibe and aligns with my values.

Can you explain a little about what cultural mediation means at Chillon Castle?

The cultural mediation department has one key aim: to create happy, exciting memories for all our visitors. So we’re busy putting together projects that align with the expectations and needs of every visitor who walks through our doors, be it families, toddlers, European tourists or those from further afield, school trips and so on.  Everyone is looking for something different, or has particular challenges, so we have to be doubly creative! Our amazing programme is packed with unique visitor tours, hands-on workshops and cultural events. We also work to bring out the best of our permanent collection, using tools and devices to help our visitors learn all about the castle’s history in an enjoyable, fun way!

What values do you look for when recruiting your guides?

As the head of a team of around 30 on-call guides, I always look for people with integrity, who can be open and willing to share with their colleagues and myself. I try to give them all the tools they need to do their job as smoothly as possible. This also comes from building the kind of trusting environment a team needs to collaborate well all year round, but particularly during peak season – we need to stick together and be able to rely on one another!

If you had a magic wand, what is the ONE thing you would change about Chillon?

If I had a magic wand, I would perform all kinds of miracles to make the castle a lot more accessible; naturally to those with reduced mobility, but also to visitors with other disabilities, such as the blind or visually impaired. Even without a magic wand, I have a few ideas up my sleeve for the long and medium term to help make Chillon one of Switzerland’s most pioneering castles when it comes to inclusion… watch this space!