Bazar Suisse · Montreux
The roots of Bazar Suisse date back to 1875. For more than a century, this family business has been part of the story of Montreux, its residents and its visitors.
1875
In 1875, Mr Ritscher founded the Bazar Suisse at the foot of the steps leading to Montreux railway station.
The town was then experiencing a major boom in tourism, spurred on by the arrival of the railway in 1861.
Thirty years before the opening of the Bazar Anglais, the shop thus began a history that has spanned generations and continues to this day.
1905
The Bazar Anglais opened its doors at Grand-Rue 24 in Montreux on 16 May 1905.
At the time, its range comprised toys, jewellery, leather goods, stationery, decorative items and household goods. The shop quickly became a favourite destination for both locals and the many visitors passing through the region.
1960
In the early 1960s, Kurt Müller takes over the shop and opens a new chapter in its history.
Under his leadership, Bazar Suisse continues to grow while preserving its identity as a welcoming family business deeply rooted in life in Montreux.
1975
Norbert Müller joins the family business in 1975, after working at the Montreux Tourist Office, notably alongside Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Bazar Suisse also comes to hold a special place in his personal life. In the shop he meets Chetna, then an employee of his father, Kurt Müller. She becomes his wife and the mother of their two children, Lucien and Sita, placing Bazar Suisse even more firmly at the heart of their family story.
1988
At the end of the 1980s, Bazar Suisse leaves its premises near the station and moves to Grand-Rue 24, the historic home of Bazar Anglais.
The stories of the two shops come together under one name. Norbert Müller takes over the management and continues the work begun by his father.
Article published on 31 December 1987: “Le Bazar anglais deviendra… suisse”. Download the press article (PDF).
1995
At Tania Gauger’s initiative, Norbert Müller takes part in creating the Montreux Christmas Market alongside several local shopkeepers, including Monique Berney and Pascal Bettex.
Inspired by a study trip to Germany, notably to Mannheim, they envision an event capable of bringing the town centre to life during winter. The first edition opens on 15 December 1995 with 80 chalets.
The project goes on to become one of Montreux’s most important events and makes a lasting contribution to the town’s international reputation.
1996
The unveiling of the Freddie Mercury statue on the Montreux lakeside permanently changes the face of the town.
A music lover and Queen fan, Norbert immediately understands the importance of this new place of remembrance. Bazar Suisse begins offering items dedicated to Freddie Mercury and Queen.
Through relationships with Queen Management and the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the shop gradually builds a collection of official products, including several exclusive creations available only in Montreux.
2001
Norbert helps develop the first guided tours devoted to Freddie Mercury’s story in Montreux.
These tours allow fans to discover the places the singer knew and better understand the deep bond between Freddie and the town.
2003
The first official gathering dedicated to Freddie Mercury is held in Montreux in September 2003.
Over the years, it grows and brings together fans from all over the world. It becomes the Freddie Celebration Days and later the Freddie Days. Bazar Suisse naturally establishes itself as one of the main meeting points for this international community.
2024
Norbert Müller passed away on 10 September 2024, having devoted nearly fifty years to the Swiss Bazaar and community life in Montreux.
A passionate retailer, co-founder of the Christmas Market – of which he was vice-chairman until 2023 – chairman of SICOM (Société industrielle et commerciale de Montreux) for many years, and a keen enthusiast of Freddie Mercury’s life and legacy, he leaves a lasting legacy in the town and with the many people he welcomed into his shop.
2024
Following her father’s death, Sita Stadelmann took over the management of the Bazar Suisse, representing the third generation of this family business.
She continues to develop the shop whilst preserving its identity, whilst adapting it to the expectations of a new generation of customers. At the same time, her brother Lucien Müller carries on the family’s musical and tourism heritage through Freddie Tours and Freddie Days.
Today
Today, the Bazar Suisse brings together under one roof gifts, Swiss souvenirs and a large collection dedicated to Freddie Mercury and Queen.
More than a century after the Bazar Anglais first opened, the shop remains a family-run business, with a warm atmosphere and deep roots in Montreux.
From Kurt to Norbert, and then from Norbert to Sita and Lucien, three generations of the Müller family have kept alive much more than just a business: a true Montreux institution.
Montreux
Over the decades, the shop has welcomed visitors from all over the world, including many leading figures from film and music.
Freddie Mercury
In Mercury and Me, Jim Hutton recalls bringing model railway catalogues back from Montreux. Freddie later gave him a Rhinegold model, bought in London for Garden Lodge’s Christmas decorations.
Bazar Suisse was then Montreux’s leading address for model trains, so the catalogues most likely came from the shop.
Norbert Müller could never confirm that he had served Freddie Mercury. Perhaps the singer blended in among the customers, or Norbert was too busy to recognise him. The mystery remains.
Brian May
Whenever he visits Montreux, Brian May regularly calls in to see Norbert Müller at Bazar Suisse.
Their friendship goes far beyond the shop. It grows from a shared passion for music, Freddie Mercury’s history in Montreux and their support for the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
After Norbert’s death, Queen’s circle pays tribute to a loyal friend and to his shop, an Aladdin’s cave where toys, cuckoo clocks and Queen memorabilia have stood side by side for generations.
Alice Cooper
During a visit to Montreux, Alice Cooper enters Bazar Suisse to have a Swiss Army knife engraved, convinced that he has not been recognised.
Norbert asks whether he should engrave “Alice Cooper or Vincent Damon Furnier”. Surprised to hear his birth name, the artist laughs and calls to his wife: “Honey, can you believe it? He recognised me!”
His shout draws the attention of the other customers, who soon join in the amusement. This memorable encounter owes as much to the Swiss Army knife as to Norbert’s wonderfully dry humour.
Roger Moore
Roger Moore, known throughout the world for playing James Bond, is one of Bazar Suisse’s regular customers.
During his stays in the region, he regularly visits the shop and takes time to browse its shelves. Despite his international fame, he values the simplicity and discretion he finds in Montreux, where famous people can mingle with everyday life without being constantly disturbed.
At Bazar Suisse, James Bond simply becomes Roger Moore again: a familiar customer, welcomed like anyone else.
Michael Jackson
In January 1997, Michael Jackson took the opportunity during a visit to Montreux to explore the Bazar Suisse.
The arrival of a particularly famous figure had been announced. A large black car pulled up outside the entrance: the singer stepped out.
After browsing the shelves, he left with two unexpected purchases: a Barbie doll and a pair of handcuffs. This surprising combination made his visit one of the most unusual anecdotes in the shop’s history.
James Mason
British actor James Mason, who lived in the region, was also a customer of Bazar Anglais.
One day, a young customer meets him in the shop without knowing who he is. Only later, while watching North by Northwest, does he recognise the impressive visitor he had seen in Montreux.
Between two shelves, a figure from the cinema had slipped into his everyday life. That late recognition turned a simple encounter in the shop into a memory worthy of a film.
Brian May, Michael Jackson, Roger Moore, Alice Cooper, James Mason and many other personalities have walked through the doors of Bazar Anglais and Bazar Suisse over the decades.
The guest book kept in the shop brings together signatures, messages, photographs and memories left by these famous visitors. It reveals another side of Montreux: a town where the world’s biggest stars could enter a shop, choose a gift or a Swiss Army knife and, for a few moments, become customers almost like anyone else.
