Yverdon-les-Bains (canton of Vaud) lies at the crossroads of country roads running east to west and north to south, and along waterways across Lake Neuchâtel and the River Thielle/Zihl.

The largest menhir and the largest menhir cluster in Switzerland are found in this region. They date back to the fourth millennium BC. The cluster consists of 45 menhirs.

Collection: Hautrive, Laténium

Furthermore, pile-dwelling houses have been discovered dating back to this period and the beginning of the first millennium. The oldest dates from 3860 BC (Early Neolithic), the youngest from the beginning of the 1st millennium BC (the Late Bronze Age).

The pile-dwelling houses are located in the Baie de Clendy. They are among the 56 sites in Switzerland on the UNESCO World Heritage List. An oppidum covering approximately 4 hectares and a murus gallicus have been identified from the first centuries BC.

In Roman times, the vicus Eburodunum was established on both banks of the Zihl. In 1912, Roman baths were excavated. This indicates that Les Bains had already earned its name and reputation in Roman times.

Collection: Musée d’Yverdon et Région

During the turbulent 4th century, which included the sacking of Aventicum (Avenches), a castrum was built at Eburodunum because of its strategic location.

Following the Christianisation in the 5th century, the first church was also built on this site. The Romans were succeeded by the First Burgundian Kingdom and, subsequently, by the Bishop of Lausanne.

Jean-Jacques Berthoud, vue de la ville d’Yverdon-les-Bains, 1755. Collection: Musée d’Yverdon et Région

The rule of Savoy began around 1250, following an era of local rulers. The castle, a typical Savoyard fortress, was built around 1260. During the Burgundian Wars, Fribourg and Bern razed the town to the ground in 1476.

 

La Salle d’Audience and the ‘Nebenstuben’, around 1586

After a renewed period under Savoy, Bern conquered the town in 1536 and governed it until 1798. The town hall (1760) dates from this period.

The Bernese governor resided in the castle. Forced by Bern in 1536, Yverdon adopted the Reformation, with major consequences for the Notre-Dame, which was partially demolished and refurbished.

The town, a part of the canton of Vaud since 1803, gained European renown as a spa resort in the second half of the 19th century until the First World War (1914–1918).

(Source and further information: Musée d’Yverdon et Région; Commune d’Yverdon-les-Bains)