Yverdon

Yverdon-les-Bains with its 24,000 inhabitants, is the second largest town in the Canton de Vaud. Situated at the southern shore of the Lac de Neuchâtel, it is the southern gate to the Pays des Trois-Lacs (Three Lakes Region), host of the 2002 National Exhibition (Expo.02) in Switzerland.

Understand
Mainly known for its thermal baths, this town has also a rich history and art life. It offers a prehistoric site of standing stones (dolmen) that is more than 6'000 years old, ruins of the Roman town, a castle of the 13th century, as well as a church and a city hall of the 18th century. The arts are well represented with the theatre Benno Besson, the Museum of Yverdon, the Swiss fashion museum, and the science fiction museum La Maison d'Ailleurs.



Get in
Yverdon-les-Bains is served by one of the most efficient passenger rail services in the world, the Swiss Federal Rail. Trains run roughly each hour between 05:20 and 00:06 every day to and from Geneva, Zurich, Berne, Lausanne, Neuchatel, Biel, Fribourg and points in between.

Get around
The transport company TRAVYS (Transport Vallée de Joux - Yverdon-les-Bains - Sainte-Croix) allows you to travel in and around Yverdon-les-Bains. Buses run roughly each 20 minutes between 6AM and 8PM every day.

See

 * The area around the beaches is somewhat industrial, but there are a few cool spots along the shore of the lake. Walk along the canals, watch the birds, and see the (partially rebuilt) menhirs of Clendy. These are situated in the forest, close to the roundabout at the exit of Yverdon towards Estavayer. The most convenient parking lot is the one at the main beach.
 * There is a nature reserve at Champ-Pittet with a forest path and a footbridge through the swamps which leads to a watchtower. The fauna and flora here is typical of the southern shore of Lake Neuchatel. There's even a train station of the Yverdon-Fribourg line near the entrance: get off at Yverdon-Champ-Pittet.
 * The area around the beaches is somewhat industrial, but there are a few cool spots along the shore of the lake. Walk along the canals, watch the birds, and see the (partially rebuilt) menhirs of Clendy. These are situated in the forest, close to the roundabout at the exit of Yverdon towards Estavayer. The most convenient parking lot is the one at the main beach.
 * There is a nature reserve at Champ-Pittet with a forest path and a footbridge through the swamps which leads to a watchtower. The fauna and flora here is typical of the southern shore of Lake Neuchatel. There's even a train station of the Yverdon-Fribourg line near the entrance: get off at Yverdon-Champ-Pittet.
 * The area around the beaches is somewhat industrial, but there are a few cool spots along the shore of the lake. Walk along the canals, watch the birds, and see the (partially rebuilt) menhirs of Clendy. These are situated in the forest, close to the roundabout at the exit of Yverdon towards Estavayer. The most convenient parking lot is the one at the main beach.
 * There is a nature reserve at Champ-Pittet with a forest path and a footbridge through the swamps which leads to a watchtower. The fauna and flora here is typical of the southern shore of Lake Neuchatel. There's even a train station of the Yverdon-Fribourg line near the entrance: get off at Yverdon-Champ-Pittet.

Do

 * Football: Yverdon-Sport FC play soccer in Swiss Super League, the top tier. Their home ground Stade Municipal (capacity 6600) is on the waterfront near the railway station.

Go next

 * Lausanne
 * Neuchâtel
 * The Jura Mountains: Sainte-Croix, Vallorbe, Vallée de Joux
 * Avenches and the ruins of the old roman city of Aventicum
 * Fribourg