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.

Market place

• Yverdon-les-Bains Region Tourist Office, Avenue de la Gare 2 (200 m from railway station), ☏ +41 24 423 61 01, info@yverdon-les-bains.ch. 

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

• Museum of Yverdon-les-Bains and Region (in the castle). Exhibits about the 6'000 years of the local history, and Egyptians antiques displayed in the castle. 
• Centre Pestalozzi. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) has lived during 20 years in the Castle, where he managed his educational institution from 1805 until 1825. 
• Swiss fashion museum (Musée suisse de la Mode). 3000 items of clothing and accessories. A unique and precious collection exclusively made of donations. 
• 1 Maison d'Ailleurs. The Maison d'Ailleurs is devoted to science fiction and to superhero comics – and as such is the only of its kind in Europe. Its collection of more than 60'000 items is opened to scholars and researchers. Each year, 2-3 special exhibitions are organized on a great variety of topics related to science fiction, utopia and extraordinary journeys, such as flying cars, James Gurney’s Dinotopia, xenobiology, science fiction as a source of inspiration for ESA’s engineers, etc. 
• 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.

Eat

• 1 Don Camillo, Rue du Pré 10. Great Italian restaurant in the middle of downtown. Good food, good prices 
• 2 La Table de Mary, Route du Gymnase, 2, ☏ +41 24 436 31 10. 
• 3 La Grenette. The place for haute cuisine in Yverdon. Inventive mains and worthy desserts. Outdoor seating on a nice street. 
• 4 La Brass'ry, 8 Rue de la Plaine. A good place to grab a sandwich with a drink for a quick lunch while wandering around the historical center. Located right next to the castle. 
• 5 Double R, Rue du Collège 4, ☏ +41 79 464 77 95. (updated Mar 2019)

Drink

• L'intemporel Café, Rue du Lac 8, ☏ +41 24 425 50 90. Coffee, board games, and a fine selection of teas and Swiss and imported beers in a slightly under-decorated but comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. 

Sleep

Budget

• Gite du Passant (Youth Hostel), Rue du Parc 14, ☏ +41 24 425 12 33, fax: +41 24 426 00 96. 
• Camping des Iris, ☏ +41 24 425 10 89, fax: +41 24 425 76 31. 
• Campings VD8, Le Pécos, Les Cluds. 

Mid-range

• Expo Hôtel, En Chamard, 1442 Montagny-pres-Yverdon. 
• Hôtel de la Maison Blanche, En Calamin, 1405 Pomy. 
• Bed and Breakfast - La Sablonnaire, Rue de la Sablonnaire 1. 

Splurge

• Hôtel du Théâtre, Avenue Haldimand 5, ☏ +41 24 424 60 00, fax: +41 24 424 60 01, info@hotelyverdon.ch. Fr. 115/170 singles/doubles standard. 
• Grand Hôtel des Bains, Avenue des Bains 22, ☏ +41 24 424 64 64, fax: +41 24 424 64 65, reservation@grandhotelyverdon.ch. Fr. 200/280 singles/doubles standard. 
• Hôtel/Café-restaurant de la Prairie, Avenue des Bains 9, ☏ +41 24 423 31 31, fax: +41 24 425 00 79, contact@hotelprairie.ch. Fr. 165/245 singles/doubles. 

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