Aventicum (Avenches)
Aventicum / Avenches
The ruins of Aventicum, capital of Roman Helvetia, with an amphitheatre, a freestanding temple column and a Roman museum. A small medieval town sits atop the site.
Aventicum, the capital of Roman Helvetia, now lies at the modern town of Avenches. At its peak it had a population of about 20,000, and its city walls ran for 5.5 km. The most striking feature today is the amphitheatre, which holds about 16,000 spectators. The Avenches Opera Festival is staged here in open-air performances each summer. Also worth seeing in the fields are the lone giant columns of the 'Cigognier' temple, the remains of a Roman theatre and the Tornallaz city wall tower. Inside the medieval tower above the amphitheatre is the Roman Museum, which displays artifacts including a replica of the famous gilded bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius. The archaeological site is free all day. The museum is open roughly Tuesday to Sunday from April to September, with shorter hours in winter. Admission is a few CHF. Avenches lies about 30 km from Neuchâtel and can be reached by train via Murten. It pairs well with the old town of Murten for a half-day trip.
Opening hours
Site open all day; museum closed Mon
Nearby sights
- Laténium
- Lake Neuchâtel Promenade & Boat Cruise
- Hôtel DuPeyrou
- Museum of Art and History of Neuchâtel
- Neuchâtel Old Town
- Neuchâtel Castle & Collegiate Church
- Ethnography Museum of Neuchâtel
- Chaumont