A golden bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius is the centrepiece of the Aventicum – Musée romain d'Avenches. It was found in 1939 in a conduit at the sanctuary of Cigognier. The museum is housed in a medieval tower above the Roman amphitheatre. It displays mosaics and reliefs, tells the story of Aventicum’s history and Romanisation, and offers insights into the private lives of the Helvetians. The discovery of Broye-Vully’s Roman heritage thus begins with a tangible find and leads on to an entire archaeological site.
Avenches: Roman traces on foot or by bicycle
The excavated remains of Aventicum, which are accessible at all times, include a theatre, an amphitheatre, a temple, a sanctuary, the forum baths and the east gate. Check the latest access information before your visit. An easy, accessible-to-all walking tour takes you through the former capital of Roman Helvetia; it can also be done by bicycle.
The route offers a 360-degree panorama of the Roman site, the medieval town of Avenches, Lake Murten and the Vully vineyards. The tour thus combines archaeological stops with views of other historical and landscape highlights. If you would rather explore individual finds than follow a route, the museum’s collection offers a different focus.
Mosaics, abbey and town history
The Musée romain de Vallon is located at the site of a Roman archaeological site and presents the region’s Roman heritage through mosaics, wall paintings and objects. Its featured works include the Bacchus et Ariane and Venatio mosaics, discovered in 1985 and 1989 respectively. The museum also depicts everyday life at the site during the first four centuries of our era.
In Payerne, an interactive tour with at least 20 stops presents the architecture, history, sculptural decoration and wall paintings of the abbey church. In Moudon, a historical walk takes in 30 remarkable buildings and illustrates around 600 years of the town’s history, particularly Savoyard rule and the Bernese occupation. The Ville-Haute is classified as a site of national importance. At its highest point stands the Château de Rochefort, one of the town’s most significant buildings, spanning several centuries of its history. These stops offer different perspectives, from a single mosaic to a historic townscape.
Horse breeding and its work
The Haras National Suisse in Avenches was founded in 1898 as a centre for Swiss horse breeding. Its activities today include equine education and research, as well as promoting and supporting the Freiberger horse breed. A 33-stop educational trail leads through the Haras and introduces its various activities. Check the latest access information before visiting.
Grande Cariçaie: wetlands and waterside paths
The Grande Cariçaie is Switzerland’s largest lakeside wetland area, covering nearly 3,000 hectares. Its eight nature reserves are mostly accessible on foot or by bicycle. The La Sauge visitor centre in Cudrefin and Champ-Pittet in Yverdon-les-Bains serve as gateways to the protected areas. The La Sauge–Chabrey route is an easy waterside hike in the heart of the Grande Cariçaie.
There are different types of routes to choose from: in Avenches, an easy circuit leads through the former Roman capital and offers views of the town, lake and vineyards; on the La Sauge–Chabrey route, the water and wetland shape the character of the hike. Which perspective you choose to explore further depends on whether you are more interested in archaeological traces or a route through a protected area.
Vully wines and historic trails
The Vully wine-growing region is Switzerland’s only inter-cantonal AOC. Its 150 hectares are divided between 50 hectares in the canton of Vaud and 100 hectares in the canton of Fribourg. Winegrowers offer tastings; if you plan to sample the wines, confirm the date in advance. The Sentier historique du Vully also links regional discoveries: it leads to the Grottes des Roches Grises above the wine-growing village of Môtier, passes the Pierre Agassiz erratic boulder and climbs to a viewpoint overlooking the Three Lakes, the Jura and the Alps.
Another striking landscape feature is Salavaux’s sandy beach: it is considered Switzerland’s largest sandy beach and is more than 800 metres long. Together with the vineyards, historic trails and Roman sites, it offers a wide range of ways to explore Broye-Vully.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Cudrefin, Payerne, Vers-Chez-Perrin, Bellerive Vd, Faoug, Cremin, Vully-Les-Lacs, Mur VD, Chevroux, Dompierre VD, Corcelles-le-Jorat.
Go to the main travel overview: Vaud.
