Ancient Aventicum is a city that intertwines past and present in a fascinating way. Founded at the beginning of the 1st century A.D., this once principal city of Roman Helvetia reached its peak of prosperity under Emperor Vespasian.

Aventicum was a lively and flourishing city with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants and a 6-kilometre-long city wall with 75 semi-circular towers and four monumental gates. As the centuries passed, however, the invasions of the Allemanni in 260 and 354 marked the decline of Aventicum. Although it served as a bishopric in late antiquity, the transfer of the bishop to Lausanne in 594 deprived it of further importance. In the following centuries, parts of its Roman structures were dismantled for building material, leaving only a few remnants of its former splendour. Today, visitors to Avenches can still discover the secrets of its past through archaeological remains. The medieval town retains traces of Roman walls, including the East Gate and a tower, the Toroallaz. In the lower part are the remains of the thermal baths, the Capitol, the theatre and the impressive Temple of the Stork, so called because storks used to nest there on a 12-metre-high column. One of the most fascinating spots is the Roman amphitheatre, the best preserved in Switzerland, which could seat up to 12,000 spectators. Located at the entrance to the medieval town, it evokes a time of spectacles and celebrations. In the Grand-Rue, the medieval town reveals other gems, such as the evangelical St. Mary Magdalene Church, dating back to the end of the 11th century, and the town hall dating back to 1753, characterised by its façade decorated with two figures of Moors holding the town’s coat of arms. The castle, transformed and enlarged by the Bernese bailiffs in the 16th century, adds a Renaissance touch to the townscape with its elegant façade from 1565 designed by architect Antoine Ballanche. Strolling around Avenches, it is easy to lose yourself in the traces of a glorious past and the charm of its mediaeval heritage, on a journey that blends history, architecture and culture.