Aventicum

Aventicum is the Roman-era city located at modern Avenches in the canton of Vaud, which served as the capital of the Helvetii during Roman rule from the 1st century AD.

The site contains major archaeological remains including an amphitheatre, stretches of city walls and the Roman street layout; these are the main reasons visitors come. Excavated artifacts are displayed in the local museum, which interprets the urban plan and public buildings of the ancient city.

Aventicum was developed under Roman administration as a provincial capital and urban centre, with public buildings, temples and defensive works. Over the centuries the site was abandoned and buried, with systematic archaeological excavations beginning in the 19th and 20th centuries that recovered much of the visible remains today.

The ruins sit at the location of modern Avenches in Vaud, roughly midway between Lausanne and Bern in western Switzerland, on agricultural lowlands above the Broye plain.

• Site accessibility: Many ruins are concentrated around modern Avenches and are accessible on foot; the local museum provides context for the excavated remains.

What to See #

• Amphitheatre: A large Roman-era amphitheatre located on the outskirts of modern Avenches, where excavations have revealed seating and entrance structures from the Roman city.
• City walls and street plan: Sections of the city walls and street grid remain visible across the site, marking the layout of the Roman municipal centre.
• Avenches Roman Museum: A local archaeological museum displaying finds from the site, including inscriptions, sculptures and everyday Roman objects recovered during excavations.