La Tène Archaeological Site

Address: La Tène site area near Lake Neuchâtel, Canton of Neuchâtel. Coordinates: 47.00519, 7.0218

Admission: No formal admission for the archaeological area; local museum entry fees may apply

La Tène is an archaeological locality on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and is the type site for the La Tène culture of the European Iron Age. Finds from the site in the 19th century defined a cultural phase of the late Iron Age.

Archaeological material recovered at La Tène includes metalwork and other artefacts characteristic of the La Tène cultural tradition, which is generally dated to approximately the 5th to 1st centuries BCE. The site has been important for studies of Iron Age Europe.

The locality was identified and excavated in the 19th century when lake-shore and wetland deposits yielded artefacts; subsequent research has placed those finds in a wider European cultural context. The site remains a reference point in archaeology for that period.

La Tène sits on the northeastern shore of Lake Neuchâtel in western Switzerland, within the Canton of Neuchâtel and near transport routes along the lake between Neuchâtel and Biel/Bienne.

• Namesake of La Tène culture: The site gave its name to the La Tène culture, the continental European Iron Age phase dated roughly from the 5th to 1st centuries BCE, after archaeological finds at the location.

La Tène is accessible by road near the northeastern shore of Lake Neuchâtel. From Neuchâtel city center, drive or cycle northeast along local roads; regional trains and buses serve nearby towns with a short onward connection by bike or taxi.

• Visit the La Tène archaeological displays at the Musée cantonal d'archéologie in Neuchâtel to see artifacts found near the site.
• Late spring and early autumn provide comfortable weather and good light to inspect shoreline traces of the settlement.
• Combine with regional cycling routes along Lake Neuchâtel for a full-day excursion.