Yverdon-les-Bains Castle

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Yverdon-les-Bains Castle, also known as Château d’Yverdon, is in Yverdon-les-Bains, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The castle began in the 13th century after Peter II, Count of Savoy, acquired the rights to the site around 1260. He hired Master John and his son James to build it. James of St. George, who was trained by his father, would later become a famous castle builder in England and Wales.

For a long time the castle was the residence of the Savoy castellans until 1536, then it became the property of Bern’s authorities. In 1798, during the Helvetic Republic, the Département du Léman owned the castle. Yverdon later took it over and gave it to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and his educational institute. From 1838 the castle housed a public school. Classes were added on the second floor, and by 1974 the last classrooms had closed. The medieval structure was then restored.

Today the castle is a multi-purpose cultural center. It houses a regional museum, a theatre, conference rooms, and the oldest public library in French-speaking Switzerland, founded in 1763 and now part of the castle museum since 1830.