Yverdon-les-Bains

History

The heights nearby Yverdon seem to have been settled at least since the Neolithic Age about 5000 BCE, as present archeological evidence shows. The town was at that time only a small market place, at the crossroads of terrestrial and fluvial communication ways. People began to settle, at first in temporary huts at the water-front, for fishers and merchants, then in permanent dwellings. The Celtic Helvetii are said to have been the first permanent settlers of Eburodunum (Celtic and Roman name of Yverdon), from about the 2nd century BCE. About a century later, the Romans realized the commercial and strategic importance of this place: it controlled major routes such as Geneva-Avenches, connecting the Rhône and Rhine basins, as well as those of Rhone and Danube. The imposing Castrum, or stronghold, called Castrum Ebredunense was the second largest in Switzerland and demonstrated the importance the Romans attached to Yverdon. The port served as naval base for the barges supplying the defensive positions along the Rhine, which marked the North-Eastern border of the Empire. Thus the Roman "Vicus" of Eburodunum developed into a prosperous urban centre. The sulphur springs were already used for a thermal spa, as attested by excavations. It is even possible that the Helvetii appreciated the beneficial effects of these waters. About a century after the first invasions of the Alemanni, when the "Vicus" had been completely destroyed, the Romans built a large military stronghold (about 325 CE). It covered about and was protected by gigantic ramparts and 15 masonry towers (Castrum). The Barbarians invaded Italy in the 5th century, and threatened to assault Rome. In a last desperate effort to save the city, all troops stationed North of the Alps were ordered back to Italy. The…

Geography

Yverdon-les-Bains has an area, , of . Of this area, or 31.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 6.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 57.8% is settled (buildings or roads), or 2.7% is either rivers or lakes and or 1.8% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 6.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 26.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 15.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.5% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.4%. Out of the forested land, 4.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 27.1% is used for growing crops and 3.5% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. The municipality of Gressy merged on 1 July 2011 into the municipality of Yverdon-les-Bains.

Most-observed species

• Meadow Brown

  Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  9,293
• European roe deer

  Capreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Mammalia
  5,126
• Marbled White

  Melanargia galathea Linnaeus, 1758 · Insecta
  4,281
• Small Heath

  Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  4,174
• Eurasian beaver

  Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758 · Mammalia
  3,701
• Small Tortoiseshell

  Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  3,643
• red fox

  Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) · Mammalia
  3,569
• Common Blue

  Polyommatus icarus (von Rottemburg, 1775) · Insecta
  3,440

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2025-07-21
  4 km E of Frutigen, Switzerland
• M 4.4 — 2023-03-22
  1 km NW of Pont-de-Roide, France
• M 3.3 — 2022-09-25
  7 km ESE of Ar?ches-la-Frasse, France
• M 2.7 — 2022-08-23
  4 km S of Turtmann, Switzerland
• M 4.1 — 2021-12-24
  2 km WSW of Blamont, France
• M 3.4 — 2020-06-23
  11 km ESE of Samoëns, France