Switzerland Guide
The Arc Jurassien
Avenches
About 10km northeast of Payerne, Avenches was the capital of Roman Switzerland, at one time supporting a population of 20,000. These days, life in the town is more smugly suburban, but it's well worth visiting, both for the medieval town centre and the extensive Roman remains.
Climbing the hill from the train station, the first thing you come to is the large amphitheatre crowning the eastern edge of the Old Town, well restored and now the scene of an annual summer opera festival. The tower at the rear of the arena houses the excellent Musée Romain (Tues– Sun: April– Sept 10am– noon & 1–5pm; Oct– March 2–5pm; Fr.4). The ground floor is filled with statuary and mosaics, while upstairs are very impressive collections of Roman bits and bobs. Fascinating details of ordinary life – such as the fact that a glass of wine cost a quarter of a sesterce, while commissioning a statue of the goddess Aventia with an inscription would set you back 5200 sesterces – are filled out with maps and figurines, including a copy of a spectacular gold bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Dotted around town are seven other (free) Roman sites – the tourist office has a brochure – all of which are well signposted; aim for the Tour de la Cigogne, a gnarled old column standing tall in a field, once part of a temple sanctuary and now almost swamped by suburbia.
Avenches' train station is on the Murten– Payerne line. There are also plenty of buses. An HI hostel is at 5 Rue du Lavoir ( 
026 675 26 66, 
www.youthhostel.ch ; Price: Under Fr.100; April– Oct), with dorms from Fr.29. The grandest hotel is the Couronne, 20 Rue Centrale ( 026 675 54 14, www.lacouronne.ch ; Price: Fr.150–250), which also has the poshest brasserie around (menus Fr.25). There are pavement cafés along Rue Centrale, or you could try inexpensive pizza/pasta in Tearoom du Musée, opposite the amphitheatre.