Housed in the Palais de Rumine, on the Place de la Riponne in the centre of Lausanne, the Vaud Archaeology and History Museum tells the story of the Lake Geneva Region, from the Neolithic period to the present day, and even on into the future! A cultural and entertaining visit for the whole family.
Many objects from the Neolithic period such as ceramics, baskets and wood items have been unearthed on the region’s lakeshores. The free permanent exhibition of the Vaud Archaeology and History Museum begins with a life size “lakeside” excavation and Neolithic cemetery viewed through a glass floor.The second part of the exhibition invites visitors on a journey through time starting with a trip into the future, to the Year of our Lord 3081. It then returns to the 20th century, to 1803, the date of the canton of Vaud’s independence, then to the period under Bernese authority (from 1536 to 1798). Even further back into the past, we see the Savoy domination, the direct dependence of the Holy Roman Empire and – this chapter is less well-known – the reign of the Burgundian Kings (from 888 to 1032).The museum also have a permanent exhibition on currency and the role of money over the centuries.The museum also organises educational activities for schools and children during the holidays.
