Nyon
A Roman colony founded by Caesar, now a lake town with a white castle and a summer folk festival on the shore.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Julius Caesar founded a colony here around 45 BC for veterans of his legions, Colonia Iulia Equestris, and the Roman town is still legible: columns from the basilica stand re-erected above the lake, and the Roman museum sits on the forum's site with mosaics and inscriptions. Above the harbour the castle, white with five towers, holds a porcelain museum - Nyon had a notable porcelain manufactory around 1800. The town is also headquarters of UEFA. Its largest event is the Paleo Festival in July, one of the biggest open-air music festivals in Europe, held on farmland outside the town, with tickets that routinely sell out within hours of going on sale.
What you actually see
- A Caesar-founded colony - Colonia Iulia Equestris, about 45 BC.
- Re-erected Roman columns - basilica remains standing above the lake.
- A white five-towered castle - with the porcelain collection inside.
- The Paleo Festival - a major July open-air, sold out in hours.
When to go
April to October; July for Paleo if you have tickets. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Paleo tickets sell out almost immediately and accommodation vanishes with them. Museums close on Mondays. The Roman remains are fragments rather than a site to walk through. The lakefront is pleasant but small.
Nearby
Coppet is along the shore; Geneva is south-west.
What to pack for Nyon
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.