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Overview:
Yverdon, Switzerland, was founded in 1260
when Pierre of Savoy, who worked on the Chateau de Chillon,
built a castle on what was then the lakefront to defend against
attack from the east (the lake has since silted up so that the
fortress is now the best part of a kilometer inland). However,
the presence of prehistoric standing stones, and also of Roman
remains scattered throughout the area, indicates that the
Savoyards were not the first to see the strategic importance of
Yverdon’s location. In fact, Yverdon – known as Eburodunum
(the Fortress of the Yew Tree) in Gallo-Roman times – lies on
one of Europe’s most significant ancient crossroads. The
shortest routes from central France to Italy, and from southern
France to Middle Europe and Germany, not to mention the vital
water route linking the Rhone and the Rhine, all passed through
Yverdon. Yverdon’s
train station is 100m northeast of the Old Town,
and about 600m southwest of the lakeshore; the post office
is next door. Boats dock at the debarcadere on Quai de
Nogent near the racecourse; it’s a fifteen-minute walk south
along the River Thiele and under the train tracks to reach the
Old Town.
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