The Château de La Sarraz overlooks the Orbe plain and traces nearly a thousand years of Vaud history. Here you can visit apartments furnished in different periods, a Gothic chapel, a French formal garden and the Horse Museum.
Castles & forts
Main highlights
- Historic apartments furnished from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, visited with a guide
- The Horse Museum, the first of its kind in Switzerland, housed in the former stables
- A French formal garden and a terrace overlooking the Vaud Jura and the plain
Overview
The Château de La Sarraz is a feudal fortress built in the 11th century by the Grandson family. The lords of La Sarraz lived here for nearly 900 years, until 1948. The castle has never been destroyed or abandoned.
It overlooks the Orbe plain and once controlled a route between the Swiss Plateau and France. It combines medieval defensive features with later residential additions. Its last owner, Hélène de Mandrot, a patron of modern art, bequeathed it to a foundation. Today it is a museum dedicated to regional history and the decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
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Things to see and do
The guided tour takes you through a series of apartments furnished in different periods. The Knights’ Hall retains its wood panelling and coats of arms. The 18th-century salons display period furniture and wallpaper. The Maréchale’s bedroom features refined décor.
In the former stables and outbuildings, the Horse Museum displays ceremonial saddles, horse-drawn carriages, harnesses, paintings and sculptures. It traces the social, military and cultural role of the horse. One section covers its role in Vaud agriculture, with tools and working equipment.
The chapel, consecrated in 1424, houses the tombs of the lords of La Sarraz, including the Gothic-style tomb of François I of La Sarraz. Outside, the French formal garden features geometric flowerbeds and century-old trees, and the terrace looks out over the Vaud Jura.
Practical information
Getting there : the castle is located in the village, near the La Sarraz exit of the A1 motorway, with parking nearby. La Sarraz station is about a 10-minute walk away.
Visiting : the castle is visited with a guide; the Horse Museum can be explored on your own. Audio guides are available in French, German, English and Italian.
Visit duration : at least 2 hours.
On site : shop and café in the former medieval kitchen, with a terrace.
Visitor tips
Allow about an hour for the guided tour of the castle and an hour for the Horse Museum and gardens. For photographing the façades, late-afternoon light brings out the building’s forms.
If you’re visiting with children aged 6 to 12, ask for the free activity booklets handed out at the entrance.
Nearby attractions
- The Tine de Conflens and Venoge Waterfall, between La Sarraz and L’Isle, is a gorge where the water has sculpted the limestone rock.
- The Romainmôtier Abbey Church bears witness to fifteen centuries of monastic history in the Vaud Jura.
- The Dard Waterfall, in the Nozon Gorges, plunges 20 m into a natural pool.
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