Built in the 12th century, the Château de Nyon overlooks Lake Geneva and has housed the town’s History and Porcelain Museum since 1888. Here you can discover porcelain made in Nyon from 1781 to 1813, historic furniture and local history since Antiquity.
Castles & forts
Main highlights
- Nyon porcelain produced from 1781 to 1813, displayed in four rooms overlooking the lake
- Restored 12th-century castle with thick walls and mullioned windows, in the heart of Nyon
- History of Nyon told from 1000 BC to the late 20th century, with wallpapers and furniture
Overview
The Château de Nyon is a 12th-century medieval castle with thick walls and mullioned windows, overlooking Lake Geneva. After the Vaud Revolution of 1798, the town of Nyon bought it back in 1804 and put it to various uses. Around 1825, the outer fortifications that protected its approach were dismantled.
In 1860, a society of enthusiasts was founded in Nyon to collect and preserve antiquities, historical documents, medals and natural history objects. Since 1888, the castle has housed a history museum, which in the mid-20th century became the History and Porcelain Museum. Nyon porcelain truly entered the collection in 1947, during a major exhibition.
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What to see and do
On the first floor, four rooms overlooking the lake display porcelain created in Nyon between 1781 and 1813, staged to evoke the drawing rooms or dining room of the period. Floral decorations and gilding showcase the manufactory’s craftsmanship. Revolutionary and Napoleonic upheavals caused production to decline from 1805 until it ceased in 1813.
The second floor brings together historic wallpapers and furniture. The third floor traces the history of Nyon from 1000 BC to the late 20th century. Photographs of Nyon residents taken by Louis Kunz (1832-1900) and Auguste Kunz (1861-1930) depict everyday life and local figures of the past.
The museum also hosts regularly changing temporary exhibitions of photography and contemporary art.
Practical information
Getting there : by public transport from Geneva or Lausanne, the castle is a 5-minute walk from Nyon railway station.
Visit duration : about 1 hour 30 minutes for all three floors.
Audience : the visit is suitable for everyone, and an educational booklet is available for families.
Accessibility : as a historic building, wheelchair access may be difficult. Please enquire before your visit.
Visiting tips
Start with the porcelain rooms on the first floor, then head up to the history floor, which sheds light on the context in which the manufactory was created. Extend your visit with a stroll through the old town and along the lakeside quays.
This place is part of the selection By bike, from castle to castle along Lake Geneva.
Nearby attractions
- The Roman Museum of Nyon occupies the foundations of the forum basilica of Noviodunum, discovered in 1974.
- The Musée du Léman, facing Nyon harbour since 1954, presents the natural and human heritage of the lake.
- The Château de Coppet was the residence of Jacques Necker and his daughter Germaine de Staël.
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