Country selection
Switzerland
All cities & regions ⇓
- Adelboden-Lenk
- Basel
- Bern
- Chur
- Crans-Montana
- Davos
- Engelberg
- Geneva
- Gstaad
- Interlaken
- Lausanne
- Locarno
- Lugano
- Luzern
- Montreux
- Neuchatel
- Saas-Fee
- Sankt Gallen
- Sankt Moritz
- Ticino
- Winterthur
- Zermatt
- Zug
- Zurich
Neuchatel

Culture of Neuchatel. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Neuchatel has a perfectly preserved historic district walking around which you can admire interesting monuments of medieval times and the later periods. The starting point for most sightseeing routes is Place Pury located in the heart of the Old Town. Numerous historic streets stretching from here attract tourists with monuments of architecture, interesting shops, and popular restaurants.

Shopping in Neuchatel - main shopping streets, outlets and boutiques

Neuchâtel will please tourists with a variety of stores and shopping centers. Most of them are distinguished by high prices, but there are also suitable places for budget tourists in remote …

Open

Nearby is the picturesque square Place des Halles, which is also surrounded by spectacular historic structures. Many of the local buildings are currently occupied by restaurants and cafes. In the warm season, some of their tables are set up on outdoor terraces. The old square is one of the noisiest and liveliest in town. Festivals and colorful fairs are held here one after another throughout the year. The main jewel of the square is the luxurious Maison des Halles dating back to the 16th century. Attractions preserved in the heritage district stand so close to each other that you can get from one to another in just a couple of minutes.

Here you can walk down the picturesque street Rue du Chateau, each building of which is a valuable historical monument. Here, among other structures, one can notice the old 18th-century Town Hall and one of the ancient churches built at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. One of the city's main historical symbols is Neuchâtel Castle that was part of a large defensive complex in the Middle Ages. Over time, the building has lost its former relevance but wasn't demolished. The castle has repeatedly changed its status throughout its history. Now it is occupied by offices of various government agencies. Such an important status did not prevent the castle from being open to tourists - free tours of Neuchâtel Castle are carried out every day. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Guide to Neuchatel sightseeing - things to see and to visit

The name “Neuchatel” can be literally translated as "New Castle". It is an ancient Swiss town located on the shore of the lake with the same name. Neuchatel is one of the most …

Open

Not far from the castle is another surviving object of ancient defensive structures - Prison Tower. Tours of the tower are only available from April to September. A small historical museum operates in the tower building. Prison Tower stands on a small hill, so its adjoining territory offers a stunning view of the historic district.

Neuchatel boasts of many interesting museums, including the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire located on one of the historic streets. Apart from valuable historical artifacts and works of art, it houses a unique collection of the ancient automata - complex self-operating mechanical dolls created in the late 18th century. The author of these amazing dolls was the famous watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz whose work brought him world fame.

Family holidays with kids in Neuchatel. How to entertain your child, things to show to children.

The Swiss city of Neuchatel lying on the lake of the same name is a great place to spend a vacation, and hundreds of tourists so. Many of them come here with their children as a big family. …

Open

Near Neuchâtel, there are several valuable archaeological areas where scientists discovered a lot of antiquities. Today they are all displayed in the Laténium Archaeological Museum located in a large historical park. During the reign of the Roman Empire, a big city was located on the site where the museum stands today. Today, visitors to the historical park can see fragments of ancient structures erected in the ancient era. The best time to visit the museum is the warm season.

MEN - Musée d'ethnographie de Neuchâtel opened several years ago introduces visitors to the history and traditions of the indigenous population. Among its exhibits are beautiful costumes of local people, age-old household items, ancient musical instruments and weapons. The museum also presents an interesting collection of artworks belonging to various periods. Part of its halls is equipped for temporary exhibitions.

Cuisine of Neuchatel for gourmet with top restaurants and cafe

In Neuchâtel, gourmets will have the opportunity to taste popular Swiss dishes. Delicious cheeses and deli meats remain the main symbols of local cuisine. One of the locals' favorite meals …

Open

Among the surviving religious monuments, an outstanding one is the ancient Collégiale Church located near the Castle. Its construction began in the 12th century and lasted more than 50 years. One of the main architectural features of the church is a high tower. It was built during the period of a large-scale reconstruction that took place in the 19th century. Over the centuries, the church has managed to preserve many interesting valuables and works of art. Now its main decoration is a magnificent 14th-century monument portraying 15 statues of noblemen. The church itself is a vivid Gothic monument that has managed to retain many original elements of architecture through the centuries.

In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Neuchatel and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Neuchatel and surroundings

This guide to cultural sights Neuchatel is protected by the copyright law. You can re-publish this content with mandatory attribution: direct and active hyperlink to www.orangesmile.com.

Neuchatel - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Reference information

Map of all palaces

Public palaces near Neuchatel
♥ Palace 'Château de Montbéliard' , 58.4 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

Map of all churches

Cathedrals and basilicas near Neuchatel
♥ Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas, Fribourg, 27 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Bistumskathedrale St. Urs und Viktor, Solothurn (Soleure), 43.8 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Ancienne cathédrale protestante Notre-Dame, Lausanne, 57 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Basilika Mariastein, Metzerlen-Mariastein, 68.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Basilique-Cathédrale Saint-Christophe, Belfort, 72.1 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Basilique Saint-François-de-Sales, Thonon-les-Bains, 77.2 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

♥ Basler Münster, Basel, 79.9 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

Photo

Culture of Neuchatel. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

City tours, excursions and tickets in Neuchatel and surroundings

Photogallery of cultural heritage of Neuchatel

Landmarks of culture on Neuchatel map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Neuchatel