Culture and Heritage
Orbe roman mosaics
- OrtPlace
Orbe
- DauerRecommended Duration
- 45 Minutes
In 170 AD, an imposing Roman villa stood in Orbe. The mosaics that covered 9 of the 100 rooms of this luxurious residence are now protected by four pavilions that can be visited from May to the end of October. The tours are accompanied by digital tablets, and guides are available on request.
Discovered in the mid-19th century north of the town of Orbe in the Northern Vaud region, the mosaics used to adorn the most important rooms in the villa. Made of naturally coloured stones, they depict gods, trompe l’œil geometric shapes or figurative scenes of Greek mythology, such as the famous labyrinth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Although it is still not known who owned the villa, the luxurious decoration of this huge dwelling (230 m by 90-110 m) would suggest that he was very wealthy and enjoyed a luxurious life style.
Between 1986 and 2004, the Boscéaz site was an educational site for archaeology students at Lausanne University. These digs led to the discovery of a 9th mosaic, a mithraeum (place of worship dedicated to the god Mithra) and a spa.
2025 timetable
May and June :
- Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (Ascension Day, Whit Monday): 10am-6pm
July, August and September :
- Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays (1 August, Federal Fast Monday): 10am-6pm
October :
- Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 6pm.
- From 1 May 2025 to 30 Jun 2025
- Saturday - Sunday
- 10:00 - 18:00
- From 1 Jul 2025 to 30 Sep 2025
- Wednesday - Sunday
- 10:00 - 18:00
- From 1 Oct 2025 to 31 Oct 2025
- Saturday - Sunday
- 10:00 - 18:00
- IndividualAdult
- CHF 10.-
- Child/Student/Senior
- CHF 8.-
- Family
- CHF 25.-
- One-parent family
- CHF 15.-
- Guided tourGuide/during opening hours
- CHF 85.-
- Guide/outside opening hours
- CHF 115.-
- Groups (from 10 people)Adult
- CHF 8.-
- Child/Student/Senior
- CHF 6.-
- School group / pupil
- CHF 4.-
- Visit outside opening hours
- CHF 55.-
- Guided tours are available in French, German or English on request. To organise a group visit on request (with or without a guide): Intendant of the Roman mosaics, Mr Sylvain Gailloud: 079/308.76.68 - villa.romaine@pro-urba.ch
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- Opening times :
- Open on bank holidays
- Outside opening days by prior arrangement
- During the winter, the site is closed to the public as the premises are not heated and the toilets are not operational during this period. Visits, with or without a guide, are nevertheless possible by prior arrangement.
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- Free admission:
- Children under 12
- Raiffeisen card
- Museum Passport
- Member of the Association of Friends of Pro Urba
- Public transport
- Directions
- Links
- Mosaïques romaines Villa romaine d'Orbe-Boscéaz 1350 Orbe +41 79 308 76 68 villa.romaine@pro-urba.ch pro-urba.ch