Yverdon-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [ivɛʁdɔ̃ le bɛ̃] ⓘ) (called Eburodunum and Ebredunum during the Roman era) is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

[3] Yverdon is located in the heart of a natural setting formed by the Jura mountains, the plains of the Orbe, the hills of the Broye and Lake Neuchâtel.

[4] The heights nearby Yverdon seem to have been settled at least since the Neolithic Age about 5000 BCE, as present archeological evidence shows.

The town was at that time only a small market place, at the crossroads of terrestrial and fluvial communication ways.

People began to settle, at first in temporary huts at the water-front, for fishers and merchants, then in permanent dwellings.

About a century later, the Romans realized the commercial and strategic importance of this place: it controlled major routes such as Geneva-Avenches, connecting the Rhône and Rhine basins, as well as those of Rhone and Danube.

The port served as naval base for the barges supplying the defensive positions along the Rhine, which marked the North-Eastern border of the Empire.

[6] About a century after the first invasions of the Alemanni, when the "Vicus" had been completely destroyed, the Romans built a large military stronghold (about 325 CE).

In a last desperate effort to save the city, all troops stationed North of the Alps were ordered back to Italy.

With the lake receding, the ancient town confined to the Castrum had lost its strategic position: no more direct access to the port, or to the new trade routes alongshore.

A few years later, Yverdon acquired the castle, to entrust it to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and his institute.

New classrooms were created, especially on the second floor: dividing walls were erected, additional windows changed the severe look of the castle's façade.

The castle is today a multi-purpose cultural centre, housing a regional museum, a theatre, various conference rooms and the oldest public library of French-speaking Switzerland, founded already in 1763.

The 18th century proved to be one of Yverdon's most favorable periods, marked by cultural and economic highlights.

Inside the building, furniture and decorations are displayed, faience stoves, panels, wainscots and paintings.

[11] The Geneva architect Billon erected this Protestant church in 1757, on the site of Notre-Dame chapel of the 14th century.

Its spire had been rebuilt in 1608, on the base of the original one, for which huge, sculpted blocks from the ruins of the Roman "Castrum" had been used.

14 stalls, figuring apostles and prophets, originate from the ancient chapel and are ascribed to Claude de Peney, who had worked at Fribourg and Hauterive.

Peney died in 1499, and Bon Bottolier, cabinetmaker in Lausanne, was charged with crafting the stalls (1501–1502).

Middle Age documents prove the existence of a spa centre, as early as 1429, and mention several useful buildings.

Encouraged by the Spanish scientist A. Gimbernat, the local Council decided to reconstruct the spa centre and to renovate its hotel in 1897.

[14] During an independent test by the RTS in February 2008, it was found that the water in the shower area of the thermal center had high levels of legionella pneumophila.

[17] The 18th century manor house, near the road to Yvonand, has served as summer residence of Frédéric Haldimand, burgher of Yverdon and first Governor of Canada (1777–1786), when this territory became part of the British crown.

[25] The historical population is given in the following chart:[30] In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SP which received 29.42% of the vote.

In the tertiary sector; 1,722 or 20.6% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 711 or 8.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 523 or 6.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 222 or 2.7% were in the information industry, 253 or 3.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 549 or 6.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 1,040 or 12.5% were in education and 1,751 or 21.0% were in health care.

[25] The municipality has three railway stations, Yverdon-les-Bains, Yverdon-Champ Pittet, and Yverdon William Barbey.

It serves 16,800 passengers on a typical weekday and has regular service to Lausanne, St. Gallen, Geneva Airport, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, Neuchâtel, Palézieux, Fribourg/Freiburg, and Ste-Croix.

The wettest month is June during which time Yverdon-les-Bains receives an average of 92 mm (3.6 in) of rain or snow.

In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts.

In 2009 the Musée suisse de la Mode was visited by 8,051 visitors (the average in previous years was 7,871).