World Heritage Days 2026: Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps

Sunday, 14 June 2026

📍 Laténium Archaeological Museum, Hauterive
🔎 Immerse yourself in the life of the pile dwellers
🕘 10:30 am - 5:00 pm

Highlights

🐟 Making fish traps, harpoons, nets, and hooks
Discover how the inhabitants of pile-dwelling villages fished 3,000 years ago. In front of the Bronze Age house, specialists demonstrate techniques and the making of tools from natural materials. A lively presentation of ancestral craftsmanship.

🏺 Guided tour of the depot
Usually closed to the public, the Laténium’s storage facility opens exceptionally for a guided tour led by cantonal archaeologist Sonia Wüthrich. Discover fascinating objects and gain insight into the behind-the-scenes work of researchers.

🏛️ Short tour: sunken villages
Did you know that many prehistoric villages now lie at the bottom of lakes? This short tour explains why these submerged sites are so valuable for research and what they reveal about climate, environment and prehistoric ways of life.

🚣 Off to the Lake!
A creative workshop for children and adults alike: build your own small boat and discover the basic principles of navigation through time! A playful way to explore mobility in the past.