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From 16 May to 7 June 2020, admission is free to all visitors. Cash is temporarily no longer accepted at our cash registers; we recommend the use of contactless payment cards for any other purchases.

Musée du Léman
Quai Louis-Bonnard 8
1260 Nyon, Suisse
022 316 42 50
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Admission free every first Sunday of the month

Tuesday to Sunday and Bank holidays

– April to October: 10am – 5pm
– November to March: 2pm – 5pm

A tsunami on Lake Geneva
What happened in 563 on Lake Geneva? Did Marius of Avenches and Gregory of Tours tell the truth? Did a huge wave really sweep across the lake, destroying everything in its path? More than 1400 years after the events, the new exhibition at the Musée du Léman reveals the true history of the Lake Geneva tsunami, based on the testimony of two 6th century bishops, the hypotheses of many 19th century scientists, and recent scientific discoveries.

According to two 6th century chroniclers, Marius d'Avenches and Grégoire de Tours, a terrible catastrophe struck Lake Geneva in 563: caused by the collapse of a mountain, a gigantic wave swept across the lake from Bouveret to Geneva and destroyed everything in its path. This catastrophe then enters the legend under the name of Tauredunum. In the 19th century, geologists, historians and archaeologists fuelled the scientific debate by trying to determine whether the disaster actually took place, and to understand how and where it happened. Finally, in April 2010, two geologists from the University of Geneva discovered by chance an enormous mass of sediment at the bottom of the lake. They took organic matter from it, which allowed them to confirm and date the tsunami of 563. This study even reveals the traces of four other tsunamis in Lake Geneva, the oldest of which dates back more than 3700 years.

A film and a book at the origin of the exhibition

The exhibition follows the film "Un tsunami sur le lac Léman" by Laurent Graenicher and the book "Un tsunami sur le Léman. Tauredunum 563 " by Pierre-Yves Frei and Sandra Marongiu. Their authors collaborated in its realization. The book, film and exhibition are important milestones in taking into account the risks linked to the geology of Lake Geneva: the recent scientific discovery that at least five tsunamis have agitated the lake waters over the centuries should raise awareness at a time when the lake shores are heavily invested in infrastructure and housing.

Reopening of the museum
Reopening on May 16 2020

The three museums in Nyon will open their doors again from Saturday 16 May and we look forward to welcoming you. In order to protect our visitors and staff, the reopening is accompanied by a protection plan based on the regulations of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), as well as on the recommendations of the museum sector (AMS). Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Distanciation

The number of visitors allowed in each museum is limited. The maximum number of people allowed in each room is displayed at the entrance.

We kindly ask our visitors to respect the markings on the floor, as well as the usual distance measurements (2 metres) from other visitors and from our staff.

A direction of visit is proposed in order to limit crossings as much as possible.

Zones that do not allow the required distance, as well as tactile digital media, are temporarily made inaccessible.

Our employees are authorised to enforce the distance measures and to intervene in the event of risky behaviour.

Hygiene

Hydroalcoholic gel is available to the public at the entrance of the museums. We ask our visitors to disinfect their hands on arrival.

Surfaces and points of contact are cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Ticketing and shops

From May 16 to June 7, admission is open to all our visitors.

Cash is temporarily no longer accepted at our cash registers. We recommend the use of contactless payment cards.

The shops remain open. Books can only be consulted on request. They are disinfected after each manipulation.

Offer of cultural mediation

Due to the prohibition to gather more than five people, guided tours and animations are suspended until further notice. New offers will be made as soon as health measures allow.