Nyon
Your child becomes the hero of a story set right here in Nyon — at the city's real landmarks, in the familiar streets, in front of the buildings they know from everyday life.
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A fantasy adventure, a birthday gift, courage at the dentist, friendship on the first day of school — or any of 170+ themes from our library. Create a free account, pick your topic in the wizard, we set the story in Nyon.
Or become part of the history of Nyon
Below you find the historical tales of Nyon — from old legends to famous local events. Create a free account, pick one as your starting point, your child takes a role inside it.
Historical tales from Nyon
Real stories from the past of Nyon — pick one and your child takes a role
The lost legionnaire of Noviodunum
A Roman cavalry veteran arriving in 45 BC to settle Caesar's new colony gets separated from his legion. A child helps him find his way through the half-built forum, thermal baths, and newly planted vineyards to the amphitheatre where his comrades await. Along the way, they watch a city being born.
Historical contextCreate This Story
Around 45 BC, Julius Caesar founded the Colonia Iulia Equestris at the Celtic settlement of Noviodunum, to settle cavalry veterans (equites). It was one of the oldest Roman colonies in Switzerland. At its height, the town boasted a forum, basilica, thermal baths, aqueduct, and amphitheatre. The amphitheatre, discovered in 1996, was built in the early 2nd century AD with an arena 50 by 36 metres.
The columns that remember
The three Roman columns on the Esplanade des Marronniers have watched 2,000 years pass. One night they whisper their memories to a child: the roar of the amphitheatre, the Savoy siege of 1293, the Bernese bailiff, the porcelain painters, and the first Paléo concert drifting up from the plains below.
Historical contextCreate This Story
The three Roman columns on the Esplanade des Marronniers belonged to the cryptoporticus of the sacred precinct of the second Roman forum, built around 50 AD. Originally 7.5 metres tall, they were re-erected in 1958 to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Nyon. In 1293, Amadeus V of Savoy conquered the city. After 1536, Bernese bailiffs ruled from the castle. The Paléo Festival, born in 1976 with 1,800 spectators, is now Switzerland's largest open-air festival with 250,000 attendees.
The porcelain painter's secret
A child visiting the Château de Nyon touches a porcelain cup and is transported to 1790, the golden age of the manufacture. Jacques Dortu needs help: the kaolin shipment from Limoges has gone missing, and without it, the queen's dinner service cannot be finished in time.
Historical contextCreate This Story
Jacques Dortu established a porcelain factory in Nyon in 1781 — one of only two in 18th-century Switzerland. The golden age was 1788-1795, when pieces rivalled the finest European centres and supplied courts including the Queen of Naples and reportedly Marie Antoinette. Kaolin had to be imported from Saint-Yrieix near Limoges, France. The factory closed in 1813. The Château de Nyon has housed a porcelain museum since 1947.
The gladiator's cat
Hidden beneath the Rue de la Porcelaine, a stray cat falls through a crack into the buried Roman amphitheatre and discovers it is not empty: ghostly gladiators still perform for phantom crowds. A child must convince them that 2,000 years have passed and help them find peace at last.
Historical contextCreate This Story
The amphitheatre was discovered in 1996 during construction on the Rue de la Porcelaine. Built in the early 2nd century AD, it had an arena of 50 by 36 metres with approximately 17 rows of seating for several thousand spectators. Spectacles included gladiator fights and animal hunts. Abandoned after the Roman era, it was used as a quarry and completely buried by the 17th century, hidden for over 300 years. It was restored 1998-2001 and classified as a national monument.
The UEFA football that rolled through time
A football kicked from the UEFA campus in Nyon rolls down the hill, past the castle, past the Roman columns, and into Lake Geneva. A child chases it, and at each landmark the ball bounces into a different century of Nyon's history, from Roman gladiators to Savoy knights to modern football stars.
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UEFA has been headquartered in Nyon since 1995. The House of European Football was inaugurated on 22 September 1999, with approximately 800 staff across three buildings. Since 2010, UEFA manages the Colovray sports complex with a 4,000-capacity stadium hosting UEFA Youth League finals. Nyon lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva, halfway between Geneva and Lausanne, with panoramic views from the castle to Mont Blanc.
The chestnut tree concert
Every Sunday the Esplanade des Marronniers hosts free music under the chestnut trees. One summer evening, a child's melody summons a Roman musician, a medieval troubadour, and a Paléo rock star. They must play together before the last chestnut leaf falls, creating a song that spans two thousand years.
Historical contextCreate This Story
The Esplanade des Marronniers is Nyon's most iconic viewpoint, shaded by mature chestnut trees and framed by the three Roman columns. Every Sunday in summer it hosts free open-air concerts — a local tradition of music and dancing with Lake Geneva and the Alps as backdrop. The Paléo Festival, Switzerland's largest open-air festival, was named Best Major European Festival in 2025 and approaches its 50th edition in 2027.
The castle's five towers
Each of the Château de Nyon's five towers holds a secret from a different era: a Savoy knight's oath, a Bernese prisoner's carved message, a porcelain figurine that comes alive, Napoleon's lock of hair that whispers French, and a telescope pointed at Mont Blanc. A child must visit all five before the castle clock strikes midnight.
Historical contextCreate This Story
The Château de Nyon was built in the late 12th century by the Lords of Prangins. In 1293, Amadeus V of Savoy conquered the city. After 1536, it became the Bernese bailiff's residence. Since 1888 it has housed a museum; curiosities include prison cells used until 1979 and a lock of Napoleon's hair dated 1821. The five towers offer panoramic views over Lake Geneva and the Alps including Mont Blanc.
The lake that kept a secret
Inspired by Jacques Piccard's submarine adventures, a child boards a magical vessel at Nyon's harbour and descends into Lake Geneva. They discover Roman coins, a sunken Savoy galley, a porcelain cup thrown overboard during the Revolution, and a message in a bottle from Germaine de Staël herself.
Historical contextCreate This Story
Jacques Piccard (1922-2008) had close ties to the Lake Geneva region; his personal archives are held at Nyon's Musée du Léman. In 1964, his submarine Mesoscaphe took 33,000 passengers beneath Lake Geneva during Expo 64. Germaine de Staël (1766-1817), exiled by Napoleon, held her famous salon at the Château de Coppet, just 8 km south of Nyon. The Musée du Léman, founded in 1954, holds approximately 14,000 objects and over 50 ships and boats.
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