Neuchâtel

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Coordinates: 46°59′N 6°56′E

Neuchâtel
Canton	Neuchâtel
District	Neuchâtel
Coordinates	46°59′N 6°56′E
Population	31,571   (December 2003)
Area	18.05 km²
Elevation	430 m
Postal code	2000
SFOS number	6458
Mayor	Antoine Grandjean
Website	www.neuchatelville.ch
Twin towns	Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), Sansepolcro (Italy)
Neuchâtel

Neuchâtel (literally: New Castle) is a city in Switzerland and capital of the Canton of Neuchâtel. Neuchâtel is also the name of the adjacent lake, Lake Neuchâtel. The city has approximately 31,500 inhabitants (2002), by and large French-speaking, although the city is sometimes referred to historically by the German name Neuenburg (help·info), since Prussia ruled the area until 1848.

The Place Pury as well as the Place des Halles are places where people from Neuchâtel meet during the week. The Collegiale (yellowish) and the Castle (white) are in the background

[edit] Geography

The city is located on the northwestern shore of the lake, a few km east of Peseux and west of Saint-Blaise.

[edit] Economy

Neuchâtel is well known for its watchmaking and its variety of fondue, fondue Neuchâteloise. Today's economic activities include tourism, a major tobacco manufacturer and several small high tech firms and vineyards. Neuchâtel is home of a small but active University and of the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnologies (CSEM)

[edit] Main sights

[edit] Architecture

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The Old Prison Tower can be visited during summer and offers a superb vista point.

[edit] Museums

Neuchâtel has several excellent museums, including the Latenium, an archeology museum focusing on the prehistorical times in the region of Neuchâtel and Hauterive; the MEN, an ethnography museum; the museum of art and history, which includes the first robots with the Jaquet-Droz programmable androids (made between 1770 and 1774); and the Museum of Natural History.

[edit] Culture

During the summer of 2002, Neuchâtel was one of five sites which held Expo.02, the sixth Swiss national exhibition, which was subject to financial controversy. The festival of the Fête des Vendanges, representing the wine harvest, is held traditionally in early Fall

[edit] Notable people

Jean Piaget, Robert Miles, and Marcel Junod were all born in Neuchâtel. Friedrich Dürrenmatt lived in Neuchâtel the last 30 years of his life.

[edit] Coat of arms

The blazon of the town's coat-of-arms is: "Or, an Eagle displayed Sable beaked, langued and membered Gules, escutcheon Or, on a pale Gules three Chevrons Argent".

[edit] Gallery

Lake Neuchâtel, seen from the castle	Neuchâtel seen from the lake	The statue of the justice fountain	The collegiale by night
The collegiale by night, north view

[edit] See also

• L'Express is published in Neuchâtel.

[edit] External links

• City of Neuchâtel official website
• Museums
  • Archeology museum
  • Ethnography museum
  • Art and history museum
  • Museum of natural history
• University of Neuchâtel
• Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology
• Neuchâtel Tourism Office
• Neuchâtel Junior College
• Hotel Beaulac on Lake Neuchâtel

Municipalities in the district of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Cornaux | Cressier | Enges | Hauterive | Le Landeron | Lignières | Marin-Epagnier | Neuchâtel | Saint-Blaise | Thielle-Wavre

Canton of Neuchâtel | Districts of Canton Neuchâtel | Municipalities of the canton of Neuchâtel