Palais de Rumine

Palais de Rumine Review

Built at the turn of the last century, this enormous neo-Renaissance structure houses several museums, all with a local spin. The Musée Cantonal de Géologie (Cantonal Geology Museum. 021/6924470. 6 SF. Tues.-Thurs. 11-6, Fri.-Sun. 11-5) has an excellent fossil collection, including a mammoth skeleton. Besides its collection of regional fauna, the Musée Cantonal de Zoologie (Cantonal Zoology Museum. 021/3163460. 6 SF. Tues.-Thurs. 11-6, Fri.-Sun. 11-5) has a rare collection of comparative anatomy. The top exhibit at the Musée Cantonal d'Archéologie et d'Histoire (Cantonal Archaeology and History Museum. 021/3163430. www.musees-vd.ch/fr/musee-darcheologie-et-dhistoire. 6 SF. Tues.-Thurs. 11-6, Fri.-Sun. 11-5) is the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius discovered at nearby Avenches in 1939. The Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts. 021/3163445. www.musees-vd.ch/fr/musee-des-beaux-arts. 10 SF. Tues. and Wed. 11-6, Thurs. 11-8, Fri.-Sun. 11-5) has an enlightening collection of Swiss art, not only by the Germanic Hodler and Anker but also by Vaud artists—especially Bocion, whose local landscapes are well worth study during a visit to this region. Each museum has some descriptions or an abbreviated guide in English. There are no combination entrance tickets, but all museums offer free admission the first Sunday of each month.