Boudry

Town Canton of Neuchâtel · Region: Littoral · 6'339 inhabitants (31.12.2025)

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Boudry

Boudry is first recorded in 1278, as « Baudri ». The name is said to be of Germanic origin, from the Merovingian personal name Balderich, Latinised as Baldricus (to be cross-checked). Another hypothesis links it to a Burgundian personal name, Buderich (to be cross-checked).

Founding of Boudry

Boudry has no known founder. The borough grew up at the foot of the castle, on a promontory overlooking the Areuse, and controlled the Yverdon-Neuchâtel road where it crossed the river. Before the 14th century the territory included the hamlets of Pontareuse, near the bridge of the Roman road (Vy d'Etraz) over the Areuse, and Vermondins, on the plateau. In 1278 Sybille of Neuchâtel ceded the place to one of her daughters. The rights of advocacy belonged to Pierre de Vaumarcus, who sold them in 1282 to Girard d'Estavayer ; in 1313 his son Rollin returned them to the Count of Neuchâtel. Rodolphe IV of Neuchâtel brought the lands around Boudry castle, which he owned and which his family had probably built, under his authority. On 12 September 1343 Count Louis granted the town of Boudry the liberties of Neuchâtel, with some restrictions : this act made Boudry a town.

History of Boudry

Neolithic to La Tène. Neolithic lakeside settlements on the shore ; the Baume du Four cave is occupied from the Neolithic to the La Tène period. Hallstatt burial mounds in the Vallon de Vers and two Celtic villages at Les Buchilles.

Early Middle Ages. A Burgundian cemetery is established at Bel-Air, near Areuse.

1278. First mention of Boudry, as « Baudri », and of its castle ; Sybille of Neuchâtel cedes the place to one of her daughters.

1282. Pierre de Vaumarcus sells the rights of advocacy to Girard d'Estavayer.

1313. Rollin d'Estavayer returns these rights to the Count of Neuchâtel, who had obtained the advocacy of Areuse in 1311.

1343. On 12 September Count Louis grants the town of Boudry the liberties of Neuchâtel, with some restrictions.

1369. The community obtains the right to levy the ohmgeld (wine tax) on Boudry and Cortaillod.

1373-1413. Marguerite de Vufflens, widow of Count Louis, keeps the castellany in usufruct ; Countess Isabelle takes it back in 1379, then from 1394 to 1413 it passes to Girard of Neuchâtel, lord of Vaumarcus. From 1413 it always belongs to the Counts of Neuchâtel.

1510. The burghers build a town hall; in 1513 they take over the manorial mill in return for a rent.

1534. The town remains Catholic at least until this date, through the action of the priest of Pontareuse, Claude Gauthier, while the rest of the parish adopts the Reformation.

1540. Boudry obtains, among other privileges, the right to elect two burgomasters.

1548. The burghers receive a tower under a perpetual lease, in which a clock is later installed.

1585. A witch hunt ends with the conviction of four women (to be cross-checked).

1645-1647. Construction of a Reformed church in the centre of the old borough, reserved for the inhabitants of Boudry.

1727. Opening of the Les Iles calico printing works (active until 1844) ; two others follow at Vauvilliers (before 1742 to 1874) and Grandchamp (1761-1841).

1743. Birth in Boudry of Jean-Paul Marat, the future French revolutionary (to be cross-checked).

1797. Birth in Boudry of the chocolate maker Philippe Suchard (to be cross-checked).

1813. Abolition of the « émine de la porte », a tax paid only by the inhabitants of Cortaillod for the upkeep of the walls, gates and bridge of Boudry.

1828. Removal of the Château du Bas ; the Tour Chaffaut is destroyed in 1835.

1832. The jurisdictions of Rochefort, Bevaix and Cortaillod are abolished and joined to that of Boudry, which also receives the small territory of Areuse ; the inhabitants of Areuse are admitted to the church of Boudry.

1842. The old wooden bridge over the Areuse is replaced by a stone bridge.

1848. Boudry becomes the capital of the district of Boudry.

1870. Boudry merges with the small commune of Areuse.

1883. Foundation of the Musée de l'Areuse.

1894. Opening at Perreux of the cantonal hospice for the incurable, later a psychiatric hospital.

1931-1936. Beginnings of the Protestant community of Grandchamp, where Marguerite de Beaumont settles in 1936 (to be cross-checked).

1944. A battery factory replaces a watch factory ; a machine tool company settles in 1958.

1955-1957. Complete restoration of the castle, after the founding of the Compagnie des Vignolants in 1951 (1951 date to be cross-checked).

1980. Opening of a wine tasting cellar, followed in 1986 by a museum of vine and wine.

1999. Boudry passes 5'000 inhabitants at the end of June (to be cross-checked).

2014. Opening of a federal asylum centre at Perreux, where a cantonal first reception centre has existed since 2012 (to be cross-checked).

2018. Abolition of the Neuchâtel districts ; the municipality of Boudry remains independent.

2023. On 26 November Boudry approves the « Basse-Areuse » merger project with Cortaillod and Milvignes, but the rejection by Milvignes makes the project fail.

Population of Boudry

638

1750

1'378

1850

2'190 (with Areuse)

1900

2'625

1950

3'086

1960

4'372

1970

4'488

1980

5'163

1990

5'311

2000

6'339

2025

Historic sites in Boudry

The borough of Boudry. Single-street borough on a promontory overlooking the Areuse, a chartered town since 1343. It keeps the Reformed church (1645-1647), the town hall (1834-1835, to be cross-checked) and the Fountain of Justice, whose statue is dated 1610 (to be cross-checked).

Boudry castle. Set on a natural acropolis between two watercourses, the castle dates back to the 12th century and is recorded in 1278. It was fully restored from 1955 to 1957 ; it houses the museum of vine and wine opened in 1986 (location to be cross-checked).

The Tour de Pierre. Neo-medieval pavilion built in 1876, converted into a wine tasting cellar (to be cross-checked).

The Musée de l'Areuse. Regional museum founded in 1883, devoted to the natural and local history of the Areuse area.

The Areuse gorges and Champ-du-Moulin. The municipality extends to Champ-du-Moulin, in the Areuse gorges, where the burghers of Boudry acquired important rights.

Grandchamp, Trois-Rods and Areuse. These districts keep the appearance of Neuchâtel villages of the 18th and 19th centuries. Grandchamp, former site of a calico printing works (1761-1841), is home to a Protestant monastic community (to be cross-checked).

Perreux. Site of the cantonal hospice for the incurable opened in 1894, later a psychiatric hospital.

Remains in Boudry

Prehistoric and protohistoric sites. The municipal territory includes Neolithic lakeside settlements, the Baume du Four cave (occupied from the Neolithic to La Tène), Hallstatt burial mounds in the Vallon de Vers, two Celtic villages at Les Buchilles and various Roman remains.

Burgundian cemetery of Bel-Air. Early medieval cemetery discovered at Bel-Air, near Areuse.

Pontareuse. In the Middle Ages the parish church stood at Pontareuse, a little north of Boudry ; the parish reached the border of Franche-Comté. Remains of the church were still visible in 1815.

Vanished fortifications. Of the borough's defences, the wall walk, the Château du Bas (removed in 1828) and the Tour Chaffaut (destroyed in 1835) have disappeared. The Tour Marfaux is described as a remnant of the old fortifications (to be cross-checked).

Sources

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Boudry

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