Sauges
Origin of the name Sauges
Name origin: Sauges is mentioned in 1340 in the form « villa de Sauges ». The origin of the name is not explained by the sources consulted.
Founding of Sauges
Sauges is a hamlet of the Béroche on the north shore of Lake Neuchâtel, today in the municipality of La Grande Béroche. No founder is known; the place is attested as a village (« villa ») in 1340. Sauges was a separate municipality until 1888, when it was united with Saint-Aubin to form the municipality of Saint-Aubin-Sauges, itself merged into La Grande Béroche in 2018. Between the hamlet and the port of Saint-Aubin lies the Neolithic lakeside settlement of Port-Conty. The history of the municipality of Saint-Aubin-Sauges is covered in a separate entry.
History of Sauges
Neolithic. A lakeside village is established at Port-Conty, in a cliff-lined bay between the hamlet of Sauges and the port of Saint-Aubin.
1340. First mention in the form « villa de Sauges ».
1860. The Port-Conty site is reported by Frédéric Troyon.
1888. The municipality of Sauges is united with that of Saint-Aubin (municipality of Saint-Aubin-Sauges).
1920s. Systematic excavations at Port-Conty begin under the direction of Paul Vouga; thousands of finds are kept at the Laténium.
2011. Port-Conty is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List among the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps.
2018. Saint-Aubin-Sauges merges with Bevaix, Fresens, Gorgier, Montalchez and Vaumarcus: Sauges is part of the municipality of La Grande Béroche.
Population of Sauges
| 1784 | 98 inhabitants |
| 1850 | 248 inhabitants |
| 1880 | 263 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Sauges
Port-Conty bay. Cliff-lined bay between Sauges and the port of Saint-Aubin, where the Neolithic lakeside settlement of Port-Conty lies.
Remains in Sauges
Port-Conty lakeside settlement. Neolithic lakeside settlement reported in 1860 by Frédéric Troyon and excavated from the 1920s under the direction of Paul Vouga; it has yielded thousands of objects (pottery, stone tools, wood, textiles) kept at the Laténium. It is one of the 56 Swiss lakeside sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Aubin-Sauges » (Olivier Girardbille)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Aubin-Sauges - Port-Conty » (Sonia Wüthrich)
- État de Neuchâtel, arrêté du 4 février 2026 homologuant le recensement cantonal de la population au 31 décembre 2025
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de lieux (swisstopo)
Other villages near Sauges
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