Lausanne the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, is a medium sized city (around two thirds the size of Geneva) which sits at the northern most point of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The city is the host to the International Olympic Committee and two major universities. It is also the transportation hub of Vaud, and a gateway to the alpine Canton of the Valais, home to some of the best known ski slopes in the world.
As you might expect the large student population makes for a lively nightlife and arts community, revolving around the Flon district. You'll also find a number of quality restaurants and two dozen museums of note, including the Olympic Museum and the offbeat Collection de l'Art Brut. Architecture buffs should note that at the top of the old town you'll find the best preserved Gothic cathedral in Switzerland.
Lausanne is a French speaking city, but a large part of the population speaks enough English that you will probably have little trouble communicating. English, however, is not as commonly spoken as in nearby Geneva.
There has been a settlement on the hill of Lausanne since at least the stone age, but most histories of the city trace its origin to the roman camp Lausanna which occupied a position just down the hill toward the lake in what is now the village of Vidy.
Relocated to more defensible hilltop in the dark ages, Lausanne's increasing wealth and importance were largely derived from its placement on the primary north south routes between Italy and the north sea. It was the first major town north of the St. Bernard pass, at least until the establishment of the bishopric of Valais.
In 1538 the Bernese took the city from the Dukes of Savoy as part of their drive to secure their southwestern frontier. The Bernese held the territory until Lausanne gained its independence from Berne after the invasion of a French army under Napoléon Bonaparte in 1798. The city was later, in 1803, admitted to Switzerland as the capital of Vaud.
PLACE TO VISIT
Collection de l'Art Brut, Tu-Su 11AM-6PM. This must-see collection of works by untrained artists will at turns delight, amaze, baffle, and irritate. Many of the artists whose works are shown here found life difficult or impossible outside (or inside) of institutions, finding solace and purpose in sometimes compulsive acts of creation.
Palais de Rumine, Tu Wed 11AM-6PM, Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri-Sun 11AM-5PM. Based on an Italian renaissance design, this lovely building is not as old as it looks. There are five different museums inside with exhibitions covering subjects ranging from fine arts to natural history.
Olympic Museum, From 1 May to 30 Sep: Every day 9AM-6PM, 1 October to 30 April: Tu-Su 9AM-6PM. The museum advertises itself as presenting "wealth of memories which will keep your passion for Olympism burning". The sculpture garden, overlooking Lac Léman, is open to the public. Closed on Mondays from 1 Nov-31 Mar. 14 Chf for the whole museum, 7 Chf for just the temporary exhibitions. Children get in half price. Children under 10 admitted free. Items on display include Jean-Claude Killy's ski boots and Carl Lewis' golden track shoes.
Musée Historique de Lausanne, Tu-Th 11AM-6PM, F-Su 11AM-5PM. A collection of maps, images and documents about the history of Lausanne, and the Lake Geneva Region from the earliest times through the long Bernese occupation to liberation and the present day. A beautifully hand-crafted diorama of 16th-century Lausanne is worth a visit all by itself. 4 Chf, students 2.50.
Mudac, place de la Cathédral The museum of design and contemporary applied arts.
Musée de l'Elysée, A world-class photography museum, located in a splendid park. Very close from the Olympic museum.
Musée Romain lausanne- This Roman settlement site at Vidy has the remains of walls and a forum from the time of Caesar.
Fondation de l'Hermitage, Bank holidays 10AM-6PM. Built in 1841 as a residence for the banker Charles-Juste Bugnion, the Hermatage occupies its own wooded space on the hill above old-town, with marvelous views of the Cathedral and the Alps. The family donated the house and land to the City of Lausanne in 1976, which now uses the building to host first class traveling international art exhibitions. Adults 15 Chf, Seniors 12 Chf, Students and unemployed 7 Chf, Under 18 Free.
WHAT TO DO
Explore The Old Town, Take Metro 2 to the Flon, and either take the elevator up, or just cross the street. Alternatively, if you don't mind climbing, the car-free section of old town really starts right across from the train station, with a steep walk up the hill. Shops keep strict hours of 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, and 10am-5pm on Saturdays. On Saturdays year-round almost all of the huge car-free area becomes a vast farmers market. Thanks to the hills making it hard to pave over, Lausanne's old town is larger than most found in Swiss cities, with the notable exception of Zurich. You can spend days wandering the old cobbled streets and still not know all of its nooks and crannies. After the shops close there are dozens of quaint, cozy, hip, or just warm restaurants, cafes and nightclubs, especially considering that at Place Central the old town joins with the Flon nightclub/gallery district. Wander as long as you like, there's no charge of course.
Explore the Sauvabelin Forrest, north of the center. Don't miss the freely accessible Sauvabelin tower , from which you have a 360° view on the lake, the Alps and the Jura. Then go down to the city center through the park of the Fondation de l'Hermitage (see above).
Enjoy the lakefront of Ouchy, Take Metro 2 to Ouchy, et voila, as you leave the metro station you'll find the lake (and on a clear day the alps) stretched out in front of you. The lakefront also offers restaurants, bars, and the Chateau d'Ouchy castle/hotel.
Climb up the Cathedral Tower. The view from the top of the Cathedral tower is well worth the climb. Ask the nun at the souvenir shop in the Cathedral. From 10pm until 2 in the morning, a watch man shouts the hours, perpetuating a tradition that dates back to 1405.
HOW TO REACH
By train - Lausanne is served by one of the most efficient passenger rail services in the world, the Swiss Federal Rail system. Trains run roughly each half-hour between 4:45am and 1:30am every day to and from Geneva, Zurich, Berne, Neuchatel, St. Gallen, Brig and points in between. There are four trains daily from Paris Gare de Lyon via the SNCF's TGV "High Speed Train"", and 5 per day from Milan on the Swiss-Italian Cisalpino (CHEEZ-al-PEEN-o). The Italian rail service also provides twice-per-day trains to and from Milan and night trains to and from Rome and Venice.
By plane - The closest airport, Geneva airport is served by almost all European carriers, and by two daily trans-Atlantic flights, one from New York, JFK on Swiss and one from Newark on Continental, otherwise when flying from the U.S. you will have to change planes at your airline's hub airport. Trains between Geneva Airport and the Lausanne CFF station take about 45 minutes and run at least twice each hour, except for the wee hours of the morning. Zurich airport provides an alternative, with more frequent trans-Atlantic service mainly via Swiss
By bus - International buses arrive daily from Spain, France, as well as major cities in Central Europe. Many buses pass through Geneva or Basel before stopping in Lausanne.
By boat - Boats ply both the Swiss and French shores of Lake Geneva with several daily ferries to Evian (passport required to enter France), Montreux, Geneva and many smaller lakeshore towns. See the boat company website [7] for timetables and prices. Lunch and dinner cruises are also popular with tourists. Most of the ferries are meant as scenic trips and not the fastest way to get around. If travelling from Geneva to Lausanne, a boat trip is worth the time on a clear day.
