Lausanne
Olympic capital
Discover
the Olympic City!
Lausanne offers the best aspects of a hip city, an historical old town, a holiday resort on the lake shores and an Olympic capital. It captivates you in the blink of an eye, whatever the purpose of your visit. But falling head over heels needs no justification!
Known for its unique setting on the shores of Lake Geneva and its title of Olympic Capital, Lausanne has many other treasures to offer. This fourth city of Switzerland has many different aspects, offering a historic old town called “La Cité”, a Gothic cathedral, a dynamic metropolis with modern districts such as Le Flon, a holiday destination with Mediterranean flair. The museum offers, theatres and other night-life places are on a par with the most beautiful European capitals.
Discover Lausanne and prepare yourself for an experience you won't forget in a hurry!
Festive Lausanne
The agenda of Lausanne is one of the richest of Switzerland. Sport, culture, terroir, family: All areas are at the heart of celebrations, under the sign of sharing, discovery and emotions.
As headquarters of the IOC and many sports federations, Lausanne organizes first-rate competitions for professionals and amateurs. The spectators’ delight during these events creates an incomparable atmosphere.
In a different but just as intense atmosphere, cultural events let the mind travel. Even when the temperature drops, the magic of the Christmas season brings together thousands of people in the streets.
A cultural and historic city
In Lausanne, the number of museums and cultural offers is unique. Exhibition buffs are well served here: photos, paintings, sculptures, drawings or design objects.
The city is an open-air museum for history fans who stroll through the old town called “La Cité” and visit its splendid Gothic cathedral, while fans of architecture admire the century-old, contemporary or even futuristic buildings.
In the evening, there are many stages offering performances by actors, dancers or musicians, who transmit special emotions to an audience won over in advance.
Art de vivre in Lausanne
As a gourmet city, Lausanne is close to the countryside and its craftspeople, the fishermen on Lake Geneva and especially the Lavaux vineyards, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage programme.
The best wines - including the famous white wine Chasselas - terroir products and lake fish are served in the best restaurants in town. So it is not surprising that the gastronomic addresses have an extraordinary number of Michelin stars and GaultMillau points.
Just have a stroll in the old town and the modern quarter called Le Flon to find terraces and restaurants offering appetizing dishes and exceptional wines.
Nature in the heart of the city
As a green city, Lausanne is proud of its parks where inhabitants and visitors come to relax. The museum and the botanical gardens are lush places that are accessible free of charge.
Not far from there, the waterfront neighbourhood of Ouchy abounds in natural spaces on the shores of Lake Geneva. From the landing stages, Belle-Epoque boats of the company CGN take passengers on a cruise around the lake, the most popular destination being the terraced vineyards of Lavaux UNESCO.
To discover the secrets of the freshwater fauna and flora without even leaving the city, the aquarium-vivarium Aquatis invites you to a trip to the five continents.
Lausanne, Olympic Capital
Olympic capital, city of innovation and research and international business centre, Lausanne is the location par excellence for any business, with its modern facilities and know-how as well as its exceptional natural environment.
5 trains per hour make the 40-minute trip from Geneva Airport to Lausanne, the capital of Vaud. This accessibility is one of the many attractions of Switzerland’s fourth city. Lausanne is known for its innovation, particularly at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), where the new SwissTech Convention Center, located in the centre of the campus, uses a unique technology in Europe. In the city centre, the Palais de Beaulieu is also an important centre for conferences, trade fairs and events.
The Olympic capital, Lausanne is proud of its Musée Olympique, opened by the IOC on the shores of Lake Geneva. Fully renovated, the museum hosts themed events.
Lausanne has a long tradition of exceptional hotels, with an offering of over 5,000 beds. Attached to Lausanne Tourisme, the Bureau des Congrès conference service has a team of specialists ready to arrange all or part of any tailor-made event.
Quick visit.
In order not to miss anything…
Are you short of time? No problem, Lausanne is a small-sized city that can be visited on foot!
In less than an hour, you can walk from the historic district of the old town (La Cité) to Tour de l’Ale, one of the last vestiges of the town’s medieval walls. The 10 stunning viewpoints on the Panorama walk will surprise you! Whereas the most relaxed way to discover the town is without doubt to stroll from a bucolic and hip café terrace to another.
