General information

 Lausanne is the second-largest city on Lake Geneva, is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of Lausanne. Lausanne situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) , with the Jura mountains to its north-west. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee are located in Lausanne and the IOC officially recognises the city as the Olympic capital. Lausanne  is built on three hills, surrounded by vineyard-covered slopes, with Lake Geneva at its feet. Rising impressively from the opposing French lakeshore are the Savoy Alps. The attractive old town is largely car-free. Small alleyways with cafes and boutiques shape the streetscape in the medieval city centre. Lausanne enjoys some world class education and research establishements, including private schools attended by students from all over  the world. Lausanne is also the home of the Béjart Ballet.

This city has long hietory ,but there is always something new to discover in Lausanne. Whether you are visiting for the first time or you know Lausanne as an old friend.

Population 129’273
Language French
Position 46°31’ north latitude, 6°38’ east longitude

Tour service

 The tourist office sponsors two-hour multilingual walking tours of the Lausanne Old Town, which start from the Place de la Palud (May–Sept Mon–Sat 10am & 3pm). During the low season, visitors can request tour at other times . In summer  , there are a handful of literary and historical walking tours of Lausanne guided in English  .

There are two tourist offices in Lausanne, one is  in the train station (open daily 9am–7pm), and the other beside Ouchy metro station (open daily: April–Sept 9am–9pm, Oct–March 9am–6pm). Both of offices offer  the usual stacks of information, including various free maps of the city and the public transport network, a guide to the city’s museums, timetables for the boats, and so on. Their Lausanne Promenade brochure series, all of which include maps and notes on subjects such as “Gracious Houses”, “Parks and Gardens” and “Family Activities” are especially good. If you’re looking for more focused infomation on cultural happenings and the life of the city, or if you want to buy tickets for local shows, it’s worth dropping into the municipality’s information office, in the Old Town (Mon–Fri  8am–noon & 1.15–5pm).

 

Tourist attractions

 There is many ways to visit Lausanne and its surroundings, to enjoy its natural beauty views.

The old town is dominated by the cathedral, which is regarded as Switzerland’s most impressive piece of early Gothic architecture.

 Olympic Museum: provides an overview of the history of the Olympic games, from the first 1896 summer games in Athens through to the present day. In 1915, Baron Pierre de Coubertin established the IOC's headquarters in Lausanne and created an embryonic Olympic Museum. Since then, the Museum has preserved the heritage of the Olympic Games and collected works of art and objects which illustrate the development of the Olympic Movement. A provisional museum was opened to the public in 1982 and remained in place for ten years. The land for the construction of a new museum was purchased in 1981 and work commenced on 9th December 1988.

The Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History: you can enjoy fifteen thousand years of Vaud history. The museum is established in 1852.

Lausanne Historical Museum: opened in 1918, it records the long history of Lausanne, include the economic, social and urban revolutions of the 19th century.

Lausanne-Vidy Roman Museum: the Romans built a military camp, which is called Lousonna, this museum show daily life along the shores of Lake Geneva twenty centuries ago.

Train des vignes :  leisurely train journey onboard the «Train of Vines» from Vevey to Chexbres through the winegrowing region of the Lavaux, high above Lake Geneva.

 Fondation de l'Hermitage :  the foundation presents changing art exhibitions of the highest calibre in a magnificent setting dating from the 19th century.

 Ouchy is a perfect place to relax, tourist can enjoy the mountain views and fresh breezes. Ouchy had been as a fishing port, but now, it’s become one of the more chic of the Swiss lakeside resorts, with waterfront cafés abounding, although some fishing continues.

 

Events

 Festival de la cite is the biggest party in Lausanne, it is held in July. The old town are filled with music, dance, drama and more.

Cully-Lavaux Jazz Festival  held in the wine cellars and medieval alleys of Cully village, 8km east of Lausanne, it is held in March.

Bach Festival  held throughout Lausanne over two weeks in November.

 

Shopping

 The streets of Lausanne offer modern and high quality goods for everyone. The city centre is full of food, fashion and watch shops, opticians, electronics and amusement outlets, pharmacies, galleries and bookstores, everyone will find what they are looking for. There is  morning market on Wednesday or Saturday. If you want to enjoy your relax time at the afternoon, the city centre and old town is an ideal choice for you.

Map of Lausanne