Lausanne: Culture, Lake and City Panoramas

Lausanne lies on the shores of Lake Geneva in a hilly landscape between the Jura and the Alps. The city can be explored from different perspectives: from the water, along walking routes and at viewpoints, or through museums covering art, sport and the city’s history.

Lake Geneva and City Panoramas

Activities accessible from Lausanne on Lake Geneva include boating, water skiing, wakeboarding and pedal boating. Pedal boats and small boats are available to rent at the quays in Ouchy. Which options suit your visit also depends on the season; participation in seasonal activities may vary.

Those who would rather take in Lausanne from above will find a range of viewpoints. From the cathedral tower, the view stretches across the rooftops of the Cité, Lake Geneva and the Alps. The 35-metre-high Tour de Sauvabelin offers a 360-degree panorama over Lausanne, the lake, the Alps and the Jura. The Lausanne Panorama Route, by contrast, is a downhill walk that takes in ten viewpoints.

Walks and Green Spaces

Parc de Sauvabelin combines walking paths with farm and woodland animals, as well as panoramic views over Lausanne and Lake Geneva. The botanical garden lies at the foot of Montriond Hill and is home to more than 6,000 plant species from Switzerland and around the world. This gives visitors a choice of different nature experiences within the city: a walk in the park, views along the way or a visit to a diverse plant collection.

Fondation de l’Hermitage also combines a landscaped park with a viewpoint overlooking Lausanne and an internationally renowned museum. Nature, views and the museum are all part of what it offers. For a city visit that includes viewpoints as well as exhibitions, it offers a different focus from a museum-only visit.

Museums, Art and City History

Lausanne’s official Olympic Museum was established by the IOC on the shores of Lake Geneva in 1993. Its permanent exhibition covers the origins of the Olympic Games, the competitions and the spirit of the athletes; visitors can see numerous screens, objects and items of sports equipment. Lausanne has held the official title of “Olympic Capital” since 1994.

PLATEFORME 10, in the heart of Lausanne, brings together three cantonal museums: the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA), the Musée cantonal de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains (mudac) and the Musée cantonal pour la photographie (Photo Elysée). At the MCBA, Le Nabi adds seasonal, local and homemade cuisine to the museum experience. As the cuisine is seasonal and menu details may change, it is worth checking the current offering.

The Palais de Rumine houses the Naturéum, the cantonal natural history museum for geology and zoology, as well as the Musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire and the Lausanne Cantonal and University Library. The Collection de l’Art Brut offers another way to experience art: it presents works by self-taught artists who worked outside traditional art circles.

The historic centre developed around the Cité hill and comprises five historic districts: Cité, Palud, Pont, Bourg and St-Laurent. Through its exhibitions, including a model of the Cité from 1638, the Musée Historique Lausanne traces the city’s economic, social and cultural development. A guided tour of the historic centre includes, among other things, the medieval Cité, the Gothic cathedral, the Escaliers du Marché, Place de la Palud, the Hôtel de Ville and the Flon district. As tour times may change, check the current schedule before your visit.

Getting There and Local Life

Lausanne can be reached by road, rail, air and boat on Lake Geneva. Local public transport and mobility options include buses, the metro, RER, bicycles and boats. Check the specific connections and times for your travel dates.

A regular fixture in the weekly routine is Lausanne’s pedestrian market: it takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and has around a hundred stalls run by craftspeople and other local vendors. The market offers a way to combine a visit to the city with a look at local goods; the exact mix of stalls may vary.

Discover more destinations: Lausanne, Bussigny, Belmont-Sur-Lausanne, Renens, Crissier, Epalinges, Romanel-Sur-Lausanne, Broye-Vully

Go to the regional travel overview: Vaud.