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Lausanne
Lake Geneva Region
The fascinating lakeside city of Lausanne is built on three hills which rise steeply from the attractive shoreline. The main lakeside area is known as Ouchy, this pretty waterfront area of cafes, shops and hotels is connected to the station, shopping areas and old town is largely car-free with small alleyways, cafes and boutiques which shape the streetscape in the medieval city centre. The old town is dominated by the cathedral, which is regarded as Switzerland's most impressive piece of early Gothic architecture.
Lausanne is also the 'Olympic capital' home to the Olympic Committee and also the Olympic Museum, the worlds largest information centre about the Olympic games where visitors can experience first hand the emotions of the athletes and best moments of the Olympic Games.
Lake cruises are a must and just over the lake are the French towns of Evian-Les-Bains and Thornton-Les-Bains as well as a visit up the lake to Montreux.
The beautiful area to the east of Lausanne is known as Lavaux which stretches from the neighbouring medieval lakeside village of Lutry to Vevey. The terraced vineyards of Lavaux were made a UNESCO World Hertiage Site in 2007, these hillsides drop sharply to the lakeside which originally made them unsuitable for agriculture. Nevertheless, from the 12th Century several monasteries began to clear the hills of trees and cultivate vineyards, they went on to build walls and create a system of terraces in order to support and flatten the terrain.
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Staying in Lausanne? ....
Use public transport FREE of charge!
This personal card gives free use of all Lausanne public transport to every visitor staying in a Lausanne hotel. It is issued by the hotel on your arrival and is valid for the duration of the reservation, including the arrival and departure days. Click here for a map of the transport network.
Lausanne Hotels
