Destinations » Switzerland » Lausanne Travel Guide
French-speaking Lausanne is one of Switzerland's most important cultural centres. It also has a vibrant nightlife and clubbing scene. Over the centuries the city has been host to a long line of literary giants such as Voltaire, Byron and Dickens, and it was here that TS Eliot wrote The Waste Land. Today the hilly city of steep stairs and winding streets is home to the Maurice Bejart ballet company and classical music concerts performed by the French Swiss Orchestra and the Orchestra of Lausanne.
There is a picturesque old town, a stunning Gothic cathedral and the lakeside resort of Ouchy, so it is not surprising that the city can hold its own against the likes of bigger rivals such as Zurich and Geneva.
Book now, call 020 7290 1104The main shopping areas in Lausanne are located around the old town. There are also a large number of designer shops on offer.
Rue de Bourg, the main shopping street running up from Place St François, the city's central square, has branches of luxury luggage and bag maker Louis Vuitton and the jeweller Cartier. For watches, try Bucherer. The shop sells everything the discerning tourist could desire for the perfect souvenir from Switzerland - including designer watches, jewellery and all manner of fine gifts.
At the Saturday market at Place de la Rippon you can buy toys, clothes and books. Place Chanderon's flea market and the fruit and flower stalls at Place de la Palud (Wednesdays and Saturdays) are also worth a visit.
Lausanne has no shortage of good restaurants and cafés. As the
home of the Olympic Commitee its restaurants reflect the diversity
and international tastes of its residents and visitors alike. Swiss
cuisine is also represented and you can the favourite of fondue - a
pot of melted cheese mixed with wine and kirsch - and
raclette. Dining out is very popular with both tourists
and business travellers throughout the year, and visitors have
no problem finding great places to eat wherever they are staying in
town.
The largest collection of restaurants is in Ouchy, near to
the lake and the city's most picturesque and popular tourist area.
For a scenic lakeside treat, try the excellent restaurant at the
Hotel Beau-Rivage. The Auberge de
Vigneron meanwhile is a stylish café terrace
with picturesque views over the lake. As well as specialising
in fresh fish from the lake, the restaurant does a fine
line of Spanish influenced dishes including tapas.
Back in the city the largest hotels all have excellent
restaurants, and there are several independent restaurants
scattered around the city centre. Bleu Lézard is a
cool bar-restaurant with a club downstairs. Its menu is modern
French with an Italian twist. If you have you heart set
on that most Swiss of dishes, the cheese fondue, head for
Café Romand.
Cathedral
The 13th-century cathedral overlooking the old town is one of the most exquisite examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. The cathedral took nearly a century to build before being finally consecrated in 1275. The interior includes a stunning rose window, and original choir fittings that date from the 13th century. For a spectacular bird's eye view of Lausanne and the Savoie Alps on the other side of the lake, climb the spiral staircase that leads up to the belfry of the cathedral. In a small room here lives the night watchman, who shouts the hour every night from 22h00-02h00 - as his predecessors have done for over 500 years.
Open: Mon-Fri 07h00-19h00; Sat & Sun 08h00-19h00 (depending on events and services). Admission: free.
Collection of Raw Art
This museum based in the 18th-century Beaulieu Chateau displays an unusual collection of art, ranging from moving pieces to the down-right disturbing, created by people on the fringes of society who have had no formal artistic training. It includes works by prison inmates, the criminally insane and schizophrenics. The collection was donated to the city by the artist Jean Dubuffet as a showcase for what he called art brut or "raw art" in the 1940s.
Open: Tue-Sun 11h00-18h00. Admission: CHF10.
Palais de Rumine
This grand early-20th-century building is home to the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts and several other museums covering zoology, natural history, archaeology and anatomy. The fine arts collection contains works by local artists such as Felix Vallotton alongside those of Matisse, Renoir and Rodin. There are also annual temporary exhibitions to keep an eye out for.
Open: Tue & Wed 11h00-18h00; Thu 11h00-20h00; Fri-Sun 11h00-17h00. Admission: CHF10.
