Lausanne

Travel Guide
Lausanne showing street scenes
Switzerland’s fourth-largest city has a historic medieval center, a picturesque waterfront, diverse art collections and a museum that illustrates why this is the Olympic Capital.

Lausanne is An attractive, youthful and spirited lakeside city, has lots to offer visitors. Stroll the lanes lined with boutiques and cafés in the historic quarter, marvel at magnificent lake and mountain views and learn about how the city earned its “Olympic Capital” title.

Once a Roman settlement by the name of Lousonna, Lausanne is now a thriving, thoroughly modern city, but evidence of its lengthy past is not hard to discover. Explore the city’s well-maintained Old Town to find constructions from centuries past. See the Cathédrale de Notre Dame, a splendid Gothic structure dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, and the photogenic Place de la Palud market square, which is bordered by the 17th-centuryHôtel de Ville.

This is a city with an impressive collection of museums. Learn about local heritage at the Musée Historique de Lausanne, housed in what was once the city bishops’ home, and survey the striking collection of works from untrained and often troubled artists at the Collection de l’Art Brut. The Musée de Design et d’Arts Appliqués Contemporains hosts temporary exhibits devoted to design, the Musée de l’Elysée focuses on photography, while the Musée Romain Lausanne-Vidy displays artifacts excavated from the site of the old Roman settlement of Lousonna.

The city also contains some much more modern and cutting-edge sights too. Visit the state-of-the-art AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium and go to the Rolex Learning Centre, an unusual futuristic undulating building that is part of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

Relax in Lausanne’s lakeside Ouchy district, where many locals go to stroll, swim and stand-up paddleboard. This neighborhood features the sleek Olympic Museum. The museum references the fact that the International Olympic Committee are headquartered in Lausanne and features interactive exhibits as well as sporting memorabilia.

Find Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva in the French-speaking Swiss canton of Vaud. Getting around Lausanne is easy. Not only is the city small, but it is served by a well-functioning metro system as well as buses and trolley buses. Use these public transportation options as parking can be difficult in central Lausanne.

Where to stay in Lausanne

Lausanne showing a square or plaza and a pond as well as a large group of people

Lausanne Center

4.5/5(77 area reviews)

Lausanne Center is known for its fantastic lake views, and you can make a stop by Lausanne Cathedral and Place of Riponne while in the area.

Lausanne Center
Olympic Museum which includes outdoor art and a statue or sculpture

Ouchy

Visitors often come to Ouchy for its lake views, but many stay to explore sights like Ouchy Port and Olympic Museum. Getting around the area on the metro is easy if you catch a ride at Ouchy-Olympique Station.

Ouchy
Vidy beach, on Lake Geneva, is located just minutes from downtown Lausanne. All services are nearby, from BBQ spots to beach volleyball, basketball etc. There’s also an adjacent campground and a youth hostel is about a 5min walk.
Very relaxing atmosphere. #beachtips #LikeALocal

Montoie-Bourdonnette

Montoie-Bourdonnette is noteworthy for its lake views, and you can make a stop at top attractions like International Olympic Committee and Espace des Inventions.

Montoie-Bourdonnette
„L‘arbre et des ravines“

Le Flon

When in Le Flon, you can plan a visit to Place of Riponne and Lausanne Cathedral, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Le Flon
Amazing spiral staircase inside the building of the “La Vaudoise Assurances”. The building was finished in the early 1950s and includes several interesting artworks. #architecture #troveontuesday

Montriond-Cour

Visitors to Montriond-Cour enjoy its lake views, and if you want to do some exploring, Theatre de Vidy is worth a stop.

Montriond-Cour
Hotel Continental
Hotel Continental
4 out of 5
Place de la Gare 2, Lausanne
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is $171 per night from Nov 29 to Nov 30
$171
includes taxes & fees
$151 per night
Nov 29 - Nov 30
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Lausanne. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (674 reviews)
Nice place to stay
"Nice little room for a day or two stay. Close to the railway station and restaurants. Staff is very helpful and friendly."

Reviewed on Oct 24, 2024

Hotel Continental
Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa
Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa
5 out of 5
Avenue d'Ouchy 40, Lausanne, VD
The price is $357 per night from Nov 8 to Nov 9
$357
includes taxes & fees
$329 per night
Nov 8 - Nov 9
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Lausanne. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and a rooftop terrace. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (513 reviews)
"A gorgeous hotel with a great spa. Very conveniently located for local transport. The dining and bar at the hotel were excellent. I was there for my birthday and the team at the hotel really went the extra mile to make it special - thank you! I would highly recommend."

Reviewed on Sep 27, 2024

Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa
Hotel Mirabeau, BW Signature Collection
Hotel Mirabeau, BW Signature Collection
4 out of 5
Avenue de la Gare 31, Lausanne, VD
The price is $171 per night from Nov 22 to Nov 23
$171
includes taxes & fees
$151 per night
Nov 22 - Nov 23
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in Lausanne. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our ...
9/10 Wonderful! (434 reviews)
"The hotel was very clean and the staff were very friendly. The location was convenient as only a several blocks from train station or metro. The bus was within a block."

Reviewed on Sep 25, 2024

Hotel Mirabeau, BW Signature Collection
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Joli Espace Avec vue sur le lac
Joli Espace Avec vue sur le lac
Lausanne
Stay at this apartment in Lausanne. Popular attractions AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium and Sauvabelin Tower are located nearby.
Joli Espace Avec vue sur le lac
Zenitude Evian Terrasses du Lac - Ascend Collection
Zenitude Evian Terrasses du Lac - Ascend Collection
3 out of 5
Route de l'Horloge, Evian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie
Stay at this 3-star eco-certified aparthotel in Evian-les-Bains. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the property ...
8/10 Very Good! (713 reviews)
"Shoddy and dated furniture and unclean but otherwise okay, like most of the Google reviews say. Parking was possible but not easy."

Reviewed on Oct 3, 2024

Zenitude Evian Terrasses du Lac - Ascend Collection
Garden & City Evian Lugrin
Garden & City Evian Lugrin
3 out of 5
Chemin de chez Tupin, Lugrin, Haute-Savoie
Stay at this 3-star residence in Lugrin. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Parc des Jardins de Haute-Savoie and Plage De ...
7.6/10 Good! (494 reviews)
"It was good and got value for money. Surrounded by trees. Lovely little pool. Breakfast is available but need to be booked a day before."

Reviewed on Jul 19, 2024

Garden & City Evian Lugrin
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Lausanne

4.6
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
63
" "5 - Excellent 60.57692307692308%
4 - Good
38
" "4 - Good 36.53846153846154%
3 - Okay
3
" "3 - Okay 2.8846153846153846%
2 - Disappointing
0
" "2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Lausanne is a beautiful city. Many vintage buildings and structures to see. The old architecture was some of the best parts of Lausanne. The rail system is very nice. Almost always on time. If you like shopping, but built on all hills, steep.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Very cute area; easy to get to Vevey and Montreaux and explore as well. Probably a great place in the warmer weather, lots of boat activity.

3/5 - Okay

Call

Too expensive for what it's worth

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Beautiful city. People were very nice.

5/5 - Excellent

David

It is very easy to get around. The Metro is convenient. Other than that, its a walking city (with steep grades), so bring good shoes or sneakers.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Vibrant city! Lots to do and getting around is so easy by train, bus or walking. Our hotel gave us each a free pass for the local trains and buses. Rooftop bars are a terrific way to spend an evening out.

Cities near Lausanne