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AQUATIS Aquarium & Vivarium
Not just another aquarium, AQUATIS has caused quite a stir since opening in late 2017, giving Lausanne a striking new landmark with a spherical facade…
Lausanne
Surrounded by vineyards, rolling down a trio of hillsides to the lakeshore, Switzerland’s fourth-largest city, Lausanne, likes to think it gives Geneva a run for its money.
While gridlocked Geneva seems to focus on the past and its reputation for hosting more international organisations than anywhere in the world, Lausanne looks to the future. The city is known for its upbeat vibe, perhaps on account of its enviable location (vistas this end of Lake Geneva are more dramatic than Geneva's) and its high-brow though party-hearty student population – Lausanne's EPFL Research Institute is considered Europe's version of Boston's MIT. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee are here, as well as unique museums undergoing exciting transformations and a new aquarium contrasting with the city's Gothic Old Town.
The neighbourhoods of chichi lakeside Ouchy and Flon, with its re-imagined warehouses, reflect Lausanne's hip, urban culture; both beckon you to visit.
Explore Lausanne
- AAQUATIS Aquarium & Vivarium
Not just another aquarium, AQUATIS has caused quite a stir since opening in late 2017, giving Lausanne a striking new landmark with a spherical facade…
- MMusée Cantonal des Beaux Arts
To be housed in a contemporary new home at Plateforme10 as of October 2019, the Fine Arts Museum showcases works by Swiss and foreign artists, ranging…
- OOlympic Museum
Musée Olympique is easily Lausanne’s most lavish museum and an essential stop for sports buffs (and kids). State-of-the-art installations recount the…
- Cathédrale de Notre Dame
Lausanne’s Gothic cathedral, Switzerland’s finest, stands proudly at the heart of the Old Town. Raised in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of…
- PPlace de la Palud
In the heart of the Vieille Ville (Old Town), this pretty as a picture 9th-century medieval market square, was once bogland. For five centuries it has…
- FFondation de l’Hermitage
High-calibre temporary art expositions grace this beautiful 19th-century residence ensnared in the green peace and tranquillity of the Bois de Sauvabelin…
- MMusée de l’Art Brut
Brut means crude or rough, and that’s what you get in this extraordinary gallery with its huge collection of works by untrained artists (many from the…
- PPalais de Rumine
This robust neo-Renaissance palace (1904) was designed by Gaspard André. In 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed here, finalising the break-up of the…
- RRolex Learning Centre
This quirky building (which topographically looks like a slice of Emmental cheese) houses the main campus of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne …
Latest Stories from Lausanne
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Lausanne.
See
AQUATIS Aquarium & Vivarium
Not just another aquarium, AQUATIS has caused quite a stir since opening in late 2017, giving Lausanne a striking new landmark with a spherical facade…
See
Musée Cantonal des Beaux Arts
To be housed in a contemporary new home at Plateforme10 as of October 2019, the Fine Arts Museum showcases works by Swiss and foreign artists, ranging…
See
Olympic Museum
Musée Olympique is easily Lausanne’s most lavish museum and an essential stop for sports buffs (and kids). State-of-the-art installations recount the…
See
Cathédrale de Notre Dame
Lausanne’s Gothic cathedral, Switzerland’s finest, stands proudly at the heart of the Old Town. Raised in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of…
See
Place de la Palud
In the heart of the Vieille Ville (Old Town), this pretty as a picture 9th-century medieval market square, was once bogland. For five centuries it has…
See
Fondation de l’Hermitage
High-calibre temporary art expositions grace this beautiful 19th-century residence ensnared in the green peace and tranquillity of the Bois de Sauvabelin…
See
Musée de l’Art Brut
Brut means crude or rough, and that’s what you get in this extraordinary gallery with its huge collection of works by untrained artists (many from the…
See
Palais de Rumine
This robust neo-Renaissance palace (1904) was designed by Gaspard André. In 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed here, finalising the break-up of the…
See
Rolex Learning Centre
This quirky building (which topographically looks like a slice of Emmental cheese) houses the main campus of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne …
Guidebooks
Learn more about Lausanne
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