11 best things to do and activities in Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne in Switzerland-11 Best Things To Do and activities
In this post we will tell you about our adventure in Switzerland, that continues with the city of Lausanne. We really liked the views of the city from above, the lake and the other attractions. The city has more to offer than we initially expected. You will also enjoy our ideas about where to eat and when an great brunch lausanne restaurants ideas.
Table of Contents
Our itinerary from Switzerland written in separate articles from this one: Zurich; Lucerne-Lungern; Interlaken-Lauterbrunnen-Grindelwald; Iseltwald-Spiez- Sarnen; Lausanne; Geneva; Bern; Basel. Discover more of Switzerland with us!
It was a nice surprise for us to discover such a beautiful city in a sunny day in April…Stay with us to find out what budget you need to plan, where can you stay depending on your budget, where you can eat, shop and how to get here by car, bus or train. We also offer you some valuable advices about how can you save so money as well. We know! Switzerland is expensive but the true travel lovers that like to explore can always find ways to save money, even in Switzerland!
Informations
Lausanne is a major Swiss city. The city is located in French-speaking Switzerland (Romandie) on Lake Geneva and, with 140,202 inhabitants, is the fourth largest city in Switzerland after Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Lausanne is one of the Swiss cities with a high proportion of foreigners, along with Geneva and Basel.
Quick Tips
When to travel:Peak tourist months are from May to July, but one can take a trip to Switzerland in any season, depending on their interests.
Language:The official languages are German,Italian,French.
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF) 1$ =0,9 CHF 1€=1,1 CHF
Food Prices:Meal in a cheap restaurant=23 EUR,Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=92 EUR
In addition,you can find more information about the visa here.
Things to do
Musée Olympique
The Olympic Museum in the “Olympic capital” of Lausanne was opened on June 23, 1993 on the initiative of Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral is the main Reformed church of the city as well as the Église Évangélique Réformée du canton de Vaud. Before the Reformation it was the episcopal church of the Diocese of Lausanne. It is considered an important Gothic building in Switzerland and had a significant influence on the further development of Gothic architecture in the region.
Aquatis Aquarium
The Aquatis Aquarium-Vivarium in the Biopôle Science Park north of the Swiss city is the largest freshwater show aquarium-vivarium in Europe. It was opened on October 21, 2017 and is home to around 10,000 fish, 100 reptiles and amphibians and 300 plant species in an accessible area of 3,500 square meters. Supported by digital technology and lifelike projections, 20 ecosystems from five continents are presented in the 46 aquariums, terrariums and vivariums on a circular route over two floors.
Musée de l’Elysée
The Musée de l’Elysée was a photography museum in Lausanne, founded by Charles-Henri Favrod as the first in Switzerland to deal exclusively with photographic images. It was located in a former mansion, the Campagne de l’Élysée, in Ouchy, overlooking Lake Geneva, until September 2020. It is temporarily closed from October 2020 to June 2022.
Place de la Palud
Beautiful fountain surrounded by cool buildings and shops in the old town of Lausanne. The market that is setup on Saturdays isn’t particularly large but has a good selection of local vegetables and some take away foods. There is a city clock that has a little figurine show every hour. Check it out!
Zoo de Servion
The Zoo de Servion is a zoological garden in Servion, canton of Vaud, Switzerland, and the largest zoo in western Switzerland. Many large and small predatory animals live here, and the good breeding successes of the Amur tiger and binturong, a rare Asian viverrid cat, are particularly valuable. Crowd favorites are the monkeys. Several species of marmoset live in Servion, which have become very rare in their native South America, such as the cotton-top tamarin or the pygmy marmoset.
Esplanade de Montbenon
When visiting Lausanne city, it’s a place you should not miss, stunning view on the Leman and the Alps. This a great spot for sunsets in Lausanne! Anytime of the year since the view of the lake is clear of higher buildings.
Parc Olympique
The park tells the stories of histories of some of the past Olympics. You can also see Olympic torch which light 24 by 7 with the three motive of Olympic. And the view outside of Olympic Museum it’s very peaceful. The gardens are open to the public even at night, and they have a very nice new free and clean toilet down near the lake that is open around the clock.
Sauvabelin Turm
Very nice panoramic spot with view on the city and on the lake, situated in a wood but still easily reachable from the city center. The surrounding small park is nice for children because of the playground and some animals to watch.
Palais de Rumine
The Palais de Rumine is a public building in the Swiss city of Lausanne. It is located in the Center district on Place de la Riponne, on the western edge of the old town. The building was built between 1898 and 1906 according to plans by Gaspard André in Florentine Renaissance style and is included in the Inventory of Cultural Property of National Importance.
More attractions to visit if you spend more days in Zurich:Art House Zurich(Kunsthaus Zürich) , Uetliberg , Zoo Zurich , Botanical Garden.
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts
The Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne is an art museum in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was founded in 1841 and has been located in the “Plateforme 10” building complex near Lausanne train station in the cantonal capital of Lausanne on Lake Geneva since 2019.
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. Lausanne offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Lausanne’s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
We managed to find the best three companies that offer hotels, holiday homes and transportation. These are: Booking.com,Trip.com and Vrbo. We have already tested these companies and we warmly recommend them. As a result this will just bring you good deals for your next vacation.
Mid-range hotels : Hôtel du Port , Swiss Wine by Fassbind, Rivage Hotel Restaurant Lutry .
Budget hotels : Hôtel du Marché, Youth Hostel Jeunotel , ibis Lausanne Centre .
Where to eat
Traditional dishes: Saucisson vaudois is a traditional Swiss sausage originating from the canton of Vaud. There are several kinds of this sausage, but it’s usually made from pork, lard, spices, salt, and sugar. It is typically dried and smoked.
Deeply rooted in the canton of Vaud as one of its signature dishes, papet Vaudois is a delicious hotpot of leeks and potatoes which are cooked together for hours until they reach the consistency of a papette, meaning mash.
Chasselas is the most planted white grape variety in Switzerland.
Traditional cheese: Vacherin Mont d’Or, L’Etivaz, Tomme Vaudoise, Le Maréchal , Le Sousbois.
Regional cuisine: Au Tournesol Chez Laurence, Brasserie de Paudex, La Pomme de Pin, Pinte Besson, Le Barbare,
Fondue Restaurants: L’Après Sky, Chalet Suisse, À la Bossette, Pinte Besson.
Weekend Brunche Lausanne: Le Barbare, Le Brunch du Lausanne Palace, Brasserie de Paudex, Hungry Bear Kitchen, Le Gram.
Cafès: Ça Passe Crème, Café de Prélaz, Madeleine, Bel-Air Coffee, Le P’tit Central.
Terraces and rooftops:Le Deck , Café Mozart, Royal Savoy Hotel, La Terrasse, Jetée de la Compagnie, Le Perchoir.
Saving Tips
Enjoy unlimited access by public train, bus, and boat to visit more than 41 cities, reach peaks of many mountains, and sail through beautiful lakes in Switzerland with the Swiss Travel Pass. In our opinion, this is the best way to save money on transport, if you do not visit Switzerland by car or decide not to rent a car. Just check the prices for train or bus ticket and you will see that buying them separately for every new destination it would be more expensive then the Swiss Travel Pass.
The Lausanne Transport Card, available for hotels’ guests to get access to public transport for free;
The Mobilis subscription for train, bus, and subway, whose monthly ticket ranges from CHF 66 to 462, while the annual one costs from CHF 660 to 4620 – each according to the class and number of zones;
You can save some money by:
Eating in restaurants that offer fixed-price menus;
Visiting Mon-Repos Park: a green oasis that houses a neo-Gothic tower, a waterfall, and a lovely meeting place called ‘La Folie Voltaire’;
- Reaching the Sauvabelin Tower: built entirely from wood you may climb it for free all year round and enjoy a view over Lake Geneva and the Alps;
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Lausanne Cathedral: visible from the whole town, it’s the largest gothic-style monument in Switzerland and you can visit it for free all year round;
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Accessing museums for free every first Saturday of the month: the city offers 15 museums where you can discover unique pieces of art for free, once a month;
You can also try Hop-on, Hop-off tours or Big Bus tours and spare some money. As we are presenting a lot of good options you just have to pick the perfect one for you!
If you do not go by car and need to know more informations about the tours, things to see and do in Lausanne, we recommend this two companies that are offering tours for any kind of activity you want to do and where you can buy trips much cheaper than if you buy them when you arrive at your destination. It is always good to be able to save some money!
Viator and Get Your Guide : the best activities in town!
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Shopping
The department stores offer a concentrated overview of the latest shopping-trends:
Bongenie – Clothes and fashion accessories for men, kids and women.
Manor – Accessories and chlotes for men, women, kids, Sport, Beauty, Home, Multimedia, Gifts.
Globus – Accessories and chlotes for men, women, kids, Home accessories, Beauty, Gifts.
Luxus Boutiques(in the heart of the old town) – Annabelle, Claudie Pierlot, Longchamp Paris, Bally, Zadig&Voltaire, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Allure, Nuit Blanche.
Jewelers : Bucherer, Junod, Tourbillon, L’ Emeraude, Lionel Meylan.
Getting Around
Local public transportation options in Lausanne are also extensive. The city has an excellent public transportation system that combines buses, trams, and trains into a single ticket system. All public transportation in Canton Vaud is part of the Mobilis tariff system allowing passengers to travel on the whole network with a single ticket. Lausanne is also the hub of the local S-Bahn / RER regional train network. These S-Bahn trains offer reliable transportation to many nearby towns but also to towns further away such as Yverdon, Montreux, and Villeneuve.
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Getting here
Lausanne Airport is a small civil airport located in the north of the city. It has no scheduled commercial traffic and is used for general aviation. It also serves as a base for Swiss rescue services.
Geneva Airport (GVA) is the closest airport. The airport is only 60 km from Lausanne with fast traveling on the Autoroute A1 allowing for driving times as short as 40 minutes. Direct trains from Geneva Airport are available around five times per hour with traveling times around 50 minutes.
Zurich Airport (ZRH) also offers relatively easy access to the city as well. For most passengers arriving at Zürich, taking the train or driving will probably be a faster and cheaper option than catching a connecting flight to Geneva Airport. Zurich Airport is 230 km (2h30) from Lausanne with direct hourly trains taking around 2h30.You can also fly to Basel or Bern.
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Getting to Lausanne in Switzerland by train
Usually, five trains per hour are available to Lausanne from Geneva Airport.
Longer distance trains in Switzerland go from Lausanne twice per hour to Bern (1h10), Zurich Central Station (2h10), Zurich Airport ZRH (2h30), and Basel (2h10 – usually with transfer in Bern or Biel). Passengers to Germany have to transfer in one of these cities to ICE or EC trains. High-speed TGV Lyria trains connect Paris-Gare de Lyon with Lausanne up to six times per day. The fastest routing takes only in 3h40.Traveling time to London-St Pancras on the Eurostar and TGV is around seven to eight hours.
Direct Euro City trains to Milano Centrale in Italy are available up to four times per day. The train ride to Milan is as fast as 3h20.
Lausanne is located at the intersection of major highways allowing for fast traveling times to other parts of Switzerland and nearby France. Autoroute A1 runs from Genève past Geneva Airport, Nyon, Lausanne, Bern, Zurich, and beyond. Bus companies offer bus trips to Zurich. With Busbud you travel cheaply from Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Milan, Turin, Rome, Vienna, Paris, Zagreb, Bratislava, Prague and other cities to Lausanne.
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