Historic places in Lausanne

Historic places in Lausanne

1. See

   Fondation de l'Hermitage

   Built in 1841 as a residence for the banker Charles-Juste Bugnion, the Hermatage occupies its own wooded space on the hill above old-town, with marvellous views of the Cathedral and the Alps. The family donated the house and land to the City of Lausanne in 1976, which now uses the building to host first class travelling international art exhibitions.

   Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-21:00, Bank holidays 10:00-18:00·Adults Fr. 15, Seniors Fr. 12, Students and unemployed Fr. 7, Under 18 free.

2. See

   La Tour d'Ale

   One of the few surviving parts of the medieval ramparts, the tower provides a good excuse to visit rue de l'Ale and rue de la Tour. While you can admire it from outside it's closed to visitors.

3. See

   Musée Historique de Lausanne

   A collection of maps, images and documents about the history of Lausanne, and the Lake Geneva region from the earliest times through the long Bernese occupation to liberation and the present day. A beautifully hand-crafted diorama of 16th-century Lausanne is worth a visit all by itself.

   Tue-Thu 11:00-18:00, Fri-Sun 11:00-17:00·Fr. 4, students Fr. 2.50

4. See

   Notre Dame cathedral

   At the summit of the mountain that the old town is built on. The cathedral is architecturally quite interesting with a lot of small towers and windows. There is a fantastic look over the city and the surroundings from the tower, but as the cathedral is situated at the top of the city, already the view from the small square outside it worth taking a picture of.

   Mon-Fri 07:00-19:00, Sat Sun 08:00-18:00·Free

5. See

   Palais de Rumine

   Based on an Italian renaissance design, this lovely building is not as old as it looks. There are five different museums inside with exhibitions covering subjects ranging from fine arts to natural history.

   Tue Wed 11:00-18:00, Thu 11:00-20:00, Fri-Sun 11:00-17:00·Fr. 4

6. Do Not mapped

   Climb up the Cathedral Tower

   The view from the top of the Cathedral tower is well worth the climb. Ask the nun at the souvenir shop in the Cathedral. From 22:00 until two in the morning, a watch man shouts the hours, perpetuating a tradition that dates back to 1405.

7. Do Not mapped

   Enjoy the lakefront of Ouchy

   Take Metro 2 to Ouchy, et voila, as you leave the metro station you'll find the lake (and on a clear day the Alps) stretched out in front of you. The lake front also offers restaurants, bars, and the Chateau d'Ouchy castle/hotel.

8. Do Not mapped

   Explore The Old Town

   From the railway station you can take the convenient metro up to either Flon, Riponne or Bessières (close to the cathedral). Alternatively, if you don't mind climbing, the car-free section of old town really starts right across from the train station, with a steep walk up the hill. Shops keep strict hours: M-F 10:00-19:00, and Sa 10:00-18:00. On Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round almost all of the huge car-free area becomes a vast farmers market. Thanks to the hills making it hard to pave over, Lausanne's old town is larger than most found in Swiss cities, with the notable exception of Zurich. You can spend days wandering the old cobbled streets and still not know all of its nooks and crannies. After the shops close there are dozens of quaint, cozy, hip, or just warm restaurants, cafés and nightclubs, especially considering that at Place Central the old town joins with the Flon nightclub/gallery district. Wander as long as you like, there's no charge of course.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Lausanne (CC BY-SA 4.0).