Things to do in Lausanne

13 activities, venues and outings in Lausanne, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Arsenic
Specializing in more offbeat acts the Arsenic books a full schedule of avant-garde theatre, jazz and pop music, and installation/performance art throughout the fall, winter and spring.
Do
Espace de Terreaux
The local council of Protestant churches has de-consecrated the chapel located across the street from the Metropole 2000 shopping centre and now uses it to present weekly concerts with a mix of sacred and profane acts ranging from American gospel singers through Eastern European Klezmer bands to puppet theatre for children.
Do
Le Romandie
Rock club and live music. See their web site for the program.
Do
Métropole
A major concert hall for western Switzerland, the Métropole books dance, world music, pop, jazz, etc. If you are passing through town at the right time you might catch anything from the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra to the Cure here.
Mon 09:00-19:00, Tue-Fri 08:30-19:00, Sat 08:00-18:00
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.
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.
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.
Do Not mapped
Explore the Sauvabelin Forest
Don't miss the freely accessible Sauvabelin tower, from which you have a 360° view of the lake, the Alps and the Jura. Then go down to the city centre through the park of the Fondation de l'Hermitage (see above).
Do
Les Docks
Live music and bar.
Do
Théâtre 2.21
Rue de l'Industrie 10
Do
Théâtre Boulimie
The sanctuary of Swiss humour.
Do
Théâtre Kléber-Méleau
1020 Renens-Malley
Do
Théâtre de Vidy
Av. Jaques-Dalcroze 5

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