Best Things to do in Lausanne

Lausanne is the most beautiful city in Switzerland. The three months I spent there to improve my French, I felt like I was on vacation although I went to university every day. The lake adds a lot to that feeling of course but also the people and the atmosphere are  more relaxed than in the rest of Switzerland, due to the French influence and the big Spanish/Portuguese crowd. Here are the best things to do in Lausanne:

The Lake of Geneva – Lac Leman

The lake which is shaped like a lemon is the prettiest along the shore of Lausanne because you always have the snow covered mountains in the background. You can take the metro directly from the city center down to Ouchy (pronounced: oushi) and walk to the left to get to the Olympic Museum or walk to the right to get to beaches and big parks where it’s possible to have a bbq. Besides the nice view, you can enjoy a delicious Mövenpick ice cream in Ouchy.

Historic Town Center

Lausanne is built on a hill and therefore, you will climb many ascends in narrow alleys. However, you will discover cute creperies and brasseries everywhere and sometimes, you can even sit on small terraces outside.

The Great Escape

This is my favorite bar. It has Irish flair but it also serves other delicious beers and drinks from all over the world. In December, they usually hang up a big mistle toe in the middle of the bar. If it’s too hot in summer, you can go outside as well, where the light chains they hung up in the trees add a nice touch to the atmosphere. It’s located half way up the stairs between Place de la Riponne and the cathedral.

Le Barbare

This is where you get the best hot chocolate (click here to find the other places in Switzerland, where to get a great hot chocolate) in Lausanne. It’s a bit of a hidden gem but once you found it, you will always come back. That’s why it’s always packed with people. It’s very cozy inside and beautiful to sit outside and enjoy the sun, while having a good view onto an ancient wood covered stairway that leads up the way along old houses. You find it by continuing the same stairs further up from The Great Escape, then turn right and you will arrive at the covered stairway on your right. Le Barbare is right at the end of the first flight of covered stairs.

The Olympic Museum

The headquarters of the Olympic Committee are in Lausanne and naturally, there is an awesome museum to go along with it. Outside in the park (free entry) you can see the rings, statues, an eternal fire and at certain times the Olympic Hymn is playing.
Inside you find a great and very interactive exhibition about the Olympic sports. Here you find more information for your visit.

La Tour du Sauvebelin

This is a wooden tower high above the city of Lausanne. Entry is for free but the climb to the top you have to manage yourself and the view on a non-hazy day of the city and the lake is priceless.
You get there by taking bus #16 to the stop called Signal.
If you walk back down for about 10min, you will get to a small art museum called Fondation de l’Hermitage. There is a nice café and a park with awesome trees.

Vineyards

They say this view makes people throw away their return ticket.

If you take the train from Lausanne to Bern, during the first 20min of the train ride, you will have the most beautiful view you can have out of a train window. As you are driving through hilly vineyards, you always see down on the lake and the mountains behind it. Don’t forget to take out your camera and sit on the right side of the aisle (left side if you come from Bern).

If you need a hotel, try Ibis Lausanne Centre. There are lots of cute places nearby to eat, if you don’t want to eat at the hotel. The big plus is, that you get a free public transport card with your stay at Ibis.
If you come by car, take Ibis Lausanne Crissier. It’s cheaper than the one in the center, there are free parking lots and there is a big shopping center next to it. It takes 30min by bus to get to the city center

What would you most like to visit in Lausanne? What is your favorite picture in this post? Do you have something else I can add to this list?