Exploring Lausanne & the Region

The City of Lausanne

Just a short ride away by car, bike, bus or metro, Lausanne offers a delightful variety of cultural, gastronomic and commercial attractions.

Foodies' paradise: From brunches, to breweries, and food trucks to fine dining, Lausanne has more than 300 F&B venues and something for every taste. In the gastronomic arena, Lausanne has four Michelin-starred restaurants and 20 restaurants with 12 or more points assigned by Gault&Millau (2018).

Arts & culture:

Lausanne Cathedral (400,000+ visitors every year)
Palace of Rumine with 5 different museums inside
Museum of Art Brut (a strange must-see)
Fondation de l'Hermitage (art and photography exhibitions)
Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts
the Olympic Museum (in wonderful Ouchy)

Shopping & Relaxation

The Flon (restored neighborhood with trendy shops, bars, clubs and restaurants)
The Cité (home to quirky, old-school pubs, bistros, annual summer festival)
The Palud (famous historical clock, casual terraces, bi-weekly farmers market)
St. François and the Rue de Bourg (luxury boutiques)

The Swiss Culture

In the heart of Europe, Switzerland is an ideal place to learn about European culture because it has such a well-preserved history with artifacts and stories dating all the way back to pre-history, remnants of Roman architecture, and many cities with the old, stone-walled structures of medieval Europe.

It has more than 900 museums, many of which relate to regional history and crafts, and 11 sites that are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Additionally, the major cities in Switzerland feature many museums and exhibition halls dedicated to the arts. There are also famous international art and craft shows year-round.

The Swiss are also excellent craftsmen (and women) and the watchmaking industry offers a fascinating look into the evolution of high-precision craftsmanship evolving with a high-tech, luxury industry.

Avenches Roman Amphitheatre © Switzerland Tourism

Fondation Beyeler, Basel © Switzerland Tourism

Elysee Museum, Lausanne © Switzerland Tourism

Basel's carnival © Switzerland Tourism

Traditional Swiss Paper Cut © Switzerland Tourism

KKL Luzern © Switzerland Tourism

The Oskar Reinhart Collection, Winterthur © Swiss Tourism

Watchmaking © Swiss Tourism

Nightlife

For having such an organized, peaceful country, the Swiss sure like to party. Bars and night clubs in Switzerland have long opening hours to welcome you for an early drink on the terrace or dancing till dawn.

Lausanne

It is one of Switzerland’s leading cities for nightlife, it attracts party people from all over the country and Europe.

Bars abound in the neighborhoods of the Cité, Palud, Riponne and the Flon, and many feature live music. Several large dance clubs like the Mad, the D! and the XOXO host massive weekend events and famous musicians.

Other Regions

The Swiss-German party scene in Zurich and Bern offers a very hip, but slightly mellower selection of bars, music and club scenes. Geneva also has a lot of upscale bars, artsy shows and interesting events.

Safety first: Switzerland offers excellent public transportation options throughout the night on weekends, including a regional “pyjama bus” in Lausanne, so there is no excuse to drink and drive.

Swiss Day Trips & Excursions

Switzerland is a small enough country that you can visit some of its most famous sites, and even dip into neighboring countries on a one- or two-day excursion.

One-Day Trips

Walk the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyard terraces and try Swiss wines
Tour Geneva for the luxury shopping and water jet
Get a taste of Swiss German culture, architecture and food in Bern
Take the CGN boat across Lake Geneva to visit Evian in France
Tour the Chateau de Chillon and shop in Montreux
Go to Gruyères Castle to taste the famous cheese and cream
Relax and get a massage at the thermal baths (Lavey, Loeche, Ovronnaz, etc.)

Overnight trips

Visit Europa Park (amusement park) & Basel art shows
Visit Strasbourg or Colmar in Alsace
Spend a day in Zurich shopping and enjoy the nightlife
Got to Interlaken for its amazing scenery and extreme sports
Tour the famous Swiss mountains of Zermatt or the French mountains of Chamonix & Mont Blanc
Visit Bavaria for Oktoberfest and the Neuschwanstein Castle
Enjoy French cuisine and culture in Lyon or Annecy