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Lausanne, (pronounced low-ZANNE) the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, is a medium sized city which sits at the northernmost point of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The city is the host to the International Olympic Committee and two major universities. It is also the public transport hub of Vaud, and a gateway to the alpine Canton of the Valais, home to some of the best known ski slopes in the world.

As you might expect the large student population makes for a lively nightlife and arts community, revolving around the Flon district. You'll also find a number of quality restaurants and two dozen museums of note, including the Olympic Museum and the offbeat Collection de l'Art Brut. Architecture buffs should note that at the top of the old town you'll find the best preserved Gothic cathedral in Switzerland.

Despite being a very international city (42% of its population being foreign nationals) Lausanne is a French speaking city. English is not as commonly spoken as in Geneva and you will probably have trouble communicating with an average person on the street. Most service-sector employees speak a little English however, and the level of English amongst young Swiss tends to be high (amongst the older generation it is German that tends to be far stronger). A visitor will have little trouble getting around with just English.

Understand

There has been a settlement on the hill of Lausanne since at least the stone age, but most histories of the city trace its origin to the Roman camp Lausanna which occupied a position just down the hill toward the lake in what is now the village of Vidy.

Relocated to a more defensible hilltop in the Middle Ages, Lausanne's increasing wealth and importance were largely derived from its placement on the primary north-south routes between Italy and the north sea. It was the first major town north of the Saint Bernard pass, at least until the establishment of the bishopric of Valais.

In 1536 the Bernese took the city from the Dukes of Savoy as part of their drive to secure their southwestern frontier. The Bernese held the territory until Lausanne gained its independence from Berne after the invasion of a French army under Napoléon Bonaparte in 1798. The city was later, in 1803, admitted to Switzerland as the capital of Vaud.

Lavaux , the mini region of the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva from Lausanne to Montreux (sometimes called the Swiss Riviera) has been a second home to writers, artists and musicians for about 150 years starting with the Shelleys and Lord Byron, who partied and wrote in Lausanne (Frankenstein is rumoured to have been composed here). Other famous residents include Ernest Hemingway, who wintered here with his young family around the time related in A Movable Feast and Charlie Chaplin who lived in Vevey from the mid-1930s on.

See

• Collection de l'Art Brut, Av. des Bergières 11 (bus 2 toward Désert, stop at Jomini, bus 3 toward Bellevaux, stop Beaulieu),  ☎ +41 21 315 2570. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00. This must-see collection of works by untrained artists will at turns delight, amaze, baffle, and irritate. Many of the artists whose works are shown here found life difficult or impossible outside (or inside) of institutions, finding solace and purpose in sometimes compulsive acts of creation. CHF10.
• Palais de Rumine, Place de la Riponne 6,  ☎ +41 21 316 3310. Tu W 11:00-18:00, Th 11:00-20:00, F-Su 11:00-17:00. 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. CHF4.
• ⊙Musée d'archéologie et d'histoire, Place de la Riponne 6,  ☎ +41 21 316 3430. Tu-Th 11:00-18:00, F-Su 11:00-17:00. CHF6. 
• Musée des Beaux-Arts, Place de la Riponne 6,  ☎ +41 21 316 3445. M-Th 11:00-20:00, F-Su 11:00-17:00.
• Musée Historique de Lausanne, Place de la Cathedral 4,  ☎ +41 21 315 4101. Tu-Th 11:00-18:00, F-Su 11:00-17:00. 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. CHF4, students CHF2.50.
• Mudac, Place de la Cathédral 6,  ☎ +41 21 315 2530. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00, Jul-Aug M 11:00-18:00. The museum of design and contemporary applied arts. CHF10.
• Musée de l'Elysée, Av. de l'Elysée 18,  ☎ +41 21 316 9911. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00. A world-class photography museum, located in a splendid park. Very close to the Olympic Museum. CHF8, students CHF4.
• Espace Arlaud, Place de la Riponne 2 bis,  ☎ +41 21 316 3850. W-F 12:00-18:00, F-Su 11:00-17:00. CHF6.
• 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. Note however that while you can admire it from outside it's closed to visitors.
• Fondation de l'Hermitage, Rte du Signal 2,  ☎ +41 21 312 5013. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, Bank holidays 10:00-18:00. 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. Adults CHF15, Seniors CHF12, Students and unemployed CHF7, Under 18 free.
• Musée Romain Lausanne-Vidy, Chemin du Bois-de-Vaux 24,  ☎ +41 21 315 4185. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00. On display are architectural finds from the settlement site just across the road which still features the remains of walls and a forum from the time of Caesar. CHF8, students CHF5.
• Notre Dame cathedral, Place de la Cathédrale,  ☎ +41 21 316 7161. M-F 07:00-19:00, Sa Su 08:00-18:00. 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. Free.
• Olympic Museum, Quai d'Ouchy 1,  ☎ +41 21 621 6511. 1 May to 30 Sep: daily 09:00-18:00, 1 Oct to 30 Apr: Tu-Su 09:00-18:00. The museum advertises itself as presenting "wealth of memories which will keep your passion for Olympism burning". The sculpture garden, overlooking Lac Léman, is open to the public. Closed on Mondays from 1 Nov-31 Mar. Items on display include Jean-Claude Killy's ski boots and Carl Lewis' golden track shoes. CHF14 for the whole museum, CHF7 for just the temporary exhibitions. Children get in half price. Children under 10 admitted free.

Do

• 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 of 10:00-19:00 Monday to Friday, and 10:00-18:00 on Saturdays. 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.
• Explore the Sauvabelin Forest (north of the centre). 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).
• 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.
• 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.