Lausanne

Lausanne

CH

Population133,521

Lausanne ( loh-ZAN, US also loh-ZAHN; French: [lɔzan] ; Arpitan: Losena [lɔˈzəna] ) is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French-speaking canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and facing the French town of Évian-les-Bains across the lake. Lausanne is located (as the crow flies) 51.7 kilometres (32 miles) northeast of Geneva, the nearest major city. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland convenes in Lausanne, although it is not the de jure capital of the nation. The municipality of Lausanne has a population of about 140,000, making it the fourth largest city in Switzerland after Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, with the entire agglomeration area having about 420,000 inhabitants (as of January 2019). The metropolitan area of Lausanne-Geneva (including Vevey-Montreux, Yverdon-les-Bains, Valais and foreign parts), commonly designated as Arc lémanique was over 1.3 million inhabitants in 2017 and is the fastest growing in Switzerland. Initially a Celtic and Roman settlement on the shores of the lake, Lausanne became a town at the foot of Notre Dame, a cathedral built in the 12th century. In the 20th century, Lausanne became a focus of international sport, hosting the International Olympic Committee (which has recognized the city as the "Olympic Capital" since 1994), the Court of Arbitration for Sport and some 55 international sport associations. It lies in a noted wine-growing region. With its 28-station metro system, Lausanne is the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transit system. Lausanne hosted the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in Lausanne

Musée cantonal de géologie

Musée cantonal de géologie

Musée cantonal de zoologie

Musée cantonal de zoologie

The Cantonal Museum of Zoology in Lausanne has been merged and, as of 1 January 2023, became a department of …

Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire

Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire

Musée monétaire cantonal

Musée monétaire cantonal

Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts

Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts

The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (French: Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, MCBA) is an art museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Palais de Rumine

Palais de Rumine

The Palais de Rumine is a late 19th-century building in Florentine Renaissance style in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Fondation de l'Hermitage

Fondation de l'Hermitage

Tour de Sauvabelin

Tour de Sauvabelin

The Tour de Sauvabelin (literally "Tower of Sauvabelin") is a wooden tower located in the Sauvabelin forest in Lausanne, Switzerland. …

Fondation Claude Verdan - Musée de la Main

Fondation Claude Verdan - Musée de la Main

Musée Olympique

Musée Olympique

The Olympic Museum (French: Musée olympique) in Lausanne, Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic …

Musée romain de Lausanne-Vidy

Musée romain de Lausanne-Vidy

Musée de l'Elysée

Musée de l'Elysée

Photo Élysée, formerly known as Musée de l'Élysée, is a museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, entirely devoted to photography. It is …

MUDAC

MUDAC

The Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (French: Musée de design et d'arts appliqués contemporains, MUDAC) is a museum …

Musée de la Machine à Écrire

Musée de la Machine à Écrire

Collection de l’Art Brut

Collection de l’Art Brut

The Collection de l'art brut (literally "collection of raw art"; and sometimes referred to as "Musée de l'Art Brut") is …

Musée Bolo

Musée Bolo

The Musée Bolo or Swiss Museum of Computer Science, Digital Culture and Video Games is a private museum dedicated to …

Maison Buttin-de-Loës

Maison Buttin-de-Loës

Musée Historique de Lausanne

Musée Historique de Lausanne

Musée de la Chaussure

Musée de la Chaussure

Musée d'art de Pully

Musée d'art de Pully

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