Tourist Attractions & Monuments Lausanne

Discovering a city thanks to the knowledge and passion of a local guide is undoubtedly the best experience of all. A number of themes are on offer, including the unmissable tour of the old town, Place de la Palud, the cathedral, Saint-François church, Ouchy, "Les chocolatiers lausannois", "Lausanne anecdotique", "Quand les murs se colorent", the history of bridges, "Trois collines, deux cours d'eau" and many other excellent ideas. These tours, led by the host guides of the Mouvement des aînés du canton de Vaud, only take place in summer.

In the Plateforme 10 arts district, a new showcase has been designed to house unique collections of over 1.2 million phototypes. Exhibitions by renowned photographers such as Robert Doisneau and Irving Penn, as well as those by young talents, will be on show throughout the year in the permanent collection and in temporary exhibitions. Various meetings and conferences are organized throughout the year. The New Generation Museum shares its museum space with the MUDAC Design Museum.

What could be more pleasant in summer than a dip in the lake? Parc Bourget is the kingdom of birds and fans of nature and evening parties. The park is also the site of the execution of Major Davel, who was beheaded in 1723 for wanting to free Lausanne from the Bernese yoke and for his insurrection. The entire park is listed as a historic garden. On summer evenings and weekends, many families and groups of friends come to play volleyball, swim in the lake, picnic or barbecue

The MCBA, formerly housed in the Palais Rumine, is a key element of Plateforme 10, alongside the mudac and Photo Élysées. The building, adorned with bricks evoking the site's industrial past, boasts forward-looking architecture. Inside, the large glass roof and spacious rooms set the tone: space is given over to light and new perspectives. On the second floor, a large bay window opens onto the lake.

"See here what you can't see anywhere else! The MCBA's collection is very rich and constantly rethinking itself. It brings together a large number of works from the Renaissance to the present day. Over the centuries, these works have been inspired by various currents (classicism, orientalism, impressionism, expressionism, informal art, etc.) and reflect the influences felt by Swiss artists during their travels. The museum brings together the various currents: religious paintings, portraits, exotic descriptions of travels, history, post-impressionism, symbolism, which we discover, among others, with Ferdinand Hodler and his superb paintings of Lake Geneva. Highlights include neo-classicism, academicism, realism, symbolism and post-impressionism; abstract painting in Europe and the United States; Swiss and international video art; new figuration; geometric abstraction and, across all periods, artistic practices reflecting political and social commitment. Other important monographic collections include works by Charles Gleyre, Félix Vallotton, Louis Soutter, Pierre Soulages and Giuseppe Penone. We have the pleasure of discovering sculptures by Rodin and Bourdelle, avant-garde paintings, works by Giacometti, Jean Dubuffet, Paul Klee and Louis Soutter, as well as the abstract expressionism of Cy Twombly, the pop art of the 1970s and the abstraction of the 1980s..

The MCBA is resolutely forward-looking, fascinating and constantly reinventing itself through its dynamic new temporary exhibitions, encounters between artists and the public, workshops and events. Guided tours, workshops for children, families and adults, or guided tours by the curators of temporary exhibitions: the museum team is constantly coming up with new ideas to involve the public of all ages and backgrounds, in an educational and inclusive perspective.

The website is very useful for planning your stay, with a full calendar of current events, and excellent suggestions for walks, activities, sports, hotels and restaurants. You can book a hotel from the site. On site, don't hesitate to visit one of the information desks for advice and good local addresses. There's also an info point inside the cathedral.

This minitrain is made for strolling through the park with your children, and it's been around since 1964! This electric train will take young and old on its tracks along a circuit of the Vidy grounds, along the lakeshore linking the port and the Théâtre de Vidy. The adorable, recently repainted minilocomotives take children on a leisurely tour of the grounds. It's a fun way to stroll around, and toddlers love it... It's a great way to fall back into childhood with your kids!

The Alice Pauli Gallery is the oldest and undoubtedly the best known in Lausanne. Established in the Flon since 1962, Alice Pauli has exhibited Bissier, Tobey, Dubuffet and Vieira da Silva, to whom have been added in recent years Soulages, Penone, Plensa or Anne and Patrick Poirier, and the Swiss artists Jean Lecoultre, Yves Dana, Gaspard Delachaux, Catherine Bolle or Fabienne Verdier

Fountains with an allegory of Justice were a great success in the reformed cities of the 16th century. In Lausanne, the stone basin dates from 1557 and the statue is believed to have been executed in 1584-1585. The present copy dates from 1930 (the original, unpainted, is on display at the Historical Museum of Lausanne). Above the fountain, a clock comes alive every hour from 9am to 7pm. Accompanied by carillon music, a man's voice briefly tells the history of the canton of Vaud, while pretty characters appear.

Why not step back in time at the archaeological site of Lousonna, near the lake, where you can experience - almost - the daily life of a citizen in Antiquity, as you discover the remains of the basilica, the political center, or the temple, thanks to a new signposted trail. You can see the foundations of the houses of the Roman village, dating back to 15 BC. In the ^4th century, its inhabitants left the site for the better-protected Cité hill.

Who thought they'd find an air of Thailand? A Siamese pavilion in this park? In 1818, the owner, banker William Haldimand, turned his estate into a "landscape park". He couldn't resist indulging in the fashion of the day: building the Haldimand Tower, a neo-Gothic edifice dating from 1830. Today, the site retains the signature of an illustrious host. From 1933 to 1951, the Siamese sovereign Bhumibol stayed and studied in Lausanne. To commemorate his stay, he made a gift of a Thai pavilion. A call to the open sea!