The best museums Lausanne

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.

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.

Close to Lake Geneva, set in a delightful garden with southern charm, this museum houses the remains of an opulent ancient residence. The permanent exhibition features archaeological finds from the nearby Lousonna site. In addition, the various temporary exhibitions and outreach activities focus on themes linked to antiquity and the concerns of society at the time. Throughout the year, children are invited to take part in bread-making, cooking and building workshops.

We've almost forgotten about them, such is the speed of progress, when these days we can type Chinese characters or almost any language in the world on our smartphones. Typewriters set the pace for all correspondence and the press throughout the last century. An original museum idea, the story of a family passion, presenting a rich collection of antique machines to typewriters equipped with Japanese kanji.

This unusual museum traces five thousand years of shoe history. Gentle Craft has been researching since 1993, and the current collection includes faithful reproductions of shoes from ancient Rome, the Middle Ages and pre-industrial times, sourced from archaeological digs or historical collections. Each piece is an exact replica to scale of the original. Particularly interesting for children, as you can look with your hands!

Housed in a building with cylindrical architecture, we turn around a large pylon to discover experiments staged by the team of scientists and graphic designers. Aimed at young and old alike, the Espace des Inventions is a place for learning about science and technology, discovery and experimentation. Around a chosen scientific theme, a set of games and experiments to be manipulated is proposed to the curious hands, critical eyes and agile brains of visitors. Ideal for little budding sunflower teachers!

This cantonal museum, housed in the Palais de Rumine, comprises three departments: zoology, geology and botany. Aimed more at children, the Zoology Museum features 2,500 animals from the region's fauna and, to a lesser extent, from around the world, as well as an exceptional comparative anatomy section. If you can't see it diving, the museum also boasts the world's largest taxidermized white shark: 5.89 m! Numerous temporary exhibitions.

Located in the Palais de Rumine, the Geology Museum offers a permanent exhibition on three themes: fossils, crystals and the Alps. Two virtual exhibitions, on the origins of the world and Lausanne in the time of palm trees, are also on display. The mammoth on display is still very young: only 16,000 years old. However, it has undergone a two-year rejuvenation treatment to strengthen its bones, as the organic matter inside is still evolving!

Excellent! Within Plateforme 10, the MUDAC (Musée cantonal de design et d'arts appliqués contemporains), with its remarkable architecture, is dedicated to design in French-speaking Switzerland. On display are works in contemporary glassmaking, graphic arts, jewelry, ceramics, etc. The program consists of monographic exhibitions featuring young artists and established designers. In a didactic way, we display some very interesting works by the latter, brimming with creativity. A must-see!

Called Lousonna in Celtic, it was built on the heights, on three hills, to better defend itself. It became the seat of an important bishopric in the Middle Ages, and remained mainly agricultural until the ^19th century, when it embraced the ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers and became a tourist attraction from 1830 onwards. Today, the ^15th-century bishop's residence houses this interesting museum, recounting the city's history and exhibiting typical Lausanne artifacts.

In order to better pay tribute to the human hand and to raise awareness of its importance, Professor Claude Verdan, an eminent specialist in reconstructive hand surgery, has created this place which is entirely dedicated to it. The museum regularly organizes exhibitions and debates and lectures, not only on the hand but also related to science and medicine. Finally, Le Café de la Main for a coffee or a chocolate, a fruit juice or an organic pastry.

Housed in the former premises of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Forum d'architectures Lausanne is run by an association whose aim is to introduce professionals and the general public to authors, projects and achievements in the fields of visual expression and urban culture. To this end, it organizes exhibitions, conferences and debates related to the field of architecture in the broadest sense, open to all

Cantonal museums, cramped for space in the Palais de Rumine, use this space for temporary exhibitions. The neoclassical building, inaugurated in 1841, was built thanks to Vaud painter Louis Arlaud to house a drawing school and art museum. The site was given a new lease of life in 1997 under the name Espace Arlaud. It presents the work of Swiss and international artists through temporary exhibitions on the themes of photography, art, history, geography... The museum is only open during these exhibitions, consult the website.

A real living museum at the foot of Montriond hill and a stone's throw from the Milan park and its playgrounds, the Botanical Garden cultivates more than 6,000 species of plants from all over the world in its rock gardens, water features and flowerbeds. This little corner of paradise is overflowing with colour and offers a serene and pleasant visit. The museum and the garden offer temporary botanical and artistic exhibitions to make the visit more enjoyable.

This is the money! 2000 years of money production and almost 100 000 coins. It is one of Switzerland's most important numismatic museums. Its precious collections range from antiquity (with paleo-currency) to these days in a very didactic manner. they highlight the different manufacturing processes of history, including tools, currencies, medals and tokens, scales, books and boxes of changers, money orders and currency. To note, a beautiful series of vaudois, medieval and modern seals.