5 Best Things to do in Lausanne

Lausanne is the fifth largest city in Switzerland, located in the French part of the country as part of the Vaud canton. It’s situated directly on Lake Geneva with a stunning backdrop of the Alps from most vantage points across the lake. The city is charming, easily accessible from other Swiss cities, and hilly (but the hills provide great views of the lake and mountains below.) It is a running joke that everyone in Lausanne has great legs from all the uphill walking!

If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, Lausanne is a great option for exploring the French part of Switzerland. You’ll notice the differences in language, architecture, food, etc. from cities in the German part of Switzerland (like Bern, Interlaken or Zurich) and get to experience the diversity of Switzerland!

Keep reading for my recommendations on the best things to do in Lausanne, plus – where to stay, my favorite restaurants & how to get around!

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Best Things to do in Lausanne

Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva is visible from most vantage points in Lausanne (one of the benefits of the hilly landscape means that you’re almost always looking down on the blue lake with the steep Alps towering over the background) It is the best area of Lausanne to explore especially in the warm weather. You can swim in the lake, rent paddle boats, sunbathe on the grassy area surrounding the lake, or just explore the cute shops and restaurants lining the lake (also called the Port of Ouchy)

Explore Old Town

On the other end of Lausanne, way up the hill from the lake, is Old Town or the city center – located in the Le Flon area of Lausanne. This is one of the can’t miss areas for exploring and shopping, also it’s height offers great sweeping views of the lake and city below (my favorite part!) Some of the highlights of Old Town include:

• Place de la Palud – a scenic cobblestone square lined with shops and restaurants
• Esplanade de Montbenon – city park offering great views of Lake Geneva

If you’re looking for nightlife, this is also the area you’ll want to be! This is the best spot for casual cocktails, sports bars, or catching a DJ and some dancing!

Lavaux Vineyards

The vineyards of Lavaux are located about a five minute train ride from Lausanne and are a must see on any trip! The terraced vineyards are listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, and are a perfect place to explore on your trip to Lausanne! It’s a great place for wine tastings (obviously) but the enchanting vineyards are worth a visit even just to walk through and explore! There are a series of walking trails that can be explored, each offering stunning vineyard and Lake Geneva views, and all have stops where you can taste or purchase the wine, if interested!

To get to the Lavaux Vineyards from Lausanne, it’s recommended to take the train to the Gradvaux Station. From Grandvaux there are many areas to explore. The vineyards are large, so it might be hard to see them all in one day. Some of the recommended routes are:

• Grandvaux to Epesses (shortest trip)
• Grandvaux to Cully (this will bring you through Epesses)
• Grandvaux to Lutry

You can also sign up for Sunday Tour in Lavaux – The tour is two and a half hours, costs 29 CHF and includes a guided walking tour from Cully to Grandvaux and a stop at one winery for a drink. Or if you prefer to explore alone, and book just the wine tasting – Gaillard & Fils wine estate offers tastings of three wines, and a platter of local food from 14 CHF

Cathedral de Lausanne

If you’re looking for the most breathtaking views of Lausanne and Lake Geneva I highly recommend climbing the Cathedral de Lausanne. Located in the Le Flon/Old Town area of Lausanne, the Cathedral dominates the city skyline. For 2 CHF you can climb to the top of the tower to enjoy the stunning views of Lausanne and the mountains beyond. Details on tickets, prices and opening hours can be found here

Where to Stay in Lausanne

Lausanne is a large city with three main areas. Depending on what you are looking to spend most of your time doing and your budget, any of the three offer great options!

Le Flon

If you’re looking to be in the center of the action, and closest to shopping, many restaurants, and nightlife, I’d recommend staying the Le Flon / Old Town area of Lausanne. There are tons of great hotel options but my top recommendation would be Lausanne Palace

Ouchy

If you’re looking to be by the lake and the Port of Ouchy, you’ll want to stay in the neighborhood of Ouchy. The lakeside is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and shops, so there is plenty to do in this area. My top recommendation would be Château d’Ouchy – a stunning lakeside hotel that looks like a castle and is one of the most prominent sites of the Ouchy area. But there are also a variety of options for all budgets and traveler needs.

La Gare

I opted to stay in La Gare – the neighborhood near the main train station. This was purely for convenience purposes, as I was traveling for work and needed to be near the main train station to commute to the office each day. La Gare is the most accessible and affordable of the neighborhoods. Another benefit, is that it’s situated between Ouchy and Le Flon and makes it easy to walk or get the metro to either! I stayed at the Best Western Plus Hotel Mirabeau and would definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Lausanne! La Gare also offers a variety of Hotel Options for all travelers.

Best Restaurants in Lausanne

I had the opportunity to spend six days in Lausanne for work, so I got to try a variety of different bars and restaurants there. Some of my favorites were:

Le Flon

Restaurants

• La Mamma Osteria
• Blackbird Town Diner

Bars

• MAD Cafe
• Bulldog Bar

Ouchy

Restaurants

• Restaurant le Boccalino
• White Horse

Bars

• Terrasse d’Ouchy
• Jetée de la Compagnie

La Gare

Restaurants

• La Bruschetta
• Restaurant & Pizzeria Bella Vita
• Brasserie des Trois Rois

Bars

• Pub Les Gosses du Québec

Getting Around Lausanne

As I mentioned, Lausanne is a large city, and it’s very hilly (which Google Maps doesn’t always do a great time visualizing) Luckily, they have a super convenient Metro system that runs between Le Flon (city center), Le Gare (the main train station) and Ouchy (the lake) The trains run consistently and are super easy to hop on and off of to get up and down the hill between the major areas of Lausanne. Plus, most hotels will give you a metro card for the length of your stay, so you won’t need to purchase tickets to use the metro!

There are two Metro lines in Lausanne M1 – which runs east to west. And M2, which runs North to South. You’ll likely spend more time taking M2 as it is the option that runs between the top of Lausanne (Le Flon) and down the hill to the lake (Ouchy)

If you check out any of these recommendations let me know in the comments what you think! Also, check out my full Switzerland travel guide here