Lausanne is one of Switzerland’s ‘Green’ cities, having tree lined streets and open parklands, and has a sunny southerly aspect. It lies on the hilly northern shores of Lake Geneva, which is known in French as Lac Leman, in the Canton of Vaud at the centre-point of the wine growing areas of Lavaux and La Cote. Facing France over the lake, with the Jura Mountains to the north, the city lies on the edge of the Swiss Plateau as it descends 500 metres to the water line at Ouchy, the port of Lausanne. For more than a thousand years the city has gradually grown from a collection of small villages spread over three hills into an urban metropolis of 250,000 people. Lausanne is the regional capital of the Canton of Vaud and lies in the French speaking part of Switzerland. It is also known for having steep cobbled streets, many museums, two major universities and for being the home of the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.).
Once a lakeside Celtic settlement, the area became an important Roman military centre on what became a major route to and from the northern European countries and the North Sea. As time progressed, this activity brought fame and fortune to the city, which has developed into today’s urban area and consists of an upper and lower town incorporating the old medieval area and its newer suburbs and includes the old Roman fortified settlement and the lakeside centre at Ouchy.
At the top of the slopes which lead down to the lake, stands the unique 12th century Gothic Cathedral with its two mismatched towers, this is the centre of the old city of Lausanne, and is made up of the Place de la Palud with its Fountain of Justice, the Place St Francois and the Place Riponne. Here you can find the 14th century Castle St Maire now government offices, the Hotel de Ville, the medieval Church of Saint Francois (built 1275), the medieval covered stairs known as the Escaliers du Marche leading to the Cathedral, the Mudac, a museum of contemporary art and the Old Bishop’s Palace behind the Cathedral, which is now the Historical Museum.
Construction of the Cathedral began in 1170 which has grown and expanded through various phases into its present form which is considered to be one of the ten most beautiful and best preserved cathedrals in Europe. It is today particularly well known for its medieval rose and its new stained glass windows.
For the historically minded amongst us its worth having a look at the Roman Museum which is filled with artifacts from the old Roman settlement of Lousonna, that was inhabited until the 4th century. For more contemporary interests try the Museum of the Olympics which is so much more than a museum, and the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts which also houses the Geological, Paleontology, Zoological, Historical and Archaeological Museums.
The position of Lausanne on the lake offers much to the visitor, not just the fantastic panoramic views over the lake to the surrounding hills, the medieval cobbled streets and buildings or the surrounding vineyards, but the water-sports, the many outdoor cafes and restaurants and the lively atmosphere that is common in university towns.
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