We haven’t traveled in a while (hence my lack of blog posts), but in July 2023, just after Nina and Alex turned 13, we headed to Europe for a family event in Lausanne Switzerland. It seems that our travel this year is on trend for a change; this morning we woke to a New York Times article about this area! Here’s some of what we did during our 10 day holiday.
Ouchy Promenade
Located on what is known as “the Swiss Riviera”, this picturesque town is beautiful and charming. Enjoying the setting is definitely first on my list of things to do here. The promenade is a paved pathway lining Lake Geneva. You will find beautiful landscaping and interesting objet d’art along your walk. Here are some of the things to do and see on the promenade:
* Swim from the Badi
In Switzerland, “badi” refers to an “open air public bath”. You can find badis at Swiss lakes in every canton, and Lausanne is no exception. The one closest to us has a wooden dock great for tanning or taking a dive, but theres also a ladder in case you need to ease your way into the cool clean water.
* Rent a boat
If you’re like me and require 80 degree water before you can take a dip, you may prefer to enjoy the lake by a boat. They have a few choices for pedal boats: with a slide attached, a roof for shade, or traditional style. You can also try out a motor boat. Rentals are by the half hour and require cash payment.
* Play
Kids play at this cool playground late into the night (as the sun doesn’t set here until around 10pm in July). This play area would’ve been remodeled a long time ago in America for safety reasons, but in Europe, wooden structures and wood chip grounds still fly.
There’s also a mini carousel on the lakefront!
Adults can play too. Giant chess boards seem to be a thing in these parts.
* Watch the sunset in Lausanne Switzerland
The promenade features a beautiful spot for lovers and friends to watch the sun go down. It isn’t very crowded like the well publicized Satorini sunsets or those in Dubrovnik, which is nice.
* Enjoy street performers
Our hotel, the Chateau d’Ouchy (see below for details), is in a prime location overlooking the promenade. One night, I watched from my balcony as a fire artist performed for passers by.
* Shop
On Sunday morning, there is a small market selling a variety of local goods along the promenade.
* Olympic Countdown Clock
Lausanne Switzerland is known as the “Olympic Capital”. On the Promenade D’ouchy, you will find a clock counting down to the start of the next olympic games.
Old Town in Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne is the smallest city in the world to have a metro. It is very easy to navigate and there is a station just across the street from the D’Ouchy Promenade. We used the train to get to the Old Town from our hotel.
* Cathedral of Notre Dame of Lausanne Switzerland
As in most towns, the gothic Cathedral of Lausanne occupies the highest peak of the city. We admired the beautiful church, but only from the outside. We decided not to ascend the 224 steps to the bell tower, despite the promise of a spectacular view.
* The Escaliers du Marché
We are lucky to have a bit of cloud cover and the hint of a breeze this morning, so we decide to make our way back to the lake by foot. Ingeniously, the upper and lower parts of Lausanne are connected by a series of stairs, ramps, tunnels, and even escalators. The most well known of these is the covered, wooden Escaliers du Marché (left in the photo).
* Place de la Palud
At the foot of the Escaliers, you will come to a square lined with places to eat and shop. There are three don’t miss sites here:
- The Fontaine de la Justice is Lausanne’s oldest fountain built in the 16th century. It is beautifully maintained.
- There is a mechanical clock that comes to life every hour on the hour just behind the fountain. It is sort of like Prague Astronomical Clock, but on a waaay smaller scale. Anyway, several doll-like figures enter and exit through secret doors to tell a short story (maybe 5 minutes) about local history. Accompanying is some music and a story told (in French) over loudspeakers. (I feel really bad for the people who live above this clock!!)
- Nearby, you will find the Hotel de Ville, which is Lausanne Switzerland’s 17th-century Town Hall. The building is guarded by two amazing dragon gargoyles.
Quartier du Flon
We visited the Flon neighborhood twice, and I’m still confused about its theme. On one hand, it was kind of sterile with nondescript office buildings, a clinic (maybe for cosmetic injectables?), and a Tesla showroom. There were a bunch of large nice looking restaurants, suggesting perhaps a place for business lunches? Also, we saw several sneaker shops and some super cool street art that indicate kind of a skater vibe, but I definitely didn’t see any young people hanging out there.
I read somewhere that there is nightly entertainment in the area, so that might be worth checking into. I also read that Flon is an aspiring art district with galleries and art studios, but we didn’t see that where we were.
Making our way through deserted streets (as almost all shops and many restaurants are closed in this country on Sundays), it was a perfect day to take photos of the narrow alleyways and beautiful old buildings along the route.
Le Grand Pont
This arch style bridge is nothing to write home about, however the views of the city from the top are great.
Esplanade De Montbenon in Lausanne Switzerland
Continuing downward, we ran into this park. Supposedly this is the most popular green space in Lausanne Switzerland, but we found it quite empty on this Sunday afternoon, save the people who refused to move from my photo of the beautiful Palais de Justice.
Indoor Activities in Lausanne Switzerland
Collection de L’Art Brut
This museum is beautifully arranged and manageable in size. All of the works here are created by “untrained” artists. The most interesting part for me was reading the artist’s histories (many of whom were psychiatric patients), and trying to imagine their thought processes while creating their pieces. The works are incredible! Nina and I really enjoyed our visit here.
Lausanne Switzerland’s Olympic Museum (Musee Olympique)
Lausanne is the headquarters for the International Olympics Committee, so it makes sense that they would have an Olympics museum here. Although we are not really big fans of the games, we all enjoyed our visit to this museum. It is well done and relatively small (we went through it in about an hour). Our favorite part was the interactive games area on the lower level. We also liked the film and costumes from the opening ceremonies over the years.
Where to Eat in Lausanne Switzerland
* Creperie D’Ouchy
This restaurant is right across the street from the promenade. We loved it so much that we went twice! The food came super fast; it was absolutely beautiful and delicious.
* Beau Rivage Lobby Lounge
You can enjoy lunch with an amazing view here. The menu is diverse and the service is leisurely (to put it nicely) or slow (to be real).
* La Riviera Brasserie
The servers here are awesome and the food came very quickly. If you go, definitely order the “baked bread with cheese”…YUM!
* Forbici
We found this Italian restaurant in the Flon quarter. They offer many traditional Italian dishes. The service is good and super fast here.
* Fleur de Pains
This chain bakery has yummy treats!
* Creperie La Chandeleur
I love the atmosphere here and the crepes are spectacular!
* Ristorante Il Lido
Located right on the lake, this restaurant has a huge outdoor space and handles large parties very efficiently. The food and the view are great!
* Pinte Besson
Founded in 1780, this is the oldest restaurant in Lausanne. Of course I made Renato eat fondue in the summer…because why not?! (The Swiss don’t eat melted cheese in the warmer months, but hey, I’m American and I eat melted cheese any time!)
Where to stay in Lausanne Switzerland
* Chateau d’Ouchy
Our hotel is 12th century castle 😲. Aside from being gorgeous and in an idyllic location, this property is historically significant because a peace treaty was signed here in 1923. Located on the Ouchy Promenade, The Chateau d’Ouchy’s lobby is eclectic to say the least. Crowded with chairs of hot pink and bright purple, some of the walls and part of the ceiling are made of glass. This is so that you can easily see the original castle tower while lounging near the reception desk.
The beige and cream decor of our room is lovely and we are comfortable here. Our balcony overlooks Lake Geneva and the French alps towering beyond. It’s just beautiful.
* Hotel Beau Rivage Palace, Lausanne Switzerland
This hotel is beyond anything I have ever seen before. It is gorgeous and grand and completely over the top. The rooms are pretty and comfortable (and bonus (!) the mattresses are slightly more cushy than any other Swiss bed I have slept in). The art filled hallways and staircases have never ending ceilings and the party rooms are magnificent…beyond your wildest dreams.
Daytrips we took from Lausanne:
- Chateau de Chillon and Montreux
- Geneva
More to explore in Lausanne Switzerland:
- Platform 10
- Space of Inventions
- Hermitage Foundation
- Palais de Rumine
- Tour de Sauvabelin
- Aquatis Aquarium – Vivarium
- Day trips to Vevey, Gruyeres, Gastlosen, Rochers de Naye
Thank you for reading my blog!
For more posts about Switzerland, check out my posts on
