We were so excited to spend a few weeks in Lausanne, the capital and largest city of the Swiss French-speaking canton of Vaud. Lausanne is a short train ride from Geneva and at the heart of so much to do! From hiking alpine mountains to boating on Lake Geneva to visiting vineyards and adorable little towns (and tasting local specialties) we soon learned that you can't pick a better place to spend time if you want a variety of experiences!
We were fortunate to discover that we were in Lausanne for lots of special events, including the UEFA European Football Championship (held every four years), the Festival de la Cité (five days of outdoor music, theater, dance, and food in Lausanne's Old Town), and the Montreux Jazz Festival.
That meant nights at the FanZone in Lausanne watching football (soccer) games and cheering on Switzerland, watching bands and one-act plays beside medieval towers under the stars (while trying to poorly translate what the French-speaking actors were saying), and a Montreux lakefront filled with stages and music for two whole weeks. So, in addition to the "usual" activities we got to root for Switzerland vs. England in the UEFA quarter finals while chanting Hopp Schwiiz!, (unfortunately Switzerland lost after two overtimes and a penalty shootout), eat tacos with raclette from a food truck at the Festival de la Cité, and experience the crazy activity in Montreux.
Lausanne has lots to enjoy and is so easy to get around— we took the Metro from Ouchy (the lakefront) up to Old Town like experts by the end of our time there, and hopping on the train to nearby towns and cities was a breeze—gotta love the Swiss transit system! Definitely take advantage of the rail system when you're here.
Where to begin? Start at the top. Old Town is the charming area atop the hill that crowns this medieval city, with narrow cobblestone streets and a 12th-century cathedral. There are even sheep grazing right in the center of town, a lovely reminder that Lausanne was originally a medieval fortification made up of 50 towers.
Swiss cathedrals aren't as elaborate as others, so while it was nice to visit, we were in and out quickly (the same goes for all the cathedrals we visited in all the towns). Interesting fact: Lausanne has kept a night watch atop its cathedral since 1405, and this person announces the time to residents from the bell tower from 10pm to 2am every day of the year. We never got to hear this person, but just knowing it was taking place was pretty neat. At this point it's more a tradition than anything, but a cool one at that!
The "usual" Lausanne activities included visiting museums, in this case Platforme 10, a collection of cultural museums comprised of art, photography, and design. It was a great way to spend a rainy day in the city because there is an art form for everyone, including music the day we visited. There was lots to see here and definitely worth a visit.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters is located in Lausanne, and with the Paris summer Olympics coming up we were excited to visit the Olympic Museum. We learned so much about the history which dates all the way back to ancient Greece, the evolution of the games, and the governance, but also what goes into putting on the games—from the facilities to drug testing—and got to see historical items up close (like Sonja Henie's ice skates!). This is definitely a must-do, and the beautiful lakeside location is perfect to explore the sculpture garden and even enjoy lunch.
Of course, we also managed to find ourselves in Ouchy, the port area where the FanZone was located and enjoyed several gelatos along the water. This area is definitely the place to be when the sun is out! There are paddle boats to rent and plenty of space to lay a towel and bask in the sun. It's tempting to just relax here all day everyday, but don't (at least not every day).
There was so much to see in the surrounding areas we went on lots of side trips during our time here. Some were good, some not worth the time it took to get there, so here are our thoughts on a few.
Side trip: Lutry and the Lavaux wine region
We decided to take a quick ten minute train ride to Lutry and walk the 5 kilometers back to Lausanne along the lake.
You can walk beside the water the entire way, and there are cute little cafes, boats bobbing in harbors, and areas where people were sunning themselves and floating on tubes in the water.
The water is so clear and clean, and we've officially declared the walk along the lake from Lutry to Lausanne "the best smelling walk in Europe." As if the gorgeous lake and mountains in the distance aren't enough to make this walk worth doing, the linden trees, jasmine, and honeysuckle that perfume the air the entire way make this truly an amazing experience. Verdict: Definitely put on your sneakers and check it out.
Lutry also includes the Lavaux region, and if you look up you'll see sprawling green hillsides with terraced vineyards. This area, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, stretches about 30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva. We went back another day to enjoy a wine train tour aboard the Lavaux Express. For some reason Joe thought we'd be taking a real train, not the funny little amusement park-type train that chugged us up the hillsides. Our two hour ride included a tasting of three local wines at a family vineyard up high. Verdict: The entire experience is absolutely worth doing even if you just want to enjoy the stunning views...but you really should also taste the wine.
Side trip: Bern
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, is just over an hour away by train so we went to see this charming medieval city built around a crook in the Aare River. This is in the German speaking part of Switzerland, and the city definitely feels different from the French influenced (and speaking) Lausanne.
At noon we stood in front of the 13th century astronomical clock tower known as Zytglogge to watch the characters strike the bell, the rooster crow, the bears dance, and the announcement of another hour. It was fun to watch, but we kinda expected more. In any case, it was over quickly and we were on our way down the street.
There are more than 100 public fountains in the Old Town, which is why Bern is often called the City of Fountains. Today you can still fill a bottle with the clean, fresh water that flows from these unique and elaborately decorated fountains, each one topped by a brightly painted historical figure or folk hero. Some are over four-and-a-half centuries old!
Of course, we had to visit the namesake bears that live beside the Aare River—an astoundingly turquoise blue color from the minerals in the water that flows down from the surrounding mountains. It truly looks unreal. We found the bears meandering through their Bear Park, then ventured up the hill to the Rose Garden (with 200 types of roses that make the garden smell so good) and a spectacular view of the Old Town below. It's quite a vertical walk up, but absolutely worth it!
On our way to enjoy a cold beer at a cafe in Albert Einstein's house (he is a big deal here, it's where he lived from 1902-1909 and developed his Theory of Relativity), we stopped at the cathedral but only stayed a few minutes because it's very simple and spare except for the stained glass windows. Verdict: Yes, yes, yes! A day here is well worth your while.
Side trip: Vevey and Montreux
Just a quick train ride away, the towns of Vevey and Montreux are great places to visit for a day (take the train to Vevey first, then up to Montreux, and back to Lausanne). First up, Vevey, the smaller of the two and a lovely place to stroll the lakeside promenade with its famous giant fork piercing the water in front of the Alimentarium. While you're by the lake, don't miss the mermaids and seahorses playing in the water! You can even go for a swim!
The Alimentarium is the world's first-ever interactive food museum, originally founded by Nestle, which is headquartered here as well. If food is your thing, this is the place to go! Very cool. Charlie Chaplin was a Vevey resident, which is why you'll find his statue on your walk, as well as Chaplin's World on his former country estate. It's a fun, immersive experience that takes you back in time to the silent film age. Vevey is laid back and quaint, so enjoy time here before heading to Montreux, a bigger city with more action.
Home to the annual Montreux Jazz Festival every summer, Montreux offers a dramatic backdrop of Alpine peaks, one of the reason it's often called the "jewel of the lake." There were people swimming in the lake while snowcapped mountains lounged in the background. There are way more restaurants and cafes here than in Vevey, and a longer promenade that takes you all the way from the center of town to Chillon Castle, a medieval island castle located on Lake Geneva.
This gorgeous castle has inspired a pretty impressive list of writers and poets (including Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Mary Shelly, and Lord Byron) and we spent an hour on a bench beside the castle just enjoying the view.
If you decide to walk from the town to the castle (about a 45 minute walk, but well worth it for the views alone), you'll pass the tribute statue to Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who lived in Montreux and recorded at the band's studio here.
It's an appropriate reminder of the music Montreux is famous for—there were over 500 Jazz Festival activities here during our stay, from concerts, DJ sets, and pool parties to movie screenings, workshops, and jam sessions. It was a hive of music and fun! Verdict: Absolutely hop on the train and go!
Side trip: Gruyère
Did someone say cheese? We are never ones to turn down cheese, so we had to visit the little fortified medieval hill town of Gruyère, a 45 minute drive from Lausanne.
This is where Switzerland's famous black and white Fribourg cows provide the milk for Gruyère cheese, and as you're driving toward the village and look up at the hill upon which the town is situated, all you see is rolling green fields with cows grazing (and the sound of cow bells filling the air like windchimes, it's pretty surreal).
But even though this area is exactly what you imagine when you think of Switzerland— mountains, green pastures, little towns with bright red flowers in the window boxes—there is so much more here!
There's a 13th century castle, the HR Giger museum and bar with some of the funkiest and oddest decor you'll find anywhere (Giger designed the figures for the film "Alien" and the entire bar is like sitting around with the bones of alien creatures), and charming little cafes and bars with all the fondue, raclette, chocolate, and wine you could want. We loved the outdoor wine bar up the stone steps beside the Hotel fleur de Lys. Our cheese and meat platter, along with a few glasses of local wine, was the perfect lunch with a view of the town.
Of course, you can also visit La Maison du Gruyère and see how the cheese is made. And that's just in one little town! You can also tour Maison Cailler, the Swiss chocolate factory in nearby Bro, and take the Moléson funicular and cable car up 2002 meters (6,500 ft) for the most beautiful panoramic view. From here you can see down all of Lake Geneva and even stare out at the snow-capped mountains and Mont-Blanc in the distance. We parked ourselves in chairs on the deck for a few hours and enjoyed some beers in the sunshine and were never bored of the view. You can also bike and hike, but we were happy to just sit back and take in the scenery. Verdict: Oh, yes. Oui, Oui!
Side trip: Glacier 3000
Where can you walk across the world's only suspension bridge spanning two mountain tops and hike on a glacier in the summer? Here!
Glacier 3000, about an hour's drive from Lausanne, and takes you from the valley to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in two quick téléphérique (cable car) rides as you rise to the top of the glacier and get spectacular views of peaks as far away as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. You can also walk across the suspension bridge if you're brave and don't mind a little swaying in the wind. After a lunch of Swiss cuisine at the mountaintop restaurant, we ventured out across the bridge, but because the weather was cloudy we didn't get to see as far as we'd have liked. Then we took the ski lift down to the glacier for a little hike before heading down again. All in, we spent around three hours there and it was plenty.
If you head to Glacier 3000, drive the extra 20 minutes to also visit the ski resort town of Gstaad. This is a beautiful, bucolic town and a great place to enjoy the sun on your face with a drink in your hand after leaving the glacier—and in that short ride you'll go from French-speaking to German-speaking Switzerland for a little change of pace.
By the time we arrived the sun was out again so we appreciated the pedestrian-only main street and the surrounding scenery. When we were there the town was gearing up to host the Swiss Open tennis tournament, but the surrounding Green mountains and ski lifts remind you that this is a world-class ski resort in the winter. Verdict: Absolutely an experience not to be missed, but make sure the weather is ideal.
Side trip: Évian-les-Bains, France
Évian-les-Bains is right across the lake from Lausanne, so we took the ferry to check out the town famous for its natural spring water. There were a few things to do, like take the historic funicular up to a park and take advantage of the "sources" of water to fill drinking bottles (we watched as people pulled up in their cars and filled glass bottles for their homes, it was pretty neat). But other than that...we were underwhelmed. Verdict: Not somewhere we'd suggest going unless you've exhausted all of the other amazing things to do in the area.
After a few weeks in Switzerland, we now appreciate this gorgeous country for its summer as much as we do for it's wintertime skiing. From the cow bells that fill the air in the mountains to the vineyards that line the hills beside the lake, the Lausanne area may just be the most perfect, and unexpected, summer destination. As we said goodbye to spend the rest of the summer in Italy, we could easily have spent more time here, and we will be back to see what we missed this time around!
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