Tours

Lausanne is without doubt a walking city. Yes, it is hilly and can be a bit of a workout going from place to place, but on foot is the only real way to get to know this city of 125,000 people. There is a practical reason for this; many of the sites (Musee de Design et d'Arts Appliques Contemporains, Musee cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Hotel de Ville and Place de la Palud) are located in pedestrian-only areas. In fact, most of Lausanne's downtown is closed to traffic.

Place de Palud

A walking tour of Lausanne is worth a look and during the summer months, right up until mid-October, there are also guided tours of the various gardens, parks and all things green (Lausanne Gardens). For a personal guided tour, contact the tourist office (Lausanne Tourisme) and they will find you someone to show you about. Otherwise, grab one of the very detailed information booklets from the tourist office, especially the one on the city's museums, and head off on your own walking tour. You will find most people extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their city. It is highly recommended you visit Place de la Palud and the surrounding streets on a Saturday morning (Marche du centre). Market day is the busiest time of the week, with hundreds of Lausannoise— their kids, dogs, cats, and everything else,out for a few hours of food shopping and a visit to a cafe. There is a market on these streets on Wednesdays as well, but Saturday is the better of the two days. While in this area, visit the St-François Church. This ancient church holds a lot of history. Also worth checking out is the Musee historique de Lausanne retracing the city's past.

Lac Leman

Lausanne is considered to be one of the greenest cities in Europe. A kilometer or two in any direction leads you to calm surroundings. To the north, walk up Route du Signal (Fondation de l'Hermitage) for a magnificent view; to the south, walk along the Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) shoreline to Lutry or to one of the other nearby charming coastal towns. To the west, you will find the Casino de Montbenon and its gorgeous surroundings, and to the east, stately mansions along Tribunal-Federal. For a tasty meal in this neighborhood, don't miss Restaurant Asie Pacifique. The menu items are a mix of Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Place St-François

For the bustle of the city, head to rue de Bourg for upscale shops; the Flon district, under the Grand Pont, for downscale trendy shops like Maniak. Rue Enning is where the students hang out and Place St-François is the nucleus of the town according to just about everyone at one point or another. Not far from this square is the Castle St-Marie. This is the current home to the Government of the Canton of Vaud, and it is quite an impressive place, as is the nearby Hôtel de Ville. All of these places are within walking distance so just grab a map and start walking in whatever direction takes your fancy. For great dining in this area, grab a table at Lausanne Moudon for brasserie cuisine.

Guided Tours

Lausanne Foot Tour (+41 21 321 7766)
Ciels Bleus (+41 76 366 3949 / http://cielsbleus.ch/)
Lausanne Tourisme (+41 21 613 7373 / http://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch)