🇨🇭 Switzerland
Lausanne travel guide
Lausanne is a hilly city on the north shore of Lake Geneva flanked by vineyard-terraced slopes — Switzerland's Olympic capital (home of the IOC), a lively university city with a medieval Gothic cathedral, and gateway to the UNESCO-listed Lavaux wine terraces with their extraordinary lake and Alpine views.
Language
French (English widely spoken)
Currency
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Timezone
Europe/Zurich
Best time
May–October
Budget/day
CHF 120-250/day ($135-280)
When to visit
Jan
-1 to 5°C
Feb
0 to 7°C
Mar
3 to 11°C
Apr
7 to 16°C
May
11 to 20°C
Jun
15 to 25°C
Jul
17 to 27°C
Aug
17 to 27°C
Sep
13 to 22°C
Oct
8 to 16°C
Nov
3 to 9°C
Dec
0 to 5°C
Safety
9Lausanne is extremely safe. Swiss public transport is world-class and always on time. Prices are high — Switzerland on a budget requires self-catering and picnicking.
Women travellers
Very safe. Switzerland has extremely low crime rates.
Culture & etiquette
- + Try Chasselas wine from the Lavaux terraces — the local grape is under-appreciated globally but outstanding at source
- + Walk the steep streets between the cathedral and Ouchy — Lausanne rewards vertical exploration
- + Swim in Lake Geneva at Vidy beach in summer — free swimming in the cleanest large lake in Europe
- - Don't be loud in residential areas at night — Swiss noise ordinances are strict (enforced from 10pm)
- - Don't tip extravagantly — service is included in Switzerland; rounding up is sufficient
- - Don't skip the Art Brut Collection — Jean Dubuffet's museum of outsider art is Lausanne's most distinctive attraction
Food to try
Papet Vaudois with saucisson
Vaud canton's great comfort dish — a thick mash of leeks and potato (papet) topped with a fat pork sausage (saucisson à rôtir) steamed with cabbage; deeply rustic, emblematic of the Lake Geneva plain farmland that feeds Lausanne; served at traditional brasseries October-March
Lavaux Chasselas wine
The great white wine of the Lake Geneva terrace vineyards — Chasselas is neutral-to-mineral in flavour, crisp with a light petillance, grown on UNESCO-listed stone terraces that funnel lake reflection heat to the vines; Epesses, Dezaley and Saint-Saphorin are the grand crus; drink at a vigneron's cellar tasting in the terrace villages
Cheese fondue
Western Switzerland's definitive dish — a caquelon of Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois melted in white wine and kirsch, kept hot by a flame burner, with bread cubes dunked on long forks; by tradition whoever loses their bread in the pot buys the next round; a ritual as much as a meal
Meringues with double cream (Gruyère cream)
A local Pays d'Enhaut speciality — crisp dry meringues broken and soaked in the region's legendary double cream from Gruyère cattle; extraordinarily rich and simple; a dessert that requires only the best-quality cream (38% fat minimum) to be extraordinary
Hidden gems
Details are indicative and may change. Verify visa, safety, and entry requirements before travel.