Lausanne Photos

From: Lausanne, Switzerland

Is free hemp on offer, or was the graffiti artist demanding freedom for weed?

Old Town: A market scene in the Place de la Palud. (Photo: ST/Swiss-Image.)

Another view of the Place de la Palud, with the Fountain of Justice.

An animated clock in the in the Place de la Palud is linked to a display of mechanical figures.

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the figures come to life and put on a show whenever the clock strikes the hour.

Lausanne's Hôtel de Ville, or town hall, was built in the 17th Century. It faces the Place de la Palud. (Photo: ST/Swiss-Image.)

The Hôtel de Ville's rain gutters are decorated with gilded gargoyles.

A covered medieval staircase, the Escaliers du Marché, leads uphill from the Place de la Palud.

At the top of the Escaliers du Marché is the Cathedral, on the Place de la Cathédrale. (Photo © ST/Swiss-Image.)

Don't miss the Gothic simplicity and beauty of the Cathedral's mostly 13th Century interior.

Nearby, the 15th Century Château Saint-Marie once served as the episcopal palace and is now the seat of Canton Vaud's government.

On the way back down to the city center from the Cathedral and the Château, you may pass this public WC.

Shopping: Lausanne's city center is well-equipped with boutiques of every description. These shops are in an enclosed passage.

Flon: To the west of the Old Town and across the Place de l'europe is Flon, a district of warehouses that have been converted into restaurants, shops, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues.

Many of Flon's converted warehouses have been painted in bright colors and patterns, and the concrete street barrier in the photos above could have been inspired by the Little Dot comic books.

While walking in the Flon quarter, I ran across this glass display case with sculptures in a public plaza.

Place de la Riponne: At the upper end of Lausanne's city center, between Flon and the Old Town, the Palais du Rumine dominates the Place de la Riponne. The Italian Renaissance building opened in 1900 as the seat of Lausanne's university. Today it houses a library and several museums.

Not far away, the Escaliers de l'université, or "university stairs," lead uphill to the Cathedral.

Railway station: Heading back downhill toward Ouchy, you'll pass CFF Lausanne, a.k.a. Lausanne's main railroad station, with its busy yards.

Note that all of the trains are electric: Switzerland began electrifying its railroads in the 19th Century, and nearly all of the country's trains (except for a handful of steam-driven vintage locomotives) run on hydroelectric power.

Ouchy: At the bottom of the hill, in the lakefront district of Ouchy, the Beau-Rivage Palace hotel and its Michelin-starred La Rotonde restaurant cater to aristocrats, corporate royalty, and the merely wealthy.

In the scenic photo above (taken from a room at the Beau-Rivage Palace), the mountains across Lac Léman are the French Alps.

Lausanne-Ouchy has an attractive public library (above). Not far away is the Olympic Museum (inset), which attracts tourists from six continents.

After you've visited the museum, allow time to walk along the lakefront promenade.

Ouchy's Place de la Navigation and Place du Port offer lakefront activities and excursions for visitors of all ages. (Photo: ST/Swiss-Image.)

Back to: Lausanne, Switzerland

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