Lausanne

Lausanne is a city in western Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Vaud. It lies on the north shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) at the foot of the Jura mountains, about 60 kilometers northeast of Geneva. It is an important urban center in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, with about 140,000 residents in the city and roughly 400,000 in the surrounding metropolitan area.

Lausanne has a long history dating to Roman times. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of a bishopric and developed as a commercial and religious center. The historic core sits in the steeply terraced Old Town, where Notre-Dame Cathedral, the City Hall at Place de la Palud, and other medieval buildings recall past eras.

Today Lausanne is a regional economic and educational hub. It hosts two major higher education institutions: the Université de Lausanne (UNIL) and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The city is also home to several international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum in the Ouchy district.

Transport is well developed: Lausanne is a major rail hub with frequent connections to Geneva and other Swiss cities, and it features the M2 automated metro, which connects the city center with outlying districts. The lakefront in Ouchy and the surrounding parks are popular leisure areas, and the city’s cultural and scientific institutions contribute to its profile as a center of research and culture in Switzerland.