Things to Do in Lausanne, Switzerland: My First-Time Guide

Lausanne feels like two different cities in one.

Up the hill, you have the narrow streets of the Old Town, Lausanne Cathedral and views across the rooftops. Head downhill and the city gradually changes until you reach Ouchy and the shores of Lake Geneva.

For me, that contrast was one of the best things about visiting Lausanne.

We explored the city entirely without a car, walking through the Old Town and Flon, visiting the cathedral, using the metro and eventually making our way down to the lake. We also went swimming in Lake Geneva, both around Ouchy in the morning and near Pully later in the day.

And while I enjoyed the historic centre, the lakeside ended up being my favourite part of Lausanne.

If you are visiting Lausanne for the first time, here are the places I would prioritize.

1. Explore Lausanne’s Old Town

Lausanne’s Old Town is the obvious place to start exploring the city.

We walked into the historic centre rather than immediately taking public transport, which is a good way to get a feel for Lausanne. Just keep in mind that the city is built on hills. A route that looks short on a map can involve considerably more climbing than you might expect.

The Old Town has narrow streets, historic buildings, small squares and plenty of places where you can simply wander without needing a fixed route.

I would not over-plan this part of Lausanne. Walk towards the cathedral and explore the streets around it along the way.

2. Visit Lausanne Cathedral

The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Lausanne is the main landmark in the Old Town and one place I would definitely include on a first visit.

Its elevated position also makes this part of the city interesting even before you enter the cathedral. As you climb through the Old Town, you get increasingly good views over Lausanne and towards Lake Geneva.

We visited the cathedral while exploring the city on foot.

The Gothic architecture makes it quite different from the lakeside part of Lausanne that you will see later in the day, and that contrast is one of the reasons I think both areas are worth visiting.

If you only have a few hours in Lausanne, I would combine the cathedral with a walk through the surrounding Old Town rather than treating it as a separate excursion.

3. Walk Through Flon

From the historic centre, make your way towards Flon.

This part of Lausanne feels noticeably more modern than the Old Town. It is a former industrial area that has been redeveloped into one of the city’s main shopping, dining and entertainment districts.

It also happens to be one of Lausanne’s most useful transport points.

Lausanne-Flon is served by the metro, making it an easy place to continue towards the lake after exploring the upper parts of the city.

We also stopped for food around this part of Lausanne and ate at Holy Cow. There are plenty of options in and around the centre, so you don’t need to plan your entire day around finding somewhere to eat.

4. Use the Lausanne Metro

Lausanne is one of those cities where public transport genuinely improves a day of sightseeing.

The M2 metro runs through the city and connects areas around the centre with Ouchy on Lake Geneva. Because Lausanne has such substantial elevation differences, taking the metro can save you a surprising amount of climbing.

We combined walking and the metro rather than relying entirely on one or the other.

That is what I would recommend.

Walk through the Old Town, where you actually want to see the streets, and use the metro when you want to move efficiently between different parts of Lausanne.

This also makes Lausanne particularly easy to explore without a car.

5. Head Down to Ouchy

If there is one area I would not skip in Lausanne, it is Ouchy.

Ouchy sits directly on Lake Geneva and feels completely different from the historic centre above it.

Instead of steep streets and stone buildings, you suddenly have an open waterfront, parks, boats and views across the lake.

This was my favourite part of Lausanne.

You can reach Ouchy easily by metro and then simply start walking along the waterfront. You don’t need a complicated itinerary once you arrive.

On a clear day, the combination of Lake Geneva and the mountains on the opposite side of the water is beautiful.

But I especially liked being here at the beginning and end of the day.

6. Go Swimming in Lake Geneva

One of my favourite experiences in Lausanne was also one of the simplest: swimming in Lake Geneva.

In the morning, we swam around Fontaine de la Place du Vieux-Port in Ouchy.

It is a completely different way to experience Lausanne compared with simply walking along the promenade. The waterfront is much quieter and calmer in the morning, and being able to start the day with a swim in Lake Geneva is something I would absolutely do again.

Later, we also went swimming near Pully, further along the lakeside.

If you are visiting Lausanne during warm weather, I would seriously consider packing swimwear even if swimming isn’t the main reason for your visit.

Obviously, conditions matter. Check the weather and local conditions before entering the water and use an appropriate access point rather than assuming you can swim safely everywhere along the shore.

7. Walk Along Lake Geneva

Even if you don’t want to swim, spend some time walking along the lake.

From Ouchy, you can follow the waterfront rather than immediately taking the metro back into the city.

This is also where Lausanne becomes especially photogenic.

During the day you have wide views across Lake Geneva, but I liked the lakeside even more as the sun started getting lower. The changing light over the water creates some beautiful views, particularly when the mountains across the lake are visible.

If photography is important to you, I would therefore try to visit the waterfront twice if your itinerary allows it:

early in the morning for calmer water and fewer people, and towards sunset for the light.

You do not necessarily have to stay directly around Ouchy either. Walking further along the shore towards Pully gives you another perspective on the lake and takes you away from the busiest part of the waterfront.

8. Combine the Old Town and Lake Geneva

If you only have one day in Lausanne, I would not choose between the Old Town and the lake.

Do both.

They are different enough that seeing only one would give you a very incomplete impression of the city.

A simple route would be:

Lausanne station → Old Town → Lausanne Cathedral → Flon → metro to Ouchy → Lake Geneva → lakeside walk

If the weather is warm, add a swim.

This also gives your day a natural progression. You can spend the first part exploring the denser historic centre and finish beside the lake, where you don’t really need an itinerary anymore.

For me, that was a much better way to experience Lausanne than rushing between a long checklist of attractions.

Getting Around Lausanne Without a Car

You absolutely do not need a car to visit Lausanne.

In fact, I would argue that a car would be more of a complication than an advantage if you mainly want to explore the city itself.

Lausanne is well suited to a combination of:

• trains for arriving and leaving;
• walking for the Old Town and central neighbourhoods;
• metro for quickly dealing with Lausanne’s hills;
• walking again once you reach the lakeside.

Lausanne railway station is centrally located, so you can start exploring almost immediately after arriving.

The main thing to underestimate is not distance, but elevation.

On a map, two places can look very close together while being separated by a substantial climb. That’s why I wouldn’t hesitate to use the metro occasionally.

Day Trips from Lausanne

Another reason I like Lausanne for a car-free trip is its location.

The railway line along Lake Geneva makes several destinations easy to reach.

Château de Chillon

We travelled from Lausanne towards Château de Chillon by train and used Veytaux-Chillon as one of our access points.

The station is tiny and sits very close to the castle, so this is an easy trip to make without a car.

I have also walked to the castle from Montreux and continued from Château de Chillon towards Villeneuve before taking the train back.

Lavaux Vineyards

Lavaux is another excellent option from Lausanne, particularly if you want to combine trains with hiking.

We hiked through the vineyards ourselves, and I think it deserves its own guide rather than a few paragraphs here.

The combination of terraced vineyards, Lake Geneva and the mountains makes this a very different experience from spending a day in Lausanne itself.

How Much Time Do You Need in Lausanne?

I would give Lausanne at least one full day if you want to experience both sides of the city without rushing.

You could see the cathedral, Old Town and Ouchy in less time, but I don’t think that would make the best use of Lausanne.

Part of what I enjoyed was having time to walk along the lake, swim and stay around the waterfront as the light changed.

If Lausanne is also your base for Château de Chillon, Lavaux or other places around Lake Geneva, staying longer makes even more sense.

Is Lausanne Worth Visiting?

Yes, although perhaps not for exactly the reason I expected.

The Old Town and cathedral are certainly worth seeing, but neither ended up being my favourite part of Lausanne.

That was Lake Geneva.

Being able to explore historic streets in the first part of the day, take the metro downhill and then spend the rest of the day walking and swimming beside the lake gives Lausanne a combination I really enjoyed.

If I returned in summer, I would happily spend another morning swimming around Ouchy and another evening walking along the lake towards Pully.

And if you’re travelling around Switzerland without a car, Lausanne becomes even more attractive. You have trains, metro and walkable neighbourhoods within the city, while places such as Lavaux and Château de Chillon are straightforward trips from Lausanne.

For me, that’s where Lausanne really works: not just as another Swiss city to tick off a list, but as a base for experiencing Lake Geneva.