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Life in Lausanne

Culture and Leisure

Dating back to the Roman era, Lausanne is a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Geneva. The entire old city is listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites, and there are many intriguing architecturally significant buildings to explore. The 12th Century Cathedral and the Tour de Sauvabelin (an observation tower) are among the most renowned.

For those interested in classical music, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the L’Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne offer a diverse calendar of rich musical events. Lausanne is home to the Swiss Film Archive and the city hosts several film festivals throughout the year.

With the fantastic backdrop of Lake Geneva, water sports and outdoor activities are in abundance. Cycling is a popular outdoor pursuit among people living in Lausanne, with challenging routes through the mountains, by the lake shores and vineyards. Throughout the year, the city hosts the Tour de Romandie road cycling event, a marathon and triathlon, and fantastic winter sports.

Education in Lausanne

The Swiss education system offers excellent facilities and programs, both in the state school system, and the many international schools. State schools in Lausanne use French as the language of instruction, while also offering classes in one of the other official languages and English. There are four stages of the education system: kindergarten, primary, secondary I, secondary II and tertiary.

There are 38 private international schools in Switzerland, which are part of the Swiss Group of International Schools, and two of them are located in or near Lausanne. These schools come with high fees, but are highly-regarded among expats living in Lausanne. The GEMS World Academy-Etoy is located between Geneva and Lausanne and offers classes from kindergarten up to grade nine (age 15). The school follows the IB system in English. The Brillantmont International School, located in the city center, is a boarding school for children between the ages of 12 and 18.

Transportation in Lausanne

Lausanne is the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transport system, with a city metro system including 28 stations – it is run on a rubber-tire system, similar to that of the Paris Metro Line 14.

The city is also served by an efficient network of buses and trolleybuses (operated by Transports Publics de la Région Lausannoise), as well as commuter trains connecting it with Geneva and other parts of Switzerland and its neighboring countries.

Lausanne has a very good road network. The A1 runs past the west of the city, connecting it to Geneva. Other motorways and rail systems connect the city to all European destinations.