6 Things To Do in Lausanne — Destination Dreamer Diaries

Lausanne has a lot of interesting influences. It reminded me a lot a French Lucerne; this side of Lake Geneva is much more grandiose than it is in Geneva.

Lausanne has a lot of interesting influences. It reminded me a lot a French Lucerne; this side of Lake Geneva is much more grandiose than it is in Geneva.

Lac Leman in Lausanne, Switzerland October 2021

It has the hills and colored buildings on both Lisboa and San Francisco, but the French food and similar scenery to the Swiss city of Lucerne.

Personally, I felt like Lausanne was like Geneva and Lucerne had a baby – and I’m not complaining about that. It’s definitely one of the prettier swiss cities, with both beautiful architecture and stunning swiss mountains to marvel in.

Wondering what to do on your trip to Lausanne?

Here’s what I recommend for a short trip to Lausanne!

1. Marvel in Lac Leman

After my 4-hour train ride down from Paris, I was ready for a Spain-like-la-siesta. I plopped on a bench near the Promenade that hugs lake Leman, and just enjoyed the view.

2. Stroll Along the Promenade

This reminded me a bunch of Hudson River Pier Park and the way it was set up… except… it’s Switzerland.

Absolutely stunning. So many crepeire and French inspired places to eat. As a newly found Parisian, I can say that the boulangeries smell almost as good as they do in Paris!

3. Walk through the Old Town

Like I said, Lausanne has a lot of interesting influences. It’s the only city I’ve ever been to that emanated the Parisian rooftops!

Its little downtown is covered in charm. It’s a really nice break from a big city vibe, and has a lot of both chain and cute independent stores to peruse.

4. Take the Mini Metro

This was the only Swiss city I have ever been to that had an actual light-rail system. It’s so cute. It’s the tiniest metro I’ve ever seen, and because of that – it’s extremely easy to work.

You have to ride it just to feel the trop mignot local Lausanne feel!

5. Go into Coop

I say this in every Switzerland post. But if you’re vegan/vegetarian – no trip to Switzerland is complete without buying some coop bran goodies to take home!

So many vegan goodies in Switzerland’s store coop!

I was ecstatic to find my favorite vegan chocolate bars after two and a half years away!

6. Enjoy the Sunset

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never come to Switzerland to do things, or to spend money. I go to see, to feel, to smell, to reconnect with yourself…

… Lausanne has so many great places to watch the sunset over the omniscient mountains and glass-like-lake… my spot just happened to be the balcony of my hotel room.

Looking for more things to do in Switzerland? I’ve seen the entire country!

Click here to read what I recommend most.