RISING up from shimmering Lake Geneva with its medieval charm and Belle Epoque splendour very much intact, Lausanne has got to be one of Switzerland’s best kept secrets. For starters there’s the historic old town of La Cité, where many of the major landmarks are located alongside quaint cafes and hidden byways.
La Cité, the historic old town of Lausanne
More modern attractions include the Olympic Museum, thanks to the International Olympic Committee being based here, and, since 2019, Plateforme 10, a repurposed railway shed merging three of the city’s museums, focussing on fine arts, contemporary design and photography.
The Royal Savoy, with rooms overlooking the gardens and Lake Geneva ©Robert Miller
All this and more is within ease of the Grand Chateau-style Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa, where I stayed, my room overlooking the lake and French Alps beyond. You can walk but if you want to take the metro, the Lausanne Transport Card is given free to all hotel visitors.
Vineyards of Lavaux
Everyone knows about Swiss chocolate but few have any idea about Switzerland’s thriving wine industry, much less the role that Lausanne plays in it, with some 200 local vineyards within its orbit. That’s because the Swiss prefer to keep their wine to themselves, exporting only around two per cent.
To discover more, you should take the short trip by train to the winegrowing region of Lavaux, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in acknowledgement of the centuries of viticulture that has sculpted the landscape. Among the grape varieties grown is the local chasselas blanc.
Platforme 10, railway shed that has become Lausanne’s latest arts centre
Wineries here are small, like that run by Mélanie Weber, who crafts fine wines in the back room and basement of her house in the village of Cully. Her estate has been in the family since 1879 and she is dedicated to preserving traditional methods all along the production line, something she speaks about with passion.
A return journey to Lausanne by boat offers views of the vertiginous slopes of terraced vineyards ascending from Lake Geneva – an unforgettably lovely sight.
by Angela Cobbinah
Starting price for a Deluxe Room, in a single occupancy including breakfast is CHF 395.
Return flights from London to Geneva from £108 pp with SWISS. Lausanne is 45 minutes from Geneva airport by direct train.