{"id":21429,"date":"2018-01-23T09:40:10","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T17:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/?p=21429"},"modified":"2025-08-14T12:49:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T19:49:04","slug":"lausanne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/lausanne\/","title":{"rendered":"DISCOVERING THE WINTER MAGIC OF LAUSANNE"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early December I had the honour of being invited by the Lausanne Tourism Board,<\/a>\u00a0representing\u00a0We Are Travel Girls,<\/a>\u00a0to discover the charming Swiss city of Lausanne during the festive Christmas period. I had never been to Lausanne before so I was really excited to explore a new city in Switzerland by the stunning Lake Geneva.\u00a0<\/span>Our three-day weekend completely exceeded my expectations and we were really kindly welcomed by the tourism board. We did a variety of different activities, got plenty of fresh snow, ate delicious local dishes, drank lovely local wine and enjoyed all the Christmas installations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To reach Lausanne you need to fly to Geneva and from the airport you can get a train that takes you directly to Lausanne (just over 45mins). Lausanne is quite small so you can reach all places in the centre by foot and for the places a bit further out you can go by bus or by train as public transport runs really well in Lausanne.<\/span><\/p>\n

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THINGS TO DO IN LAUSANNE:<\/span><\/h3>\n

1. Admire The Christmas Lights<\/span><\/h4>\n

Each year, from November to the end of December, Lausanne boasts several light installations by different contemporary artists for the Festival Lausanne Lumi\u00e8res. You can spend one of your evenings just strolling around in the old town admiring these wonderful unique lights.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

\"Discovering<\/p>\n

2. Try A Cupcake Making Course<\/span><\/h4>\n

Switzerland is renowned for its chocolate and chocolate making courses so why not try something different too?! At Royaume Melazic<\/a>\u00a0you can learn how to decorate your own cupcakes and then take them back home to enjoy. They also have an adorable shop selling all kinds of products for cake making. As soon as you enter the shop you will be taken away by the lovely smell of freshly baked cupcakes\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

3. Visit The Local Saturday Markets<\/span><\/h4>\n

Every Saturday, the locals head out to the market to buy their fresh seasonal products. It\u2019s really nice to walk around this local market and enjoy the lively atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Try An Unusual Beer At N\u00e9buleuse Brewery<\/span><\/h4>\n

I\u2019m not the biggest beer drinker but it was really fun to have a tour around this brewery<\/a>\u00a0set up by a couple of friends who craft the most unusual beers – I tried one that was a coconut flavour and another one which tasted of shrimp\u2026 They\u2019re actually very well known and have won many European awards for their beers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Explore The Christmas Markets\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by exploring the Christmas markets?! Lausanne has different Christmas markets to please everyone \u2013 from markets dedicated to children, to markets selling local products from Switzerland. You should go in the evening before dinner to enjoy a glass of Vin Chaud (mulled wine) at the covered Christmas stands on the Place St-Fran\u00e7ois.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

\"Discovering<\/p>\n

6. Discover The Olympic Museum<\/span><\/h4>\n

Lausanne is the Olympic Capital of the world so it\u2019s a must to visit this museum. You\u2019ll get to learn about the history of the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece, and their current form today through sports equipment and the spirit of the Olympic Games.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

7. Go On A Belle Epoque Boat Cruise\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

On Sundays the ferry service between Lausanne and Evian offers breakfast in a lovely setting on the Belle Epoque boat with views over the lake and the surrounding mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

8. Be Intrigued By Collection De L’Art Brut Museum\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The L’Art Brut<\/a> museum showcases some of the most peculiar art I\u2019ve ever seen. If you\u2019re interested in art and would like to see something unusual, then I highly recommend going to this museum. These self-taught artists are rebellious people who are\/were on the margins of society and who create(d) art that is outside the standard norms of art without caring about society\u2019s opinions of their pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

9. See The View From The Cathedral\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

As the Cathedral of Lausanne sits on the top of the city, it offers some of the most stunning views of the city and is well worth the walk up there. If it\u2019s snowing when you go too you\u2019ll see how magical the view is with all the rooftops covered in snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

10. Go Wine Tasting At Lavaux Vineyards<\/span><\/h4>\n

You might not know this, but Switzerland produces a lot of wine and the Lavaux vineyards of Lausanne are a recognised UNESCO World Heritage site. We went to the Domaine Croix Duplex<\/a>\u00a0and enjoyed several different wines made with the local Chasselas grape.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Discovering<\/p>\n

11. Walk Along Lake Geneva\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Also known as Lac L\u00e9man, Lake Geneva is so beautiful and it\u2019s really nice to walk along and enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding mountains, particularly if it has been snowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WHERE TO STAY\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

We stayed at the H\u00f4tel des Voyageurs<\/a>\u00a0which is located in the heart of Lausanne and is in short walking distance of all the iconic places of the city. The staff are very friendly and the I find the prices reasonable as the hotel is clean, very modern and the breakfast is good.<\/span><\/p>\n

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PLACES TO EAT\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Lausanne has a fantastic lively food scene and there are plenty of lovely restaurants to enjoy. For lunch we went to Lacustre<\/a>, the Caf\u00e9 des Artisans<\/a>\u00a0and to the Caf\u00e9 de Grancy<\/a>\u00a0which were all really nice. On our first night we had an amazing fondue at the temporary igloo\u00a0set up on the place de l\u2019Europe and on the second night we enjoyed a really good meal at the Brasserie de Montbenon<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Lausanne is an extremely beautiful city, full of charming spots and with plenty of things to do making it the perfect city to go for a weekend getaway on the run up to Christmas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Have you ever been to Lausanne? We\u2019d love to hear your stories, tips or questions in the comment section below!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Read More About Switzerland<\/em><\/h4>\n