Is Lausanne Worth Visiting? Why We Almost Wrote It Off
Our first contact with Lausanne is actually a funny story. We were in Geneva for a day trip, and on our way back we had to change trains in Lausanne. We had about half an hour to kill, so we walked out of the main train station to take a quick look around.
To be honest, we weren’t that enthusiastic. Lausanne is different from Zurich, where even the area right in front of the main station feels polished and impressive. In Lausanne, the area around the train station felt more like a place to escape than a place to explore.
That quick, underwhelming stop left us with a real question: is Lausanne actually worth visiting?
We had heard so many opinions from friends who swore Lausanne was one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, and our own five minutes outside the station didn’t match that at all.
So we gave ourselves a push and went back to properly discover it.
And we can tell you this much: we haven’t been to Lausanne just once since then. We keep going back.
In this guide, we’ll give you our honest take on whether Lausanne deserves a spot on your Switzerland trip, how it compares to Zurich and Geneva, and what’s actually worth your time once you get past that first train station impression.
If you already know you want to visit, our guide to planning a trip to Lausanne covers how long to stay, where to stay, getting around, and what to prioritize.
Our Top Hotel Picks in Lausanne
- Best Luxury: Beau-Rivage Palace (Ouchy)
- Best Mid-Range: Palmiers by Fassbind (Near the Station)
- Best for Lake Views: Château d’Ouchy (Ouchy)
The Short Answer
Yes, Lausanne is worth visiting. It might not win you over in the first five minutes like Zurich or Geneva can, but give it a real chance, and it turns into one of our favorite Swiss cities to come back to.
Best for: people who like a smaller, more relaxed city, lake views, hills that reward you with a view at the top, and an easy day trip from Zurich or Geneva.
Maybe skip it if: you only have one day in Switzerland total and have to choose between Lausanne, Zurich, or Geneva. In that case, we’d send you elsewhere first (more on that below).
Lausanne vs. Zurich vs. Geneva: Where It Fits
We already told you about the train station difference. But that difference goes further than just the station itself.
Lausanne is genuinely smaller and more relaxed than both Zurich and Geneva. According to the City of Lausanne’s own statistics, it has around 151,000 residents, compared to roughly 440,000 in Zurich and around 212,000 in Geneva.
So it is not a tiny town, but it feels noticeably calmer than the other two.
It is also more hilly than both. Zurich and Geneva are relatively flat where it counts, but Lausanne is built on slopes, and you will feel that in your legs at some point.
Still, it is amazingly beautiful, and the hills are part of why the views are so good once you are up top.
Day Trip or Overnight?
We have already done multiple day trips to Lausanne. It is also worth it to stay overnight, but if you just want to see the highlights, one day is totally enough in our opinion.
We have also already sent friends and family to Lausanne for a day trip from Zurich, and all of them came back amazed by the city.
That said, we really want to go to Lausanne for a longer trip with an overnight stay next time.
There is more to it than we have managed to fit into our day trips so far, and we would like to see how the city feels once the day-trippers head home.
If you decide to stay overnight, our guide to where to stay in Lausanne compares the Old Town, Ouchy, the station area, and the other neighborhoods we would consider.
From Geneva: Lausanne is the closer option, just around 35 to 45 minutes by train.
From Zurich: it takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes by direct train, which still makes it very doable as a day trip.
When travelling by train throughout the country, you’ll find information in our guide to using public transportation in Switzerland about tickets, passes, the SBB app, and how the transit network works.
What’s Actually Worth Your Time
We have the luxury of only going to Lausanne when the sun is shining. To find out when that is, check out our post on the best time to visit Lausanne.
That means we have mostly discovered the outdoor side of the city: the parks, the Old Town, the lake, and pretty much everything open air. We also always pop into the churches when we pass one.
What we have not spent much time on are the museums. Lausanne has a genuinely strong museum scene, including the Olympic Museum, but since we have never gone on a rainy or cold day, we cannot honestly tell you what it is like inside.
Our trick is to take the metro all the way up the hill to Sallaz, and start at Sauvabelin Park from there.
From that point on, it is all downhill. The walk passes by almost every major sight on the way, and after a few hours we end up at the lake, where we always spend the last part of the day.
The Cathedral sits above the Old Town, part of the way down. The view over the rooftops and the lake from up there is one of the best in the city.
The Old Town comes next. It is compact enough to walk without a plan, and you will keep running into small squares and steep little streets that make you stop just to look around.
Ouchy, the waterfront, is where the walk ends. It is flat, relaxed, and exactly what your legs want after a few hours of downhill walking.
If you want to add more stops to this route, our guide to the best things to do in Lausanne covers the city’s main attractions, viewpoints, museums, and nearby trips in much more detail.
Tip: take the metro up to Sallaz first instead of starting from the train station. It turns the whole visit into one long, mostly downhill walk instead of a series of uphill detours.
The Honest Downsides
Lausanne is, in our opinion, a little bit dirtier than other Swiss cities. Still absolutely beautiful, but it happens that you come across some litter or a bit of grime here and there.
It is really not a problem, and we want to be clear about that. It is just that for Swiss standards, it stands out a bit.
That doesn’t make the city unsafe, though. Our Lausanne safety guide goes into more detail about the station area, Flon, petty crime, and what the city feels like at night.
Who Should Skip Lausanne
If you only have one day in Switzerland and have to pick just one city, we would send you to Zurich or Geneva first.
For splitting time across the country more broadly, our Switzerland itinerary walks through how we’d prioritize it.
Lausanne rewards a bit of patience, and it is not the city that will blow you away in your first hour the way those two can.
If steep hills are a real problem for you, either because of mobility or just because you hate them, Lausanne will test you more than most Swiss cities.
Our downhill trick from Sallaz helps a lot, but there is no Lausanne route that skips the hills entirely.
Lausanne has its own charm, but it plays a different game than the Alps-and-cowbells version of Switzerland.
If you’re comparing Lausanne with other stops, our guide to the best places to visit in Switzerland explains which destinations we would prioritize on a first trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Lausanne?
One full day is enough to see the highlights if you follow a route like ours from Sallaz down to Ouchy. If you want to add a museum or two, or explore at a slower pace, two days gives you more breathing room.
Is Lausanne worth visiting if I already have Zurich or Geneva on my trip?
Yes, especially as a day trip. It has a different feel from both cities: smaller, hillier, and more relaxed, which makes it a nice contrast rather than a repeat of what you have already seen.
Is Lausanne expensive?
Yes, like most of Switzerland. It is not noticeably cheaper than Zurich or Geneva, so budget accordingly. Our breakdown of how expensive Switzerland is to visit gives you a better idea of accommodation, food, transport, and activity costs.
Can you visit Lausanne without a car?
Yes, easily. Lausanne is well connected by train, and the city itself has an efficient metro system that can take you straight up the hill to spots like Sallaz.
Is Lausanne worth it if you don’t like museums?
Yes. Our own visits have mostly been about the outdoor side of the city: parks, the Old Town, the lake, so there is plenty to do even if museums are not your thing.
So, Is Lausanne Worth Visiting?
We started this guide with a train station that almost put us off Lausanne for good. Half an hour, one unimpressed look around, and we nearly wrote the whole city off.
We are glad we did not. Give Lausanne more than those first minutes, and it turns into one of the Swiss cities we keep going back to, not because it is the flashiest or the most polished, but because it rewards the patience the train station never gave us a reason to have.
So yes, Lausanne is worth visiting. Not as your only stop in Switzerland, and maybe not as your first impression of the country, but absolutely worth the detour.
Have you been to Lausanne, or are you planning your first visit? We would love to hear how it went for you.
