Lausanne tumbles down a series of steep hills to the shore of Lake Geneva, and getting to grips with its gradients is the key to enjoying it. The city stacks up in tiers: the medieval upper town around the Gothic cathedral, the lively Flon district of converted warehouses, and the waterfront resort quarter of Ouchy with its palm-lined promenade and lake steamers. A tiny metro, the m2, does the hard climbing for you, linking the lakeshore to the station and the old town in minutes, so use it and save your legs for wandering. This is the Olympic Capital, home to the International Olympic Committee and a superb museum, and a proper university town with a young, French-speaking energy. The rhythm is relaxed: linger over coffee on a terrace, take a paddle steamer across to the vineyards or the French shore, and end the day watching the sun set behind the Alps over the water. Many museums cluster at Plateforme 10 by the station, shops close on Sundays, and the best evenings are spent lakeside in Ouchy. Give the hills their due and Lausanne unfolds as one of Switzerland's most characterful cities.
A full, walkable day in Lausanne, free for everyone. Set your pace and start time.
Start in the commercial hub; Fleur de Pain is handy for a quick bakery breakfast before the climb into the old town.
The covered wooden stairway is the prettiest way up; pause at Place de la Palud on the way to catch the animated clock on the hour.
See the rose window inside, then tackle the 224 steps for the best city and lake panorama; tower hours are limited, so check first.
The little rack metro handles the steep drop to the lake in minutes; emerge at the palm-lined promenade by the boat piers.
Allow two hours for the galleries; the terraced lakeside park with its torches and statues is free even if you skip the museum.
Grab a terrace table facing the paddle steamers for a glass of local Chasselas as the light drops behind the Alps.
Take the m2 back up to the Sous-Gare quarter; the blackboard menu is market-led and the room buzzy, so book ahead.
Switzerland's finest Gothic cathedral, crowning the old town with a rose window and a tower you can climb; a night watchman still calls the hours from the belfry after 10pm.
A warm, buzzy bistro south of the station beloved by locals for its market-driven blackboard, weekend brunch and cosy back room; book for dinner as it fills fast.
The world's definitive Olympic museum in a hillside park above Ouchy, tracing the Games from antiquity with torches, medals and interactive galleries; the lakeside sculpture park is free.
A palm-lined lakeside promenade where paddle steamers dock and locals stroll, jog and sail; walk east toward the Vidy parks or catch a boat across to the French shore.
A striking new arts district beside the station gathering three museums, the fine-art MCBA, the photography and design Mudac and the Photo Elysee, in bold modern buildings.
A covered wooden medieval stairway climbing from the market square to the cathedral, one of the old town's most photogenic spots; pause at the fountains and terraces on the way up.
The old town's central square with a painted Fountain of Justice, the 17th-century town hall and an animated historical clock that chimes on the hour; the Saturday market fills it with stalls.
A handsome belle-epoque brasserie in the Casino de Montbenon with a huge terrace overlooking the lake and Alps, good for classic steak-frites and a sundowner.
A time-warp 1951 brasserie hidden off Place Saint-Francois, famed for its bubbling cheese fondue, tripe and pied de porc served under lamplight; a true local institution.
The legendary three-Michelin-star temple in nearby Crissier, one of the world's great restaurants; a once-in-a-lifetime lunch that must be booked weeks ahead.
A stylish, ingredient-led restaurant in a former science building with a leafy terrace, doing creative seasonal plates and natural wines; a favourite for a special evening.
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Switzerland