Is your next trip going to Lausanne in Switzerland, then of course you'll want to know what to do there. In this historic city, you'll find fairytale architecture and enchanting mountain landscapes as far as the eye can see: it's as if you've landed on the set of The Sound of Music.
Planning your itinerary in advance is always a wise decision. And no travel plan is complete without choosing the right place to stay. In Lausanne, you will find hotels that will enhance your trip. Especially, choosing an apartment style hotel gives you a feeling of a home away from home, letting you soak in the aura of this majestic Swiss city at ease.
You could also call Lausanne the capital of the Olympics, as both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport are based in this Swiss city. You will feast your eyes in this centuries-old city bursting with medieval decorations.
Looking for some more lodging options? The variety is infinite. For your convenience, tophotels.com provides a gamut of choices, encompassing everything from luxury resorts to cozy inns that perfectly resonate with the magical landscape of Switzerland.
Looking for what to do in Lausanne? We have 10 tips for you below!
Olympic Museum
We'll start right away with the Olympic Museum in this Olympic capital. Overlooking Lake Geneva, this museum focuses on the values the Olympics stand for. Discover the complete history of the games, from their origins in ancient Greece to the most recent games. Admire real Olympic torches, historical posters and antique sports equipment and clothing that was worn by Olympians. Address: Quai d'Ouchy 1, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: www.olympic.org
Cruise on Lake Geneva
If you're in Lausanne, you can't miss this lake! Lake Gene va separates Switzerland from France. As a result, from the shore in Lausanne you have views of the French Alps, with the lake in the foreground. The best view, however, is from one of the ferries you can use to cross the lake. The ferry goes from Lausanne to two French towns on the other side of the lake. Évian-les-Bains is very popular and just a scenic 35-minute trip away from Lausanne.
Notre-Dame Cathedral of Lausanne
Did you hear a strange shout in your hotel room in Lausanne at night? It could very well be the official announcer of this cathedral. Indeed, every night since 1405, without exception, there has been an announcer announcing what time it is every hour between 10 pm and 2 am. This used to have the function of warning Lausanne residents of fire. Nowadays, it is mostly a tradition.
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Lausanne is the only cathedral in Europe where this practice is still carried out. The cathedral is also worth a visit for its magnificent medieval sculptures and the rose window, one of the first of its kind during the cathedral's construction in the 13th century. Address: Place de la Cathédrale, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: www.patrimoine.vd.ch
Collection de l'Art Brut
This museum has one of the largest collections of Art Brut: an art genre in which artists do not follow the rules of the usual art world. Either because they consciously reject it, or because they have lived so closed off that they have simply never seen any other art. This is also known as outsider art.
Collection de l'Art Brut features the artworks of more than a thousand different artists. Think so-called 'naive paintings', sculptures, masks and multimedia art. There are regularly interesting exhibitions at this museum, mostly about the creative process behind making art. Address: Avenue Bergières 11, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: www.artbrut.ch
Stroll around Lausanne's market
Every Wednesday and Saturday, Lausanne locals gather at this busy market. Fruit and vegetable traders set up their stalls in Reu de Bourg and the central Place de la Palud. You can also go here for local cheeses, delicacies and freshly baked bread. Had enough to eat? You'll find an ever-growing flea market where you can come across treasures in the form of paperbacks, CDs and vintage furniture.
Vineyards of Lavaux
The Swiss are not only good at making cuckoo clocks and cheese. They have also been producing wine since the times of the Romans. The vineyards of Lavaux, in the smoke of Lausanne, are proof of this. Did you know that 95 per cent of Switzerland's wines are for local consumption?
Take a trip through the vineyards of Lavaux and taste the wines that are too good to be exported. These vineyards are located in the steep hills between Lausanne and Montreux. In every town in this area, you can visit vineyards (often family-run), stone terraces and medieval villages dating back to the 11th century.
Sauvabelin Tower
In the Sauvabelin forest in Lausanne is an all-wood watchtower with an unusual double helix shape. One staircase is meant to take you up to the observation platform and the other you take to go back down. In total, the Sauvabelin Tower consists of 151 steps. Once at the top, you can marvel at a dreamy view of Lake Geneva, the Alps and, of course, the cityscape of Lausanne. Address: 1018 Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: www.tour-de-sauvabelin-lausanne.ch
Palais de Rumine: five museums in one building
From the outside, it may look like this building is on its way out, yet it has not completely lost its old charm. It was built in 1871, commissioned by Russian aristocrat Gabriel de Rumine, with the aim of entertaining the population. And that mission has certainly succeeded over the years.
Today, the Palais de Rum ine serves as a museum, library, government building, study space, meeting place and conference centre. You can visit several museums in this building, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Natural History Museum and the Money Museum. Address: Place de la Riponne 6, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. 
Stroll along the Ouchy promenade
Want to do something outdoors? If the sun is shining, this kilometre-long walk along the Ouchy promenade along Lake Geneva is paradise. On weekends, you will see many couples and families strolling here, stopping regularly to take in the views of the lake and the Alps. There is always something going on around here, such as a local market or an open-air concert. Got some time to kill? Then grab a book and watch the ferries sail in and out of the harbour.
Going out in the Flon district
These days, the Flon district is known among Lausanne's young people as a nightlife hotspot. However, this district has by no means always been so impressive. Once it was a valley through which the Flon River ran. During the industrial revolution, the area was dotted with tanneries. The smell this gave off was so unbearable that many locals fled to better-smelling parts of the city.
In the 20th century, Flon became a neighbourhood of sheds and warehouses and the area fell into disrepair. Since a few years, fortunately, new life has been breathed into this central part of Lausanne and it is bursting with hip clubs, trendy bars, modern restaurants and interesting shops.
What to do in Lausanne: practical tips
Travelling to Lausanne
To visit Lausanne, it is best to fly to Geneva. KLM flies several times a day from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Geneva, a flight of about an hour and a half. You can fly to Geneva from as little as €109.
From Geneva, you can take the train to Lausanne. A train ticket costs €27 and the ride to Lausanne takes about 50 minutes. If you want to go to Lausanne by car, be prepared for a long drive. From Amsterdam, it is at least 9.5 hours away (without breaks or traffic jams).
You can also travel to Lausanne directly by train from Amsterdam CS. You can change trains in Paris or in the Swiss city of Basel. The train will take you 8½ to 9½ hours.
Where to stay in Lausanne
In Lausanne you have plenty of choice of fine hotels to stay in. The Hôtel du Marché is a good budget option, for example. This small, affordable family-run hotel is in the centre of Lausanne and a few minutes' walk from the Palais de Rumine. Rooms have a private bathroom or shared bathroom and there are also rooms with a kitchenette. ► Book an overnight stay at Hôtel du Marché from €65
Do you have a more generous budget? Then go for a luxury hotel overlooking Lake Geneva, such as the Château d'Ouchy. It is located in a renovated medieval castle almost a thousand years old. Between 1889 and 1893, it was converted into a chic 4-star hotel with 50 rooms, many of which have spectacular views of Lake Geneva. The hotel has several bars and restaurants, a wellness centre and an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by century-old trees. ► Book an overnight stay at Château d'Ouchy from €184
Eating and drinking in Lausanne
One of the delicacies not to be missed when in Lausanne is cheese fondue. If you order this at a restaurant in Lausanne, you will get potatoes (in a heated bag) and bread to dip in the fondue. Other local specialities include cordon blue and, of course, chocolate. Blondel(www.blondel.ch) is a chocolaterie well known to locals. Since 1850, chocolates, pralines and truffles have been made here using traditional methods.