Culture of Lausanne. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

he major share of the excursions is concentrated in the old part of the town. During the excursions the guests of Lausanne will get a chance to see the majestic palaces and ancient churches, walk through scenic parks and visit local museums. The city is recommended to cruise by foot as it is the simplest way to visit all the important sights. In the heart of Lausanne the church of St. Francois is set on the grand square. This beautiful building is a fusion of best architectural traditions of Gothic style. Through the long history the church has witnessed many significant historical events.

The historical part of the city starts not far from the square. The Place de la Palud square is considered to be its heart. The town hall building is set near the square. It was built in the second part of the 12th century. The roofed stairs start near the town hall building, the stairs lead to the top of the hill. In the 13th century the Cathedral Notre Dame was built there which is now considered to be the main sight of the city of Lausanne.

The construction of the cathedral lasted more than one hundred years. In terms of beauty this majestic and impressive gothic building can be only compared too famous French cathedrals and churches. The last scale reconstruction of the cathedral was held in the 16th century, during this period the construction of the cathedral was added with a new doorway. It is worth mentioning that the doorway is executed in a different architectural style and that is why stands in contrast with the rest of the building. The design of the cathedral is well elaborated. The unique elements of design and elegant graceful stained glass artworks will never fail to amaze. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Another important architectural sight is placed near the Place de la Riponne square. This is the Rumine Palace. Nowadays the magnificent building hosts two museums one of which is the museum of arts and another one is of natural science. The first one presents to the visitors the collections of artworks of local artists meanwhile the natural science museum presents a stunning collection of archeological, geological and zoological objects. Another important part of the city sights is presented with schools and universities. These mostly attract the visitors of the city with their architecture. Many educational institutions were established in the middle ages and today occupy majestic historical buildings. Guests of Lausanne will love strolling across the embankment and walking through the local parks which are of the same touristic attraction

The Swiss city is often associated primarily with headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (Comité International Olympique) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Tribunal Arbitral du Sport) located here. Both buildings are worthy of inclusion in the list of Lausanne's must-visit sites - and all thanks to their beautiful architecture. By the way, Lausanne can safely be called the “Judicial Capital of Switzerland”, as the highest judicial body of the Confederation is based here - the Tribunal Fédéral. In terms of architecture, the courthouse deserves the highest praise - residents of Switzerland couldn't afford to make such an important building ugly.

Another must-have is Le Musée Olympique, the main feature of which is that all of its exhibits are interactive (these include costumes, sports equipment, Olympic torches, films with recordings of outstanding games). Find out how the Olympic Games are held now and were held in the past - from ancient to modern times. Apart from that, the cultural institution provides a lot of great entertainment activities - for example, virtual biathlon or football. The museum boasts Parc Olympique, the main attractions of which are sports installations and beautiful sculptures dedicated to sports.

While in Lausanne, be sure to visit the Bejart Ballet where the main emphasis is on beautiful ballet performances, as well as the Lausanne Opera that hosts great symphonic concerts and opera performances that have already become classics. Those wishing to watch something from the theater repertoire are welcome to the Theater de Vidy. Rolex Learning Center EPFL is also worth mentioning. It was built in 2010 by the architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. The idea was to present the building in the form of a giant wave. It must be said that it (that is, the idea) was fully realized. Here you can find a multimedia library containing more than five hundred thousand books, as well as a huge conference hall for students.

Built in 2003 and shaped in an original way, the Tour de Sauvabelin is not only a vivid architectural monument but also an observation deck and a perfect landmark - the tower is visible from almost anywhere in the city. If you climb the observation zone, you will enjoy fantastic views of the magnificent Alps and Lake Geneva shimmering with turquoise shades. The tower is located on the territory of no less picturesque place - Parc de Sauvabelin.

Among must-see religious shrines in the Swiss city, there are a few more, except for those presented above. So, here you can find a Muslim temple called Mosquée de Lausanne, the main feature of which is an exceptionally pleasant atmosphere reigning inside. Quite unexpectedly, in Lausanne, one can find Pavillon Thaïlandais - a Thai-style building located in the picturesque park Le Denantou. It was erected in honor of the Thai-Swiss friendship. The opening of the pavilion that took place in 2009 was attended by Her Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

It would be worthwhile to mention such a beautiful architectural monument as Chateau Saint-Maire where the government of the canton of Vaud seats today. Just by looking at the wonderful building, you realize how lucky are public employees who can see all this splendor every day. Speaking of architecture, it is worth noting that the castle was built in 1425 on the initiative of the bishops of Lausanne and was originally the bishop's residence. In 1536, Bern captured the city and turned the structure into a military arsenal. The building began performing its present function in 1803 when the canton was formed. A peculiar local attraction is the Cimetiere du Bois-de-Vaux, and it is a pleasure to walk around it. And all thanks to the many works of sculptural art that can be found here at every step, as well as the incredible atmosphere of peace.

Next to the already mentioned main attraction of the city and at the same time the main Gothic monument, - Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Lausanne - is the Musée Historique de Lausanne, which displays exhibits in one way or another related to the city and its history, starting from the Middle Ages. Among the exhibits are works of fine art, furniture and interior items, documents, costumes, ancient musical instruments. Of particular value is the magnificent layout of the city as it was in the 17th century. The latter is made with great accuracy, so you can look into the smallest details.

An amazing collection of wonderful works created in the style of Outsider Art can be found in the museum “telling” about this - the Collection de l'Art Brut. It is worth noting that not only paintings but also figurines and sculptures are on display - all that artists have enough imagination for. Art connoisseurs head to the Fondation de l'Hermitage presenting an outstanding collection of works by impressionists. Among them are priceless paintings by Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Rene Magritte. The cultural institution is located in a park of the same name where you can walk and enjoy delightful green landscapes. Those who want to look at some wonderful photographic works are welcome to the Musee de l'Elysee.

Visitors to Espace des Inventions can broaden their horizons by learning a lot of interesting information about the world around us, for example, about the formation of science and technology, interesting inventions. The scientific center's exhibits are represented by serviceable scientific equipment. For architecture connoisseurs, the museum presents a special exhibition where they can build architectural models on their own. They can do this all day long until realize that the clock is ticking and time has a tendency to flow away. The museum is also interesting in that visitors can check how this or that mechanism works on their own. It is worth mentioning one more interesting museum - Chemin de Fer-Musée Blonay-Chamby, which helps to find a lot of interesting information about railway transport in the country.