The medieval city
Inhabited since the 3rd century, the Cité hill was a protected place. Lausanne grew from the top down, gradually descending the slopes of two other hills. The center of the capital is built on the three hills of La Cité, Le Bourg and Saint-Laurent, linked by the Grand-Pont, the Pont Bessières and the Pont Chauderon. With its cobbled streets and traditional houses, the medieval town has retained much of its charm. The early days of local history are recorded here, notably in the cathedral, and it's a great place for window-shopping, as the vast majority of stores have set up shop here, and you can enjoy strolling the streets on market days. Its geographical limits are the Place du Tunnel to the north, the Chauderon Bridge to the west, the Grand-Pont and railway station to the south, and the Parc de Mon-Repos to the east.
The modern city
The term "modern city" refers to the area under the railway station that was built up from the second half of the 19th century onwards, as well as the Flon and Sévelin areas, including housing and warehouses. Formerly covered with vineyards, this area was simply laid out as parks in certain places, by wealthy Lausanne residents who also had second homes built there; the parks of Mon-Repos, Montbenon and Milan date from this period. Today, the area beneath the railway station has taken on a bohemian bourgeois character. While the Flon, whose warehouses were first taken over by artists and associations, is in the midst of a transition to a more glitzy existence: upmarket names, trendy restaurants, luxury stores and banks. Art galleries, second-hand stores and legendary clubs such as MAD and Xoxo Club still exist, but it seems that the new "alternative" districts are heading west: Sébeillon, Malley, even Renens.
Zoom in on the innovative Flon district. We've come a long way from the old natural valley where the Flon river once flowed! Completely filled in when the tunnels between Ouchy and Lausanne were built at the end of the 19th century, the valley was transformed into a large platform with new, flattened land. Warehouses were built and the area became Lausanne's first goods station in the 20th century. In 2009, the area was given a facelift, with a new urban promenade. Today, it's a place to live, work and create. The 55,000m2 esplanade is the perfect place to stroll, day or night, for shopping or just hanging out in one of the 28 restaurants and bars. A district that has reinvented itself, while preserving the traces of the past, such as the Flon pathway.
Ouchy and the banks
Beyond the city center, it can be said that, generally speaking, the west of Lausanne has always been poor, while the east, towards the vineyards, has attracted more wealth, as evidenced by its fine buildings. The districts between Lausanne and Renens have long been neglected and are now being reinvested, mainly by artists. This division is even more obvious at the port of Ouchy, where magnificent palaces have sprung up on one side and various warehouses on the other. The Flon district has been completely rehabilitated to become a lively, innovative and creative place both day and night. Originally a small fishing port, more modest than Morges, Ouchy was built on tourism. With the arrival of the railroad and the first steamboats in 1823, including the famous William Tell, quays were laid and magnificent palaces built on the way to Montreux. Today, you can stroll along, on foot or by bike. You wait for a boat, but you don't really stay. On the west side, you head for the Bellerive swimming pool, then the banks of Vidy for a barbecue, or the Roman ruins and cemetery of Bois-de-Vaux. On the east side, you can admire the three magnificent hôtels d'Angleterre, the Beau-rivage Palace and the Château d'Ouchy, or discover the Olympic Museum, the Lutry beach and the Lavaux vineyards.
The heights
Although this district is an integral part of Lausanne, it's here that you really leave the city behind. It's a great place for a stroll, whether in the Parc de l'Hermitage or the Sauvabelin woods, or even at the top of the wooden tower, where you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama over the whole of the Lausanne conurbation. Sauvabelin is the first wooded area, before the many other woods, notably Grand-Jorat, near Chalet-à-Gobet, before moving on to Gros-de-Vaud, to the green pastures... But this district is above all proud today to host Aquatis, a superb aquarium mainly dedicated to freshwater fish, and a vivarium. This excellent space is well worth a visit. An ambitious area served by the Vennes metro, at 150 route de Berne.
