Winter in Lausanne, Switzerland, brings lakeside mist, festive lights and cosy cafés, plus world class museums to keep you entertained in the day. Here’s how to find some of that winter magic.
Winter in Lausanne
The man holds the blade at eye level, lights twinkling on metal. It’s hard to make out his face, a black woollen hat pulled to meet the scarf that covers his mouth. He gestures towards my daughter; his knife larger than her skull.
“You want the Royal,” he asks, in deliciously French English. “Because, of course! You are a princess!”
She smiles, eyes glittering, and so he sets to work, leveraging the blade through slabs of nougat, their conversation leaving little puffs of clouds on the inky dark night.
We’re in one of Lausanne’s Christmas markets, she’s a city with several, and we’re in search of a little winter magic.
If you don’t know Lausanne, she’s just 45 minutes by train from Geneva airport, with a towering Old Town that overlooks the shores of Lake Geneva. And I call her she because the name, to me, sounds like that of a person, and a rather sophisticated one at that. Now, historians claim that Lausanne stems from a Celtic fort or settlement on the lake, which became known as Lousanna once the Romans arrived. It’s a little less poetic but Lausanne city itself doesn’t seem to have noticed.
These days, it’s perhaps most famous for the Olympics: the IOC have their headquarters here. But it’s far from a dull, administrative centre. Come winter, you can find festive lights, sugar frosting and covered staircases that would give Harry Potter a run for his money.
The Swiss reputation for chocolate and cheese is well founded, too, with an array of independent cafes and world class chocolatiers literally creating a treasure trail across the steep streets.
Add in the Alps in the distance, and terraced vineyards climbing the hills behind you, and winter in Lausanne has plenty of treats in store.
Disclosure: we visited the city of Lausanne as part of a project with Switzerland Tourism and Lausanne Tourisme. As ever, as always, we kept the right to write what we like. Otherwise, what’s the point? Also, if you book or buy through any of the links on this page, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Cheers!
Why Take a Festive Winter Break in Lausanne?
A break in Lausanne in the colder months offers winter magic without tourist traps. The city centre transforms during the Christmas period into a patchwork of festivities, from illuminated installations at Festival Lausanne Lumières to mugs of mulled wine and fondue at the Lausanne Christmas markets.
But the city has substance, too, which is essential, I feel when trying to keep kids grounded through the month of festive mayhem! You can visit the Olympic Museum, which has a dedicated kids centre, and see previous Olympic torches and the outfit worn by Torvill and Dean. You can head out to the Aquarium and learn about how the Rhône glacier formed Lake Geneva, with pit stops with crocodiles and the tropics along the way. There’s a glorious natural history musuem and cutting edge art museum at Platforme 10.
The old town of Lausanne still follows the medieval layout founded by Benedictine monks, its steep lanes adding exercise to your daily constitution whether you asked for it or not. And that’s just as well, with the fabulously fun chocolate trail thrown in.
And then there’s the lake. With Evian across the lake, views spill across Lac Léman (as locals call Lake Geneva) as if someone gently blurred the horizon with a frosty white fingertip.
And finally? It’s easy to get to. Not the most poetic of reasons, perhaps, but when your Christmas to-do list rivals that of Santa, you need to take all the help you can get.
What to Do During Winter in Lausanne
Climb to Lausanne Cathedral for a View of a Beautiful City
Now, you can’t know a city without visiting its cathedral. The Lausanne Cathedral is gothic and grand from the outside but surprisingly restrained once you open the doors. Inside, coloured light filters through rose windows, while outside, you’ll find one of the best views of the city, In the winter, a sweet little Christmas market for young children appears, with mechanical reindeer, a small carousel and Santa himself. To warm up after all that, pass down along the covered Escaliers du Marché to emerge at the beautiful Place de la Palud, where you can warm up with fondue and mulled wine.
And Climb Back Down Through Medieval Steps
One of Lausanne’s most atmospheric walks leads down the Escaliers du Marché, the covered wooden staircase that connects the Lausanne Cathedral to Place de la Palud, the lively square with its whimsical clock and Renaissance fountain.
The stairs date back to the Middle Ages, originally built to protect townspeople as they travelled between the cathedral above and the market below, and they’ve been reconstructed several times over the centuries as the city expanded.
As you descend, the timber creaks beneath your feet and the rooftops of the old town appear in slivers through the slats.
At the bottom, Place de la Palud opens out with the Fontaine de la Justice, a 16th-century fountain topped by a colourful statue of Lady Justice – one of the oldest public sculptures in Lausanne. It also has one of the city’s best Christmas trees come winter.
Every hour, the Horloge de la Palud springs to life with mechanical figures that narrate episodes from Lausanne’s history, a gentle piece of storytelling from a time gone by.
Explore the Shores of Lake Geneva
Take a wintery walk from Ouchy besides the lake, with the mountains all around for a timeless view.
You can even take the boat to Evian or along to Geneva, if you fancy more time on the water.
Personally, I’d walk from Ouchy along the lake to the museum dedicated to the Olympic Games. It’s far prettier than if you follow the route that Google Maps wants you to take, with views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
Go Faster, Higher, Stronger at The Olympic Museum
It’s not just a nickname, Lausanne is officially the Olympic Capital. Walk past the sculptures to reach the museum, with an interactive place for kids to run around and let off steam in the “Let’s Move” section.
Having said that, most of the museum is suitable for kids, to be honest. It starts in ancient Greece, with the history of the games. Then moves to Pierre de Coubertin and his drive to restore the Olympics at the end of the 19th century.
Then it’s a tale of Olympic torches, mascots and clothing and other heritage items.
My favourite? Hard to be specific but Simone Biles’ leotard and Jessie Owens’ shoes have to be near the top of the list.
Take metro M2 from the train station in direction of ‘Ouchy-Olympique’, get off at the last stop of line and walk along the shores of Lac Léman for about 10 minutes to reach the museum.
Be Dazzled at Plateforme 10
Lausanne has lots of museums to explore, but a handy and striking set lives in Platforme 10, just a few minutes from the main station. Baby Lab (now nine) loved the fashion exhibition when we were there, with spectacular, flamboyant displays from Swiss designer Germanier using recycled and upcycled materials.
There’s also the Collection de l’Art Brut, with thought-provoking, raw work from prisoners and psychiatric inpatients. Though, perhaps not exactly festive Lausanne, and maybe not the first choice for a visit with young kids.
Embrace the Christmas Spirit with Bô Noël Christmas Markets
Twinkling lights, hand-crafted gifts, cheese fondue, and vin chaud. It’s all here, amid Lausanne’s Christmas markets, along with more innovative ideas like chalets selling gifts made from used dialysis bags and artwork from refugees.
The markets themselves are scattered across the city, with different opening hours, so it pays to be organised and check the details in advance. Some are covered, so that means you are, too, in case the weather turns.
Find Winter Magic with A Cosy Afternoon in Lausanne’s Cafés
For all the talk about Vienna’s coffee houses, I have to say that Lausanne should really steal the headlines here.
We didn’t have time to try everything on my wish list, but I did love everyone that I did.
Here’s a collection. Go, drink hot chocolate on my behalf!
- The Sweet Sage – minimalist decor with innovative patisserie selection.
- Café des Artisans – earthy, warm, with excellent local dishes.
- Café de Grancy – effortlessly welcoming, the quintessential cosy spot.
- Coffee Page, a coffee shop and bookstore close to the train station.
- Ordinary Man – coffee shop and photo gallery in one.
- Le Barbare – apparently the best hot chocolate in town, right by the fountain.
- Café Madeleine – the best madeleines.
Follow The Choco Tour: Chocolate With a Story
Switzerland feels incomplete without chocolate, and Lausanne understands this on a deep, cultural level.
Enter the Choco Tour, a strollable exploration of Lausanne’s finest chocolatiers. Self-guided, it weaves through the centre of Lausanne, stopping at artisan makers who explain their craft with the kind of seriousness typically reserved for diplomacy.
in Blondel, we found orange slices, dipped in dark chocolate. In Maison Buet, we found hedgehogs. And at Jorge Cardoso, we come face to face with a life-size chocolate figure of Roger Federer.
You buy a single ticket and can then choose from five chocolatiers to visit during a 72 hour period. This is a great idea, since it prevents chocolate overload all in one day.
Each place is slightly different, in terms of style and what you get. Some places let you choose your own chocolate, others hand out a pre packaged bag. Most give a talk, in English if needs be, about the history of their place and their signature dish.
It’s a lovely way to meet Swiss people (and, of course, have a festive Christmas!)
Get it On in the Flon and see Festive Lausanne
The Flon district is Lausanne’s modern, urban heartbeat: a former network of warehouses transformed into a pedestrian-friendly maze of design shops, cafés, galleries and creative workspaces. It’s the place where the city’s younger, more experimental spirit shows itself. Concrete courtyards give way to splashy street art, rooftop bars like those in the old silos offer unexpected views, and indoor food halls provide shelter on snowy days.
You’ll find independent boutiques mixed with international brands, as well as cinemas, co-working studios and pop-up installations that change with the seasons.
In winter, Flon feels particularly atmospheric: lights reflecting off the polished industrial surfaces, steaming coffee counters pulling you in from the cold, and the metro rumbling beneath your feet. It’s an excellent area for browsing, people-watching, or simply wandering between hot chocolate stops – a contemporary counterpoint to the medieval lanes of the old town, yet only a few minutes’ walk away.
Tuck Into Cheese Fondue
If you go to Switzerland and skip fondue have you really been to Switzerland?!
Yes, Lausanne’s winter menus feature cheese as if it’s going out of fashion and one of the most fun ways to try some is to head to the quirky Café du Grütli. All traditional wooden interiors, the outside has ski lift bubbles all decked out for a cosy fondue extravaganza.
The restaurant is right next door to the Place de la Palud fountain and the dancing figures, so you can wait and watch for those before warming up thoroughly through piping hot cheese.
Top tip: bread for dipping into a fondue is supposed to be on the stale side. It’s tradition, not poor service. Also, we struggled to make our way through the recommended amount of cheese. I’d suggest ordering for one less person than plans to take part.
Go Underwater at Aquatis
Aquatis is one of Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium–vivariums and a brilliant place to escape the cold if you need to. Set just above the city in the Vennes district, it’s easy to reach on the M2 metro and makes for a fascinating two-to-three-hour visit (though we wanted much longer.)
Inside, the building takes you on a journey through the world’s freshwater habitats, moving from Alpine streams to African lakes, Asian rivers and Amazonian floodplains. Over 10,000 fish, reptiles and amphibians glide or blink back at you from beautifully designed tanks and vivariums, and the whole place is arranged as a kind of narrative, following the path of a single drop of water across continents.
The experience is immersive, exciting and educational in the kind of way that makes you think about rivers and lakes differently afterwards. (I, for one, hadn’t quite pieced together that the Rhône glacier feeds into Lake Geneva, which becomes the Rhône River, which ends in the flamingo-tinged delta in the Camargue in France, for example.)
And baby Lab? Well, she loved the pirate ship and the crocodiles.
Take metro M2 in direction of “Croisettes”, get off at the stop “Vennes” and walk down 5 minutes towards the aquarium.
Embrace the Belle Epoque at Brasserie de Montbenon
This place deserves a special shout out because of its sense of theatre.
Brasserie de Montbenon sits in a grand 1908 rotunda in the leafy park atop the Esplanade de Montbenon, offering one of the most elegant dining atmospheres in Lausanne. Inside, high ceilings and original Belle Époque architecture whisk your imagination back to a world of Agatha Christie without the death.
In good weather, you can eat on the terrace, with sweeping views over Lake Geneva and the distant Alps. But we arrived on one of those apocalyptic wintery nights, in the dark, with the wind howling and rain lashing, and our reception couldn’t have been warmer.
The cuisine leans on local products from the region of Vaud: think seasonal fish from the lake, alpine cheeses, rustic-meets-refined dishes like cordon bleu or wild-mushroom vol-au-vent, served with a generous selection of regional wines or craft beers.
Walk Through The Lavaux Vineyards in Winter
I’ve always thought of visiting vineyards as a summer or autumn adventure but I’ve heard people say that one of the most magical winter excursions involves a visit to the Lavaux vineyards, just outside the city centre. This recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site stretches between Lausanne and Montreux, a sweep of terraced vineyards carved into the hillside.
You can taste a glimpse of the scenery, with bare vines and a soft crunch of frost, on the train between Geneva and Lausanne, but if you have time, and your own car, stop at a vineyard such as Domaine Croix Duplex to sample what many call the best chasselas in Switzerland.
Does it snow in Lausanne in winter?
Lausanne’s parks and gardens are open year-round, and even in winter, Parc de Mon Repos and the Hermitage grounds offer quiet breaks from the city. Snow isn’t guaranteed, but when it falls, Lausanne looks like a Nordic fairy tale (the cosy kind, not the bloody, brooding detective kind of thing.)
Where to Stay
If you’re wondering where to stay in Lausanne, the answer really depends on the atmosphere you’re after, as each neighbourhood has its own personality. We stayed at Hotel des Voyageurs, a clean little spot tucked just off a pedestrian street in the centre of Lausanne, close to the Flon district (and right opposite a chocolate shop.) It’s an ideal base for the chocolate trail and Christmas markets, with easy access to the old town, cafés, and the metro for quick trips to the lakefront at Ouchy.
For high-end comfort, Lausanne Palace is the city’s grande dame. Set near the heart of the centre, it blends Belle Époque elegance with contemporary design, complete with restaurants, a spa and those elevated city views. It suits anyone seeking a luxurious winter break with everything at their fingertips.
If you’re travelling on a tighter budget, ibis Lausanne Centre offers a reliable, straightforward option. It’s a short walk from the old town and Flon, with quick transport links and simple, clean rooms. From here, it’s easy to explore the markets, the cathedral, the museums and the lakeside without worrying about your wallet.
Happily, Lausanne is compact enough that wherever you choose, nothing is ever very far away.
Practical Tips for Winter in Lausanne
• Getting around: Lausanne’s metro is efficient and absolutely worth using. The hills are real. It’s also the only place I’ve seen with steep metro stations. Be careful with wheeled luggage!
• Weather: Expect crisp days, soft rain, a touch of snow and dramatic light over Lac Léman.
• What to wear: Layers you can peel off inside cosy cafés, decent shoes and something festive for Noël dinners.
• Day trips: Montreux, Vevey and Evian across lake are ideal additions. And you can’t go wrong with visiting Geneva.
How to Plan Your Trip
Switzerland Tourism
For more information on Switzerland, visit switzerland.com
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS)
SWISS connects Switzerland with the world, offering more than 160 weekly flights from London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh to Zurich or Geneva. One-way fares start from £76 to Zurich and from £54 to Geneva, and include all taxes, fees and surcharges, one piece of checked luggage weighing up to 23kg and one piece of hand luggage. swiss.com
Travel Switzerland
Travel Switzerland’s Swiss Travel Pass offers international visitors to Switzerland unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus and boat network, plus scenic routes (seat reservation fees apply) and local trams and buses in around 90 towns and cities. It also includes the Swiss Museum Pass, which grants free entry to 500 museums and exhibitions. Prices start from £229 for a three-day second-class ticket. travelswitzerland.com
Lausanne Transport Card
Upon your arrival at the hotel, your will get the Lausanne Transport Card. It allows all guests staying in a hotel in Lausanne to enjoy public transports in and around the city for free (bus, train, metro). This card is valid for the whole duration of the stay, including the arrival and departure days. More info
