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===Roadways===
===Roadways===
Lausanne is connected to the [[A1 (Switzerland)|A1]] [[Autobahn|motorway]] on its east side ([[Geneva]] - [[Zürich|Zurich]] axis) and to the [[A9 (Switzerland)|A9]] on its north and east side (transit with [[Italy]]), the forking point between these two motorways being at the north-west side of the city.
Lausanne is connected to the [[A1 (Switzerland)|A1]] [[Autobahn|motorway]] on its east side ([[Geneva]] - [[Zürich|Zurich]] axis) and to the [[A9 (Switzerland)|A9]] on its north and east side (transit with [[Italy]] and [[France]]), the forking point between these two motorways being at the north-west side of the city.


==Education==
==Education==

Revision as of 10:51, 16 September 2006

For other uses, see Lausanne (disambiguation).
Lausanne's coat of arms
Lausanne's coat of arms
Municipality
Location of
Lausanne's coat of arms
Lausanne's coat of arms
Map
CountrySwitzerland
CantonVaud
DistrictLausanne
Government
 • MayorDaniel Brélaz (Green)
Area
[1]
 • Total41.37 km2 (15.97 sq mi)
Elevation
(?)
375−900 m (−2,578 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total139,111
 • Density3,400/km2 (8,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
1000-1018
SFOS number5586
Websitewww.lausanne.ch

Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura hills to its north. Lausanne is located some 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of Lausanne. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee are located in Lausanne. It lies in the middle of a wine-growing region.

History

The old city of Lausanne.

The Romans built a military camp, which they called Lousanna, at the site of a Celtic settlement, near the lake where currently are Vidy and Ouchy; on the hill above was a fort called 'Lausodunon' or 'Lousodunon'. After the fall of the Empire, insecurity forced the transfer of Lausanne to its current center, a hilly, easier to defend site. The city which grew from the camp was ruled by the Dukes of Savoy and the Bishop of Lausanne. Then it came under Berne from 1536 to 1798 and a number of its cultural treasures, including the hanging tapestries in the Cathedral, were permanently removed. During the Napoleonic Wars, its status changed. In 1803, it became the capital of a newly formed Swiss canton, Vaud as it joined the Swiss Federation. From the 1950s to 1970s a large number of Italians immigrated, settling mostly in the district of Renens and transforming the local diet. The city has been traditionally quiet but in the late 1960s and early 1970s there were a series of mainly youth demonstrations confronted by the police that gave rise to the motto 'Lausanne bouge'. In a rare showmanship of anti-authoritarianism, the youth responded by ascribing to the word flic (literally "cop") the term, Fédération Lausannoise des Imbéciles Casqués. The next vigorous demonstrations took place to protest against the high cinema prices and since then the city has returned to its sleepy self.

A surprising decision for the city housing the IOC is that in a 1992[citation needed] referendum, its citizens rejected holding the Winter Olympic Games. The dignitaries of the city were so convinced that the vote would be 'yes' that they had prepared a champagne celebration.

Geography

Lausanne, Switzerland.

The most important geographical feature of the area surrounding Lausanne is Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French). Lausanne is built on the southern slope of the Swiss plateau, with a difference in elevation of about 500 meters (1,600 ft) between the lakeshore at Ouchy and its northern edge bordering Le Mont-sur-Lausanne and Epalinges. Lausanne boasts a dramatic panorama over the lake.

In addition to its generally southward-sloping layout, the center of the city is the site of an ancient river Flon, which has been covered during the 19th century. The former river forms a gorge running through the middle of the city south of the old city centre, generally following the course of the present Rue Centrale, with several bridges crossing the depression to connect the adjacent neighborhoods. Due to the large differences in elevation, visitors should make a note as to which plane of elevation they are on and where they want to go, lest they find themselves tens of meters below or above the street which they are trying to travel on. The name Flon is also used for the Metro station located in the gorge.

Lausanne is located at the limit between the extensive wine-growing regions of Lavaux (to the east) and la Côte (to the west).

The population of the greater Lausanne area (grand Lausanne) is about 250,000 (2005 est.).

Transport

1/10 scale model of the new m2 metro in Lausanne, of the same type as the Paris line 14. A front view of the m2 is also available.

Public Transport

Public transport in Lausanne includes buses and metros (operated by TL Template:Fr icon), nationwide and regional train lines (CFF, LEB Template:Fr icon), and boats (CGN Template:Fr icon). The majority of urban public transport in Lausanne is by trolleybus.

Lausanne will become the first city in Switzerland to have a Rubber-tired metro system, with the m2 Line which will open in 2008. The rolling stock will be a shorter version of the one used on Paris Metro Line 14.

Roadways

Lausanne is connected to the A1 motorway on its east side (Geneva - Zurich axis) and to the A9 on its north and east side (transit with Italy and France), the forking point between these two motorways being at the north-west side of the city.

Education

Palais de Rumine, place de la Riponne

Lausanne enjoys some world class higher education establishements, especially in the tourism area.

Culture

Cathedral Notre-Dame of Lausanne
Waterfront view of Ouchy, just south of Lausanne

The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne provide a diverse and rich musical life. The latter has been under the direction of Michel Corboz for many years.

Each summer, the "City festival", or "Festival de la Cite" is held at the beginning of July. There are also film festivals, and the Bach Festival, "Le Festival et Concours Bach de Lausanne" follows "La Nuit de Musées" (Museum's night) in the fall season.

Lausanne is the home of the Béjart Ballet and also has some alternative culture.

Museums

Lausanne is also the site of many museums:

Sports

Sporting activities are very popular in Lausanne, with water sports available on the nearby lake and mountaineering in the nearby mountains. Cycling is also a popular pastime, with the vineyards in the surrounding hills providing spectacular views and challenging routes. There is an annual athletic contest (Athletissima Template:Fr icon), road running through the city (the 20 km de Lausanne Template:Fr icon), road cycling race, marathon (website) and triathlon competition, among other sports events.

Notable people

Lausanne is the birthplace of:

Notable residents:

Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, Finnish warmarshal during the WW II and president 1944-46

Photos of Lausanne

Photos of Lausanne, taken in June 2001:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lausanne.
  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/pxweb/fr/px-x-0102020000_201/-/px-x-0102020000_201.px/table/tableViewLayout2/?rxid=c5985c8d-66cd-446c-9a07-d8cc07276160. Retrieved 2 June 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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