Lausanne

For other uses, see Lausanne (disambiguation).
Lausanne

Aerial view of Lausanne

Coat of arms
Lausanne
Coordinates: 46°31.19′N 6°38.01′E / 46.51983°N 6.63350°ECoordinates: 46°31.19′N 6°38.01′E / 46.51983°N 6.63350°E
Country Switzerland
Canton Vaud
District Lausanne
Government
 • Executive Municipalité
with 9 members
 • Mayor Syndic (list)
Daniel Brélaz GPS
(as of February 2014)
 • Parliament Conseil communal
with 100 members
Area[1]
 • Total 41.38 km2 (15.98 sq mi)
Elevation 495 m (1,624 ft)
Highest elevation (Jorat) 929.4 m (3,049.2 ft)
Lowest elevation (Lake Léman) 372 m (1,220 ft)
Population (Dec 2013[2])
 • Total 132,788
 • Density 3,200/km2 (8,300/sq mi)
Demonym Lausanne (Lausannois)
Postal code 1000–1018
SFOS number 5586
Localities Le Chalet-à-Gobet, Montblesson, Montheron, Ouchy, Vernand-Dessous, Vernand-Dessus, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
Surrounded by Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), Maxilly-sur-Léman (FR-74), Montpreveyres, Morrens, Neuvecelle (FR-74), Prilly, Pully, Renens, Romanel-sur-Lausanne, Saint-Sulpice, Savigny
Website www.lausanne.ch
Profile (French), SFSO statistics

Lausanne (/loʊˈzæn/, French: [loˈzan], Italian: Losanna, Romansh: Losanna) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of Vaud. The city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman, or simply Le Léman[3]). It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located 62 kilometres (38.5 miles) northeast of Geneva.

Lausanne has a population (as of December 2013) of 139,390,[4] making it the fourth largest city in Switzerland, with the entire agglomeration area having 345,300 inhabitants (as of December 2012).[5] The metropolitan area of Lausanne-Geneva (including Vevey-Montreux, Yverdon-les-Bains, and foreign parts) was over 1.2 million inhabitants in 2000.[6]

Lausanne is a focus of international sport, hosting the International Olympic Committee (which recognizes the city as the "Olympic Capital" since 1994),[7] the Court of Arbitration for Sport and some 55 international sport associations.[8] It lies in a noted wine-growing region. The city has a 28-station metro system, making it the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transit system.

History

The Romans built a military camp, which they called Lousanna, at the site of a Celtic settlement, near the lake where currently Vidy and Ouchy are situated; on the hill above was a fort called 'Lausodunon' or 'Lousodunon' (The 'y' suffix is common to many place names of Roman origin in the region (e.g.) Prilly, Pully, Lutry, etc.).[9] By the 2nd century AD it was known as vikanor[um] Lousonnensium and in 280 as lacu Lausonio. By 400 it was civitas Lausanna and in 990 it was mentioned as Losanna.[10]

Saint-François square, c. 1840

After the fall of the Roman Empire, insecurity forced the transfer of Lausanne to its current centre, a hilly, easier to defend site. The city which emerged from the camp was ruled by the Dukes of Savoy and the Bishop of Lausanne. Then it came under Bern from 1536 to 1798 and a number of its cultural treasures, including the hanging tapestries in the Cathedral, were permanently removed. Lausanne has made a number of requests to recover them.

After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Lausanne became (along with Geneva) a place of refuge for French Huguenots. In 1729 a seminary was opened by Antoine Court and Benjamin Duplan. By 1750 ninety pastors had been sent back to France to work clandestinely; this number would rise to four hundred. Official persecution ended in 1787; a faculty of Protestant theology was established at Montauban in 1808, and the Lausanne seminary was finally closed on 18 April 1812.[11] During the Napoleonic Wars, the city's status changed. In 1803, it became the capital of a newly formed Swiss canton, Vaud under which it joined the Swiss Federation.[12]

Modern history

In 1964 the city hosted the 'Swiss National Exhibition',[13] displaying its newly found confidence to host major international events. From the 1950s to 1970s a large number of Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese immigrated, settling mostly in the industrial 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. The next vigorous demonstrations took place to protest against the high cinema prices and since then the city returned to its old very sleepy self, until the protest against the G8 meetings in 2003.

Geography

The agglomeration of Lausanne, Lake Geneva and the Alps.
The Charles-Bessières bridge with Lausanne Metro car. In the background the cathedral of Notre-Dame and the old town.

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 metres (1,640 ft) between the lakeshore at Ouchy and its northern edge bordering Le Mont-sur-Lausanne and Épalinges. Lausanne boasts a dramatic panorama over the lake and the Alps.

In addition to its generally southward-sloping layout, the centre of the city is the site of an ancient river, the Flon, which has been covered since 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 neighbourhoods. Due to the considerable differences in elevation, visitors should make a note as to which plane of elevation they are on and where they want to go, otherwise they will find themselves tens of metres below or above the street which they are trying to negotiate. The name Flon is also used for the metro station located in the gorge.

The municipality includes the villages of Vidy, Cour, Ouchy, Mornex, Chailly, La Sallaz, Vennes, Montblesson, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Montheron and Chalet-à-Gobet (871 m (2,858 ft)) as well as the exclave of Vernand.

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

Lausanne has an area, as of 2009, of 41.38–41.33 square kilometers (15.98–15.96 sq mi) (depending on calculation method). Of this area, 6.64 km2 (2.56 sq mi) or 16.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.18 km2 (6.25 sq mi) or 39.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 18.45 km2 (7.12 sq mi) or 44.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.05 km2 (12 acres) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km2 (2.5 acres) or 0.0% is unproductive land.[14]

Of the built-up area, industrial buildings made up 1.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 21.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 12.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.5%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 11.1% is used for growing crops and 4.2% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.[14]

The municipality was part of the old Lausanne District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and it became the capital of the new district of Lausanne.[15]

Climate

Lausanne has an average of 119.7 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1,153 mm (45.4 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is May during which time Lausanne receives an average of 117 mm (4.6 in) of rain. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.1 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 67 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 8.8 days.[16]

Climate data for Pully (Lausanne) (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)		 5.6
(42.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 14.0
(57.2)		 18.7
(65.7)		 22.4
(72.3)		 25.0
(77)		 24.4
(75.9)		 19.8
(67.6)		 14.6
(58.3)		 8.6
(47.5)		 5.3
(41.5)		 14.4
(57.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.2
(36)		 3.0
(37.4)		 6.6
(43.9)		 10.0
(50)		 14.4
(57.9)		 17.8
(64)		 20.3
(68.5)		 19.7
(67.5)		 15.8
(60.4)		 11.6
(52.9)		 6.1
(43)		 3.2
(37.8)		 10.9
(51.6)
Average low °C (°F) 0.3
(32.5)		 0.7
(33.3)		 3.5
(38.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 13.8
(56.8)		 16.1
(61)		 15.9
(60.6)		 12.6
(54.7)		 9.1
(48.4)		 4.2
(39.6)		 1.4
(34.5)		 7.9
(46.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 77
(3.03)		 67
(2.64)		 78
(3.07)		 87
(3.43)		 117
(4.61)		 112
(4.41)		 92
(3.62)		 110
(4.33)		 114
(4.49)		 113
(4.45)		 93
(3.66)		 92
(3.62)		 1,153
(45.39)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 10.9
(4.29)		 14.3
(5.63)		 1.6
(0.63)		 0.2
(0.08)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 1.1
(0.43)		 7.0
(2.76)		 35.1
(13.82)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.1 8.8 10.2 9.8 12.1 10.4 9.0 9.5 8.8 10.1 10.2 10.7 119.7
Avg. snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) 2.9 2.8 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.9 9.8
Average relative humidity (%) 78 73 68 66 67 66 65 68 73 78 78 78 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours 72 97 159 179 201 229 252 234 183 128 79 58 1,872
Percent possible sunshine 29 37 46 47 48 54 59 58 52 42 32 26 46
Source: MeteoSwiss [16]

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules, chief argent.[17]

Demographics

Largest groups of foreign residents 2013[18]
Nationality Amount % total
(foreigners)
 Portugal 10,081 7.2 (17.2)
 France 9,968 7.2 (17.0)
 Italy 6,326 4.5 (10.8)
 Spain 4,558 3.3 (7.8)
 Kosovo 2,318 1.7 (4.0)
 Germany 1,377 1.0 (2.4)
 Turkey 934 0.7 (1.6)
 United Kingdom 859 0.6 (1.5)
 Brazil 840 0.6 (1.4)
 Ecuador 828 0.6 (1.4)
 Serbia 810 0.6 (1.4)
 Congo-Kinshasa 806 0.6 (1.4)
 Sri Lanka 784 0.6 (1.3)
 Morocco 749 0.5 (1.3)
 United States 724 0.5 (1.2)
 Belgium 668 0.5 (1.1)
 Tunisia 607 0.4 (1.0)
 China 604 0.4 (1.0)
 Canada 560 0.4 (1.0)

Lausanne has a population (as of December 2013) of 132,788.[2] As of 2013, 42% of the population were resident foreign nationals.[18] Over the last 10 years (1999–2009) the population has changed at a rate of 9.9%. It has changed at a rate of 8.3% due to migration and at a rate of 2.6% due to births and deaths.[19] The population of the greater Lausanne area (grand Lausanne) is 345,300 (as of December 2012).[5]

Of the population in the municipality, 58% or 80,828 have a Swiss citizenship, while 16,908 or 12.1% are from Lausanne and still lived there in December 2013. There were 27,653 or 19.8% who are from somewhere else in the same canton, while 36,276 or 26.0% have a Swiss citizenship in another canton. 58,9562 or 42.0% have a foreign citizenship.[4]

In 2000, most of the population spoke French (98,424 or 78.8%), with German being second most common (5,365 or 4.3%) and Italian being third (4,976 or 4.0%). There were 62 people who speak Romansh.[20]

In 2008 there were 840 live births to Swiss citizens and 623 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 862 deaths of Swiss citizens and 127 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 22 while the foreign population increased by 496. There were 9 Swiss men and 57 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2230 non-Swiss men and 1802 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 883 and the non-Swiss population increased by 2221 people. This represents a population growth rate of 2.6%.[21]

The age distribution, as of 2009, in Lausanne is; 11,818 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 12,128 teenagers or 9.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 21,101 people or 16.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 22,158 people or 17.6% are between 30 and 39, 18,016 people or 14.4% are between 40 and 49, and 13,940 people or 11.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 11,041 people or 8.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 8,277 people or 6.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 5,896 people or 4.7% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 1,171 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.[22]

View from Rue du Grand-Pont

As of 2000, there were 58,100 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 48,990 married individuals, 7,797 widows or widowers and 10,027 individuals who are divorced.[20]

As of 2000 the average number of residents per living room was 0.64 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room.[19] In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m2 (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics.[23] About 6.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).[24]

Stairs (escaliers du marché) in the old city.

As of 2000, there were 62,258 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household.[19] There were 31,205 households that consist of only one person and 2,184 households with five or more people.Out of a total of 63,833 households that answered this question, 48.9% were households made up of just one person and there were 306 adults who lived with their parents. Of the res of the households, there are 13,131 married couples without children, 11,603 married couples with children. There were 3,883 single parents with a child or children. There were 2,130 households that were made up of unrelated people and 1,575 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.[20]

In 2000 there were 1,833 single family homes (or 23.1% of the total) out of a total of 7,925 inhabited buildings. There were 3,634 multi-family buildings (45.9%), along with 1,955 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (24.7%) and 503 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.3%). Of the single family homes 324 were built before 1919, while 153 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (498) were built between 1919 and 1945. The most multi-family homes (933) were built before 1919 and the next most (906) were built between 1919 and 1945. There were 180 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000.[25]

In 2000 there were 69,383 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 3 rooms of which there were 22,408. There were 9,579 single room apartments and 7,388 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 61,056 apartments (88.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 6,840 apartments (9.9%) were seasonally occupied and 1,487 apartments (2.1%) were empty.[25] As of 2009, the construction rate of new housing units was 2.1 new units per 1000 residents.[19]

As of 2003 the average price to rent an average apartment in Lausanne was 1064.08 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$850, £480, €680 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one room apartment was 597.46 CHF (US$480, £270, €380), a two room apartment was about 792.33 CHF (US$630, £360, €510), a three room apartment was about 1044.64 CHF (US$840, £470, €670) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 2024.55 CHF (US$1620, £910, €1300). The average apartment price in Lausanne was 95.3% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[26] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010, was 0.17%.[19]

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following chart:[10]

Transport

Public transport network
Lausanne-Flon is the hub of the metro system.

Lausanne is served by an extensive network of local, national and international public transport. See Public transport in the Lausanne region for extensive descriptions.

National and international passenger trains of the Swiss Federal Railways depart from Lausanne railway station, which is also the hub of the Réseau Express Vaudois commuter rail system, and a stop on the city's metro. The metro and local buses are operated by Transports publics de la région lausannoise (TL), with many routes run using trolleybuses. Additional commuter trains are run by the Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway (LEB) from Lausanne-Flon station. Ships across Lake Geneva are provided by the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN).

Lausanne became the first city in Switzerland to have a rubber-tyred metro system, with the m2 Line which opened in October 2008. The rolling stock is a shorter version of the one used on Paris Métro Line 14.[27] Further expansion of the system is planned, as is the re-introduction of trams.[28]

Lausanne is connected to the A1 motorway on its west side (Geneva - Zürich axis) and to the A9 on its north and east side (for transit with Italy and France); the interchange between these two motorways is on the north-west side of the city.

Lausanne Airport is located at Blécherette, and also houses a Boeing 737 Simulator.[29] The city is also directly linked by train to the Geneva International Airport, four times an hour, in 42min.

Political situation

In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the SP which received 30.14% of the vote (3% up compared to 2007). The next three most popular parties were the SVP (14.98%), the FDP (14.70%) and the Green Party (13.60%). In the federal election, a total of 25,518 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 40.3%.[30]

The city of Lausanne has a legislature, the City Council, with 100 members and an executive, the town hall with seven members. The legislature is elected by proportional representation from the Executive and the two-round majority system.

For the 2011-2016 legislative period, 100 members of the City Council Composition of the Municipal Council are distributed as follows:

The 7 members of the Town Hall are shared:

The town has seven departments, each headed by a Municipal Councillor (period 2011-2016):

Photo of members of the municipality

Economy

Aerial view of Lausanne (railway station in the centre and Parc de Milan at the bottom).

As of 2010, Lausanne had an unemployment rate of 8%. As of 2008, there were 114 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 6,348 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 698 businesses in this sector. 83,157 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 6,501 businesses in this sector.[19]

There were 59,599 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 47.4% of the workforce. In 2008 the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 75,041. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 93, of which 56 were in agriculture, 34 were in forestry or lumber production and 3 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 6,057 of which 1,515 or (25.0%) were in manufacturing, 24 or (0.4%) were in mining and 3,721 (61.4%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 68,891. In the tertiary sector; 8,520 or 12.4% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 2,955 or 4.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 4,345 or 6.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4,671 or 6.8% were in the information industry, 6,729 or 9.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 8,213 or 11.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 5,756 or 8.4% were in education and 14,312 or 20.8% were in health care.[31]

In 2000, there were 55,789 workers who commuted into the municipality and 19,082 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.9 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 1.9% of the workforce coming into Lausanne are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.1% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work.[32] Of the working population, 40.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 35.1% used a private car.[19]

Religion

From the Reformation in the 16th century, the city was overwhelmingly Protestant until the late 20th century, when it received substantial immigration, particularly from largely Catholic countries. Catholics now form a plurality of the city's population.

From the 2000 census, 47,225 or 37.8% were Roman Catholic, while 33,993 or 27.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 2,698 members of an Orthodox church (or about 2.16% of the population), there were 65 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 4,437 individuals (or about 3.55% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 849 individuals (or about 0.68% of the population) who were Jewish, and 7,501 (or about 6.00% of the population) who were Muslim. There were 452 individuals who were Buddhist, 772 individuals who were Hindu and 343 individuals who belonged to another church. 21,080 (or about 16.88% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 7,590 individuals (or about 6.08% of the population) did not answer the question.[20]

The Protestant Cathedral of Notre Dame dominates the Lausanne skyline (left: Old Academy, right: Palais de Rumine).

Education

The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (photo) and the University of Lausanne form a large campus near the lake Geneva.

In Lausanne about 40,118 or (32.1%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 22,934 or (18.4%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 22,934 who completed tertiary schooling, 38.7% were Swiss men, 31.3% were Swiss women, 17.1% were non-Swiss men and 12.9% were non-Swiss women.[20]

In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 12,244 students in the Lausanne school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts.[34] During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 2,648 children of which 1,947 children (73.5%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 6,601 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 5,244 students in those schools. There were also 399 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.[35]

Lausanne is home to a number of museums including; the Collection de l'art brut, the Espace Arlaud, the Fondation de l'Hermitage, the Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire, the Musée cantonal de géologie, the Musée cantonal de zoologie, the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts, the Musée de l'Élysée and the Musée historique de Lausanne.[36] In 2009 the Collection de l'art brut was visited by 27,028 visitors (the average in previous years was 33,356). The Espace Arlaud was visited by 9,222 visitors (the average in previous years was 14,206). The Fondation de l'Hermitage was visited by 89,175 visitors (the average in previous years was 74,839). The Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire was visited by 14,841 visitors (the average in previous years was 15,775). The Musée cantonal de zoologie was visited by 30,794 visitors (the average in previous years was 30,392). The Musée cantonal de géologie was visited by 28,299 visitors (the average in previous years was 24,248). The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts was visited by 26,456 visitors (the average in previous years was 26,384). The Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts was visited by 28,554 visitors (the average in previous years was 22,879). The Musée de l'Élysée was visited by 36,775 visitors (the average in previous years was 37,757). The Musée historique de Lausanne was visited by 23,116 visitors (the average in previous years was 22,851).[36]

As of 2000, there were 12,147 students in Lausanne who came from another municipality, while 2,258 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[32]

Lausanne is home to eight large libraries or collections of libraries. These libraries include: Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne, the library of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the libraries of the Réseau EPFL, the Bibliothèque municipale de Lausanne, the Haute école de travail social et de la santé (EESP), the HECV Santé, the Haute école de la santé La Source and the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL). There was a combined total (as of 2008) of 3,496,260 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 1,650,534 items were loaned out.[37]

Lausanne enjoys some world class education and research establishments (see also Lausanne campus), including private schools, attended by students from around the world.

Sights

Heritage sites of national significance

There are 46 buildings or sites that are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. Additionally, the entire old city of Lausanne and the Vernand-Dessus region are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.[38]

Culture

In addition to the Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne, the Palais de Rumine hosts several museums.

The Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, the Lausanne Opera 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.

In January, the Prix de Lausanne, a famous dance competition, takes place at the Palais de Beaulieu (the biggest theatre in Switzerland[39]) over a one-week period. The event attracts dancers and some of the big names in dance from all over the world.

The Swiss Film Archive is based in Lausanne and the city hosts film festivals such as the Festival cinémas d'Afrique and the Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival. In addition to modern cinemas, the "Capitole" (in activity since 1929) is the biggest cinema in Switzerland (currently 867 seats).[40]

The town hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1989. Each July, the Festival de la cité is held in the old part of town. Other music festivals include the Bach Festival, the Festival et concours Bach de Lausanne, which follows the Nuit de musées (museums' night) in the fall season.

Lausanne is also the home of the Béjart Ballet.

Monuments

Museums

Lausanne is also the site of many museums:

Art galleries

Main contemporary art galleries:

Art centers or artist-run galleries:

Music

Sports

The seat of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne

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 track and field meeting (Athletissima), road running through the city (the 20 km de Lausanne(French)), the Tour de Romandie road cycling race, marathon (website) and triathlon competition, among other sports events. The two most important sports are ice hockey and football. Lausanne is currently bidding to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. [41]

Local
International

Notable people

Jean-Pascal Delamuraz was Mayor of Lausanne before becoming member of the Federal Council
Auguste Piccard (on the right), physicist, inventor and explorer, was a resident of Lausanne.

Lausanne is the birthplace of:

Notable residents:

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Swiss Federal Statistics Office – STAT-TAB Ständige und Nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Region, Geschlecht, Nationalität und Alter (German) accessed 18 August 2014
  3. ↑ "03 - Suisse sud-ouest". Swiss National Map 1:200 000 - Switzerland on four sheets. Federal Office of Topography, swisstopo, Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Population totale selon l'origine, 1979-2013" (XLS). http://www.scris.vd.ch'' (Statistics) (in French). Contrôle des Habitants de la Ville de Lausanne / StatVD, canton de Vaud. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Population size and population composition – Data, indicators:Agglomerations". http://www.bfs.admin.ch'' (Statistics) (in French, German, and or Italian). Federal Statistical Office, Neuchâtel, Swiss Federal Administration. 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Office fédéral du développement territorial ARE – B3: Les aires métropolitaines" (PDF). www.are.admin.ch (in French, German, and or Italian). Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE. 7 June 2006. p. 4. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  7. ↑ "Welcome to International Sports Federations". International Sports Federations. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  8. ↑ Kucera, Andrea (28 April 2015). "Lausanne – Hauptstadt des Sports". NZZ. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Lousonna in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lausanne in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  11. ↑ Lasserre, Claude (1997). Le séminaire de Lausanne, 1726-1812 : instrument de la restauration du protestantisme français : étude historique fondée principalement sur les documents inédits. Bibliothèque historique vaudoise, no 112 (in French). Lausanne: Bibliothèque historique vaudoise. ISBN 978-2-88454-112-1. OCLC 39222660. Also OCLC 39228676
  12. ↑ Lausanne District 1313-2006 in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  13. ↑ "Lausanne 1964: Two ideas, one Expo". Swiss National Exhibitions - Expo-Archive. swissinfo/Swiss Radio International (SRI). Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data (German) accessed 25 March 2010.
  15. ↑ Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz (German) accessed 4 April 2011.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Climate normals Pully (Reference period 1981−2010)" (PDF). Zurich-Airport, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Office of Metreology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
  17. ↑ Flags of the World.com accessed 21 June 2011.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Population totale par région du monde et selon la nationalité, 1979-2013" (XLS). http://www.scris-lausanne.vd.ch/LS_pop_residante'' (Statistics) (in French). Contrôle des Habitants de la Ville de Lausanne / StatVD, canto de Vaud. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-08. data from December 2013
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 21 June 2011.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000 (German) accessed 2 February 2011.
  21. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008 (German) accessed 19 June 2010.
  22. ↑ Canton of Vaud Statistical Office (French) accessed 29 April 2011.
  23. ↑ Eurostat. "Housing (SA1)". Urban Audit Glossary (PDF). 2007. p. 18. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  24. ↑ Urban Audit Glossary p. 17.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen (German) accessed 28 January 2011.
  26. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices 2003 data (German) accessed 26 May 2010.
  27. ↑ Lambert, Anthony (2013). Switzerland without a Car (5 ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 258. ISBN 978-1841624471.
  28. ↑ "Les Axes forts - Site officiel de la Ville de Lausanne". City of Lausanne. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "JMS Boeing 737 Simulator". Thebigboss.ch. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  30. ↑ Canton de Vaud: Election au Conseil national du 23 octobre 2011 (French) accessed 2 November 2011.
  31. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3 (German) accessed 28 January 2011.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb (German) accessed 24 June 2010.
  33. ↑ "Where to find us." Philip Morris International. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
  34. ↑ Organigramme de l'école vaudoise, année scolaire 2009-2010 (French) accessed 2 May 2011.
  35. ↑ Canton of Vaud Statistical Office - Scol. obligatoire/filières de transition (French) accessed 2 May 2011.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Canton of Vaud Statistical Office - Fréquentation de quelques musées et fondations, Vaud, 2001-2009 (French) accessed 2 May 2011.
  37. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office, list of libraries (German) accessed 14 May 2010.
  38. ↑ "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  39. ↑ (French) Mathieu Signorell, "Beaulieu lâche les congrès pour les infirmiers après l'échec de Taoua", 24 heures, Saturday 14 February 2015.
  40. ↑ Le Capitole (page visited on 15 February 2015).
  41. ↑ Swiss President Maurer "very excited" about Youth Olympic bid as Lausanne launches official application
  42. ↑ http://www.stadelausannerugby.com
  43. ↑
  44. ↑ Swiss Power Wrestling
  45. ↑ "Dominique Levy". Dominique-levy.com. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

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