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Coat of arms of Lausanne
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| Canton | Vaud |
| District | Lausanne |
| Coordinates | 46°31′ N 6°38′ E |
| Population | 126766 (December 2003) |
| Area | 41.37 km² |
| Elevation | 495 m |
| Postal code | 1000-1008 |
| Mayor | Daniel Brélaz |
| Website | www.lausanne.ch |
Lausanne (46° 31′ 10″ N, 6° 37′ 56″ E) is a city in the Frenchpeaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France). Lausanne is located some 60 km northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud. Population (as of December 2003): 126,766. It lies in the middle of a wine-growing region.
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History
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. After the fall of the Empire, insecurity forced the transfer of Lausanne to its current center, an easier to defend site. The city which grew from the camp was ruled by the Dukes of Savoy and the Bishop of Lausanne, and then by Berne from 1536 to 1798. In 1803, it became the capital of a newly formed Swiss canton, Vaud.
Geography
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 between the lakeshore at Ouchy and its northern edge bordering Le Mont sur Lausanne. Lausanne boasts a dramatic panorama over the lake.
Lausanne is located at the limit between the extensive winerowing regions of Lavaux (to the east) and la Côte (to the west).
Education
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Lausanne)
- University of Lausanne (Université de Lausanne)
- École hôtelière de Lausanne
Culture
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 marathon, road cycling race GP Lausanne, and a triathlon competition. among other things.
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 "Fête 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 has some alternative culture.
Waterfront view of Ouchy, just south of LausanneMuseums
Lausanne is also the site of many museums:
- Musée Historique de Lausanne (Lausanne Historical Museum)
- Musée Olympique Lausanne (Olympic Museum)
- Fondation de l'Hermitage (Hermitage Foundation)
- Cabinet des Médailles cantonal
- Collection de l'Art brut (Art Brut Collection)
- Espace Arlaud
- Espace des Inventions (Science Center for Kids)
- Fondation Claude Verdan - Musée de la main (Museum of the Hand)
- Fondation du vivarium de Lausanne
- Forum d'architectures de Lausanne
- Forum de l'Hôtel de Ville (Forum of the Town Hall)
- Musée cantonal d'Archéologie et d'Histoire (Cantonal Museum of Archeology and History)
- Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (Cantonal Fine Arts Museum)
- Musée de design et d'arts appliqués contemporains, mu.dac
- Musée de l'Elysée (Elysée Museum)
- Musée cantonal de Géologie (Cantonal Geological Museum)
- Musée et jardins botaniques cantonaux (Cantonal Museum and Botanical Gardens)
- Musée de Pully (Pully Museum)
- Musée romain de Lausanne-Vidy (Lausanne-Vidy Roman Museum)
- Musée de la Villa romaine de Pully (Pully Roman Villa Museum)
- Musée cantonal de Zoologie (Cantonal Zoology Museum)
- Roseraie de la Vallée de la Jeunesse (Rosegarden)
- Etablissement horticole de la Bourdonnette - serres de la Ville (Horticultural Establishment of La Bourdonette - Municipal Glasshouses)
Sports
- Lausanne-Sport Football Club (1Link to a French language website
) - Lausanne Hockey Club (LHC) (2Link to a French language website)
- Lausanne-Morges Basket (LMB) (3Link to a French language website) and Lausanne-Ville / Prilly Basket (4Link to a French language website)
- Lausanne Indians Baseball (5Link to a French language website)
- International Olympic Committee Headquarters
- International Baseball Federation (6)
- International Swimming Federation
Notable people
Lausanne is the birthplace of:
- Umberto Agnelli
- Anthony Bloom
- François-Louis David Bocion
- Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
- Benjamin Constant
- Aloise Corbaz
- Charles Dutoit
- Egon von Furstenberg
- Eugène Grasset
- Bertrand Piccard
- Charles Ferdinand Ramuz
- Théophile Steinlen
- Elizabeth Thompson (Lady Butler)
- Bernard Tschumi
- Félix Vallotton
Photos of Lausanne
Photos of Lausanne, taken in June 2001: