Between the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and those in Los Angeles in 2028, there is another Olympic capital close to home: Lausanne, the smallest of Switzerland's major cities with its 150,000 inhabitants. A dynamic and attractive town all year round, it boasts the title of "Best Small Town in the World". The five intertwined rings welcome visitors as soon as they get off the train, with the journey from Paris Gare de Lyon on the Lyria TGV taking between 3 hours 40 minutes and 4 hours, with departures scheduled every 2 hours.
It was here that the Olympic Movement moved in 1915, following an agreement with Pierre de Coubertin. Today, the IOC's new headquarters are in Vidy, but since 1993, international visitors have been flocking to the shores of Lake Geneva, where the Olympic Museum was built. the Olympic MuseumA modern architectural masterpiece surrounded by a sculpture park. The theme is sport, as it should be. Even the most sport-averse will be won over by the scenography of the 1,500 historical objects on display over three levels, in 3,000 m² of interactive exhibition space. Especially as the temporary exhibition on show until January 2025 is devoted to the three Paris Olympic Games: 1900, 1924 and 2024.
Private guided tours are also available for MICE groups, as the museum is an ideal venue for organising events. In addition to its terrace, which can accommodate 500 people, and its superb restaurant for dinners and evenings with a breathtaking view over the lake, the site also has seven modern spaces, for meetings of 10 people as well as conferences for 200 participants in its auditorium or receptions for 1,000 guests (450 for banquets).
Architecturally varied venues
In the city centre, the rings are also frequently affixed to the facade of the Beaulieu Conference Centrewith its Art Deco lines. All types of MICE operations are possible here, thanks to its famous 1,600-seat theatre with excellent acoustics, its rooms from 100 m² upwards and its modern exhibition halls opposite, covering up to 5,000 m². Meanwhile, the Palais de Rumine is another exceptional venue for events, with a large auditorium that can accommodate up to 300 seminar participants. Dominating the Place de la Riponne since 1904, the building is distinguished by its neo-Renaissance Florentine style, housing within its walls no less than the museums of archaeology, geology and zoology, the cabinet of medals and the cantonal university library.
Its location means that you can reach Platform 10the new arts district on a former SBB railway site. Inspired by the museum districts of Berlin and Vienna, this 25,000m² esplanade is an original cultural outing, offering visitors a chance to discover the architecture and rich collections of the Musée de la Photo-Elysée, the Mudac, the Swiss museum dedicated to contemporary design and applied arts, and the MBCA, the cantonal fine arts museum. For MICE, while the first two museums share a 400m² landscaped patio and an 80-seat auditorium, the MBCA also has its own 200-seat auditorium, as well as several rooms and a central hall with a terrace for cocktail parties for around fifty guests.
Further west, on the campus of the renowned École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the SwissTech Convention Center (STCC), whose contemporary architecture is as striking as its huge sloping roof. Accessible via Bassenges metro station (*)The STCC is the ultimate in technology and innovation, with 20 modular rooms for 40 to 3,000 people, including three auditoriums with 1,717, 450 and 350 seats. In addition to equipment for organising high-quality hybrid or virtual operations. The site is in great demand from the 4,000 international researchers working on medical issues, robotics, transport, mobility, etc. In terms of excellence, Lausanne is also known for its hotel school, which trains the future managers of the best Swiss and international hotels.
A wide choice of top-of-the-range MICE hotels in Lausanne
When it comes to accommodation, Lausanne has a wide choice of addresses, from 2* to 5*, depending on your budget, with the Lausanne Palace and the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa. Within their historic walls, these two addresses offer a wide range of rooms for meetings, conferences and VIP receptions for several hundred people. But the capital of Vaud boasts above all 4* establishments perfectly suited to business eventsThese include the Hôtel Mirabeau, the Hôtel de la Paix, the Alpha-Palmier by Fassbind and, from the Accor group, the Mövenpick Lausanne (337 rooms and 750 event spaces) and the Novotel Lausanne-Bussigny (3 rooms, 100 to 180 m2). Another player of choice is the Hôtel Continental, a 4-star hotel with 116 comfortable rooms, the advantage of which is that it is located opposite the station and has five meeting rooms for up to 100 people.
Although it is further from the city centre, but accessible by metro (Lausanne-Vennes station) or by the A9 motorway, the Hôtel Aquatis is well worth a visit for its futuristic, curvaceous building featuring the Europe's largest aquarium and vivarium. Discover amazing species on a journey through the ecosystems of the five continents between two meetings. The 4-star hotel also has a 300-seat auditorium, 10 seminar rooms ranging from 15 to 145 m² (seating for 75) and two restaurants.
When it comes to dining, what could be more original than reserving one of the large tables at the Brasserie Montbenon, on the heights of the city? While its terrace overlooking the eponymous park is one of the most pleasant in fine weather, and the food is top-notch, this restaurant stands out above all for its décor, the great casino rotunda dating back to 1908, which has earned it the label of "Café historique de Lausanne. But when it comes to discovering the city's heritage, Lausanne Cathedral is the most majestic of the old buildings, with its Gothic architecture dating back to 1275. The most courageous will climb the 224 steps of its belfry to admire the view over the picturesque historic centre of the city of Vaud.
Wine tourism excursion to Lavaux
While Lausanne stands out for its lush green surroundings, it is also a city of contrasts, the terraced vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, are a must-see nature getaway, accessible in just a few minutes from Lausanne railway station. Like the Domaine de la Croix-Duplex, winegrowers welcome groups to talk about this age-old culture in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland's second-largest wine-growing region, and offer tastings. Each glass is accompanied by a bit of cheese - that's Switzerland for you! According to tradition, the grapes from the different varieties grown (Chasselas, Pinot Noir, etc.) benefit from three suns as they ripen: the sun, its reflection on Lake Geneva and the warmth provided by the stone walls of the terraces at night. These carefully tended rows of vines are then revealed on the steep descent between the plots to the village of Cully for the boat ride back to Lausanne.
Because, of course, take a cruise on Lake GenevaThe CGN (Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le Léman), founded in 1873, operates a fleet of paddle-steamers dating back to the Belle Epoque. It's all the more enjoyable when you realise that this company still operates paddle steamers dating back to the Belle Epoque, on which companies can organise events for up to 700 guests for private hire, 150 to 500 for a banquet, or around a hundred for the hire of a simple lounge with the lustre of yesteryear. The lake is an integral part of the identity of the capital of Vaud, whether you take a paddle-steamer or a sailboat for a nautical escapade. On the other side of the lake, just 12km away, is the French shore where the lights of Evian shine in the evening...
(*) Guests staying at a hotel in Lausanne for an event can benefit from the Lausanne Transport Card, which gives free access to all public transport in the city and region, as well as discounts at museums and in certain shops.
