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Lausanne

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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 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.

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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; 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' (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 (?) referendum, its citizens rejected holding the Winter Olympic Games. The dignitaries of the city were so conviced that the vote would be 'yes' that they had prepared a champaign celebration.

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 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

Public Transport

Public transport in Lausanne includes buses and metros (operated by [TL ()]), nationwide and regional train lines (CFF, [LEB ()]), and boats ([CGN ()]). Because of its hilly layout, 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), the forking point between these two motorways being at the north-west side of the city.

Education

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

Culture

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 ()]), road running through the city (the [20 km de Lausanne ()]), road cycling race, marathon ([website]) and triathlon competition, among other sports events.

Notable people

Lausanne is the birthplace of: Notable residents:

Photos of Lausanne

Photos of Lausanne, taken in June 2001: image:Lausanne1.jpg|City image:Lausanne2.jpg|City image:Lausanne_lake.jpg|Lake Geneva image:Lausanne_wine.jpg|Vineyards of Lavaux Image:Lausanne-vieille-ville-Negative0-26-24A(1).jpg|Old town Image:Lausanne-Beaulieu-Negative0-34-32A(1).jpg|Palais de Beaulieu Image:Lausanne-Gare-Negative0-26-24A(1).jpg|Railway station Image:Lausanne-p1010396.jpg|Bel-Air tower

See also

External links

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