Vaud Archaeology and History Museum

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Address

Palais de Rumine
Place de la Riponne 6
1005 Lausanne

How to get there

Schedules

From 01.01.2025 to 31.12.2025

Open

Closed

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

10:00 - 17:00

Wednesday

10:00 - 17:00

Thursday

10:00 - 17:00

Friday

10:00 - 17:00

Saturday

10:00 - 17:00

Sunday

10:00 - 17:00

Permanent exhibitions

Free

Temporary exhibitions: Full price

8 CHF

Temporary exhibitions: Reduced price

5 CHF

Temporary exhibitions: Up to 25 years old

Free

Closed on Mondays
Public holidays: open from 10am to 5pm
Free admission on the first Saturday of the month
Closed on 25 December, 1 and 2 January

+41 21 316 34 30

Website

ShoppingArchitectureHistoryHeritage

This is a quarter full of typical small bistros and craft shops. To the north of the Cité hill, at Place du Tunnel, avenue César-Roux avenue and Place de l’Ours, shops and quirky bistros cry out to be discovered. It is around the Cité hill, sculpted by the Flon and Louve rivers, that the mediaeval town grew. Its cobble-stoned pedestrian streets as well as its monuments, the Cathedral of Lausanne, the St-Maire Castle and the Old academy, bear witness to that.

HeritageArchitectureHistory

Lausanne's iconic cathedral has towered over the city for more than eight centuries. A masterpiece of Gothic art, it captivates visitors with the harmony of its architecture, the richness of its sculpted details and the serenity it inspires. From its tower, an exceptional panorama opens up over the roofs of the Cité, Lake Geneva and the Alps.

HeritageShopping

In the centre of the square is the town’s oldest fountain, adorned with a statue representing justice. Close by, a clock presents the history of Vaud in animated scenes every hour from 9:00 to 19:00. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings this is the site of the country market, which also sets up shop in the neighbouring pedestrian streets. Every first Friday of the month, it plays host to a craft market. Typical cafes, boutiques and large, elegant shops complement what this high-class district, which is completely pedestrianised, has to offer.

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Many objects from the Neolithic period such as ceramics, baskets and wood items have been unearthed on the region’s lakeshores. The free permanent exhibition of the Vaud Archaeology and History Museum begins with a life size “lakeside” excavation and Neolithic cemetery viewed through a glass floor.

The second part of the exhibition invites visitors on a journey through time starting with a trip into the future, to the Year of our Lord 3081. It then returns to the 20th century, to 1803, the date of the canton of Vaud’s independence, then to the period under Bernese authority (from 1536 to 1798). Even further back into the past, we see the Savoy domination, the direct dependence of the Holy Roman Empire and – this chapter is less well-known – the reign of the Burgundian Kings (from 888 to 1032).

The museum also have a permanent exhibition on currency and the role of money over the centuries.

The museum also organises educational activities for schools and children during the holidays.

More info