01
What stands before you
Stand facing the main entrance and compare the two sides of the façade: only one tower was finished. To the south, the belfry tower rises with its two storeys of galleries pierced by pointed bays and its corner turrets; to the north, the other tower was never completed. This asymmetry is characteristic of the cathedral. Its walls are of molasse, the grey rock of the Cité hill, carved out by two rivers, the Flon and the Louve. Entry is free; the climb up the belfry is ticketed.
Sources: Cathédrale de Lausanne — le guet et la tour de beffroi · Lausanne Tourisme — balade des panoramas
Plan your next stop: Lausanne on foot in one day: which route? · Saint-Pierre Cathedral: three periods on one façade
02
Its story
Work began in 1170 with an apse that was still Romanesque, then quickly took a Gothic direction. Several master builders followed one another; the third, Jean Cotereel, built the western block, with its porch and two towers. The painted portal completed the south façade around 1225–1235. On 20 October 1275, Pope Gregory X consecrated the cathedral in the presence of Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg. It became Protestant with the Reformation of 1536. In the second half of the 19th century, the French architect Viollet-le-Duc led one of its most important restorations.
Sources: Cathédrale de Lausanne — histoire · Lausanne Tourisme — la Cathédrale de Lausanne
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03
Look at this
On the south side, look for the painted portal: a group of 13th-century polychrome statues, now protected by glazed bays and reopened to the public in 2007 after a long conservation project. Inside, the rose window illustrates no religious subject: it composes an image of the world, with the seasons, the signs of the zodiac, the four elements, the rivers of Paradise and the winds. Its stained glass dates from 1205 to 1232. Note: because of the renovation of the south transept vaults, Lausanne Tourisme announces that the rose is inaccessible until spring 2027. From the top of the belfry, the view takes in the roofs of the Cité, Lake Geneva and the Alps.
Sources: Cathédrale de Lausanne — le portail peint · Cathédrale de Lausanne — la rose · Lausanne Tourisme — la Cité
04
What most people never learn
The cathedral still has its watchman. Every night of the year, from 10 pm to 2 am, he calls the hours from the belfry: “C’est le guet ! Il a sonné dix…” (“This is the watch! It has struck ten…”). The post, created to raise the alarm in case of fire, has existed since 1405 according to Lausanne Tourisme; it celebrated its 600th anniversary in 2005. The cathedral’s website presents him as the only permanent watchman in Europe. It is even possible, in a very small group and on request, to climb up and join him for a night visit.
Sources: Cathédrale de Lausanne — le guet et la tour de beffroi · Lausanne Tourisme — des activités gratuites à Lausanne · Cathédrale de Lausanne — les chiffres
Plan your visit
The cathedral’s website gives opening from 9 am to 5.30 pm from October to the end of March and until 7 pm from April to the end of September, with no visits during Sunday services. The belfry has its own hours, closing at midday, and has no lift. Lausanne Tourisme advises coming back down before the bells ring. Check the day’s opening times before you come.
Place de la Cathédrale 1, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
Your questions, answered.
Is entry to Lausanne Cathedral free?
Yes, access to the interior is free. The climb up the belfry is ticketed; Lausanne Tourisme lists it as free up to the age of 25.
How many steps are there in Lausanne Cathedral’s belfry?
224 steps lead to the top of the tower, with its seven bells and a panorama over the city.
Check the details and explore further
Opening times and entry arrangements can change. Refer to the venues’ websites when planning your visit.
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — histoire
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — le guet et la tour de beffroi
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — le portail peint
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — la rose
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — accès et horaires
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — montée à la tour du beffroi
- Cathédrale de Lausanne — les chiffres
- Lausanne Tourisme — la Cathédrale de Lausanne
- Lausanne Tourisme — la Cité
- Lausanne Tourisme — des activités gratuites à Lausanne
- Lausanne Tourisme — balade des panoramas
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