Sitting on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva and looking across to the snow-capped Alps, the city of Lausanne is situated in an exceptional setting. Lausanne, Switzerland's fifth biggest city, is located only 30 minutes from Geneva airport and 1 hour from the Swiss capital of Bern. Most of the European capitals are connected by flights of less than 2 hours.

The region of Lake Geneva has a tradition for excellence in the fields of training and research. The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne form one of the most important scientific and technological centres in the world.

Lausanne enjoys an excellent reputation for culture. The choice of events is vast, the quality outstanding. Lausanne is the base of Maurice Béjart Ballet. Lausanne has its opera, theatres, musical ensembles and its film library. Numerous festivals and artistic performances take place in the region. Among them, the World-famous Montreux Jazz Festival features music legends and talents every summer. Lausanne also has 19 museums, including the world’s only Olympic Museum. The latter, built in a magnificent location on a hillside near the lake and inaugurated in 1993, attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year.
For 80 years, the histories of Lausanne and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have been closely linked. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the city of Lausanne the title of "Olympic Capital" and its presence in Lausanne produced a snowball effect. Many sports federations have set up their headquarters in the capital of the Vaud region. And there is no reason to believe that this trend towards concentration is over. The city is also home to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the House of International Sport - Maison du Sport International (MSI).

Major international events are also organised each year in Lausanne and the region: among them, Athletissima, the CSI Geneva, the Bol d’Or regatta, the Lausanne Triathlon, the Marathons of Lausanne & Geneva, the Montreux Volley Masters and the Xtreme Verbier, the world’s most unique and most radical freeride contest in the world!

International Sports Organisations
Over 30 international sports federations have established their headquarters or regional offices in Lausanne and its region: