Switzerland Guide
Lausanne and Lake Geneva
Place de la Palud
Located in the tranquil core of Lausanne's Old Town, the cobbled Place de la Palud is a perfect spot for people-watching: with shopping streets cascading through the square from all sides, plenty of pavement cafés and the handy Fontaine de la Justice usually ringed with promenaders perching on its wide rim, it's a tempting place to take a break for a reviving café renversée, especially if the Wednesday and Saturday morning markets are in full swing. On the hour, mechanical figures emerge on the wall behind the fountain for a little chiming display. Dominating the south side of the square is the arcaded Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), built in 1675 on the site of a covered marketplace dating back to the fourteenth century.