Touring the Olympic Museum and Park

One of Lausanne's largest tourist attractions is the Olympic Museum and Park located along Lake Geneva in the village of Ouchy. It takes a steep walk from Lausanne to reach its beautiful, terraced gardens which feature fascinating sculptures throughout (see photos) as well as some 10,000 artifacts in the museum itself. With the largest archive of Olympic Games in the world. it attracts more than 250,000 visitors each year.

We found the grounds and the museum itself quiet on a cool April day, restful and well worth the visit. We even tried Tom's Café for lunch. The food was fine, but the view was spectacular.

The museum was founded on 23 June 1993, when then-president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, suggested creating it. Samaranch himself was inspired by Pierre de Coubertin, the French aristocrat and academic who pushed the revival of the modern Olympic Games and founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first games were held in Greece in 1896.

Aside from its beauty, I haven't yet ascertained why Lausanne was chosen as the site.

The permanent exhibition is organized along three themes on three separate floors: Olympic World, Olympic Games, and Olympic Spirit. Highlights include a display of Olympic torches, as well as a video documenting major moments in the history of opening ceremonies history.

From the museum's terraces we were treated to views of Avignon, France, famous for its waters pumped from a windswept Lake Geneva. We took it in: the lake, the alps, the sailboats and steamer that plied its waters, looking like toys as they skated the blue gray waters.

Later we met with Christian, and his lovely wife, Cristina. Christian was one of the charming people we met when traveling Ponant's transatlantic ship from Montevideo to Lisbon. It seems he has managed or created nearly every major hotel, or restaurant in Lausanne, including the largest in Switzerland. Yet he is as down to earth and humble as a busboy.

I figured we would never find a finer dinner than one that Christian would choose. He took us to the intimate and delightful De la Poste Restaurant where, of course, he knew everyone who seemed to work at the place. At his suggestion we tried the famous Geneva Perch, small and sumptuous pulled right from the lake and then pan fried at high heat.

Wow! You can learn more at places like the Olympic Museum and the De la Post Restaurant by visiting and searching our Vagabond Recommendations page.