Lausanne, << loh ZAN or loh ZAHN >> (pop. 140,202), is a city in western Switzerland, on the north shore of Lake Geneva. Lausanne is a major center of tourism and the commercial and industrial center of its region. The city also serves as the capital of the canton (state) of Vaud. It is the home of the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court.
Lausanne is a hilly city with steep roads. Huge bridges connect some of the hills. Lausanne’s landmarks include a medieval castle and a medieval Gothic cathedral with beautiful stained-glass windows. Its many industries include printing, woodworking, and the manufacture of chemicals, metal products, and radios.
Roman soldiers established a colony on the site of what is now Lausanne in about 50 B.C. The Swiss city of Bern conquered Lausanne and the rest of Vaud in 1536. Vaud gained independence in the late 1700’s. In 1803, it joined the union of Swiss cantons called the Swiss Confederation.
