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Situated on the shores of Lake Geneve in the French region of Switzerland, just 60km from the airport at Geneva, Lausanne dates back to medieval times, when the town flourished from profits generated by the rich River Rhone trade route. That affluent heritage is evident in the architecture of the town, best seen on a guided walk through the cobbled streets. The town centre has two areas - Haute Ville, the old part high on the hillside, and Basse Ville or Ouchy, down by the lake. A metro train links the two. Walking tours start in Haute Ville at the Place de la Palud in front of the town hall - now the Hotel de Ville - a building that dates back to the 17th century, and takes in other historic buildings such as the Cathedrale Notre-Dame, considered to be the most beautiful Gothic building in Switzerland. Getting around the town is easy - for 15 Swiss francs ($100) a Lausanne card gives you two days' unlimited travel on the transport system and discounts at a variety of shops (www.lausanne-tourisme.ch).

As the home of the International Olympic Committee and many other international sports bodies, Lausanne is the official Olympic capital. Surrounded by magnificent landscaped gardens featuring grand statues by Folon, Berrocal, Arnoldi and Mitoraj, the Olympic Museum offers a history lesson on the ancient games and its revival in 1915 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The museum houses film presentations of Olympic events, an extensive video library and displays of sporting equipment used by athletes. (www.olympic.org).