I'm living in Lausanne for 1 month and I'd like to know more about nightlife of this city. Does it exist? What clubs would you name as best? What about making new contacts/friends?
From what I've seen, the city is very quiet and calm, and there's no many activities in the evening here. Most people seem to be happy enjoying family life/resting at home or doing sports (I do it too, 5 times/week).
Thanks for the responses, I appreciate it!
Nightlife (clubs, bars):
- There is a pretty lively nightlife scene, which offers you different options based on your age and style.
- The most "popular" (well-known) is the MAD in Flon. There are multiple floors with different music on each. The main floor has the biggest, and relatively younger and drunk crowd; while the upper and bottom floors have different music and a slightly different crowd. To be honest, some people love it and some people hate it, but I think it depends on the night and the type of music they're playing.
- Around Georgettes stop there are quite a few really popular bars that close at 2am. Etoile Blanche, Les Boucaniers, Cafe St. Pierre, Captain Cook, Jaggers. Also in the old-town of Lausanne above the Cathedral there are some cool old bars up there: Lapin Vert and some others (I don't recall the name).
- Other clubs: No Name in Chauderon (free entry but gets really crowded around 12-1am). Folklore club in Riponne is always an interesting crowd. There is also ABC Club and D-Club in St. Francois with hip-hop or techno vibes.
Social scene
I've found that there is a strong Apero lifestyle in Lausanne, so if you check any bar or cafe in the evening, it'll be packed. Like, Pointu, Brussels Bar, Cafe Grancy, Simplon Bar, Bar de Rousse, among many others.
In my short time here, I've made both friendly contacts through work, but also by joining sports. I really recommend joining some sort of club in order to meet new people. You'll find that MANY people are in the same situation as you (newly Swissed, no friends outside of work, limited social circle). And I can tell you that once you break through that comfort zone barrier, your time will be awesome here!
- Check out The Docks for live music.
- In the summertime, the Jetee de la Compagne on the water has awesome vibes.
- Each weekend there is a new activity in Flon (or at least every other weekend). We just had the Youth Olympics which utilized some of the same infrastructure as the Christmas Market for food & drinks (smart!).
Hope this helps!
They have a lot of activities going on in Lausanne and the area that you can join in on. This will be more than just clubbing.
Good luck.