A summer celebration in Lausanne

Lausanne's Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame was built in the 13th century. Switzerland Tourism / swiss-image.ch

Lausanne is dressing up its streets in preparation for its annual summer festival - one of the biggest events on its calendar. For the first time, the city's many renowned museums and galleries will be taking part.

The festival kicks off at midnight on June 29 with a firework display lighting up the cathedral – the city’s most impressive landmark.

Over the following two days, thousands of local residents and visitors will be taking part in the events created for the occasion in the streets around the cathedral.

In keeping with the spirit of the festival, the city’s 18 museums and galleries will remain open until one o’clock in the morning on June 30. To mark the occasion, visitors to the Roman museum can sample spit-roast boar and children can use their imagination and help decorate a Roman house.

There will be jazz concerts in the evening at “La Collection de l’art brut”, and live Spanish music at the Hermitage Foundation, which will accompany the first-ever public showing of the private collection of Jean Planque. The collection includes works by Picasso, Klee and Dubuffet.

The Olympic Museum at the foot of the city is also giving visitors another reason to come to Lausanne. Renovations have just been completed to reflect the changes to the Olympic movement and sport and to keep up with the latest in technology.

More emphasis is being placed on the various facets of the International Olympic Committee that keep it in the headlines, including financing, women in sport and drug abuse.

swissinfo