Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the

Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...

. It is composed of ten districts; its capital city is

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

. Its coat of arms bears the motto "Liberté et patrie" on a white-green bicolour. Vaud is the third-largest Swiss canton by population and fourth by size. It is located in

Romandy Romandy ( or ; Arpitan: ''Romandia'')Before World War I, the term French Switzerland () waalso used ( or , , ) is the French-speaking historical and cultural region of Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 million people, or 22.8% of the Swiss pop ...

, the partially French-speaking western part of the country, and borders the canton of

Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...

to the north, the cantons of

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

and

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

to the east, the canton of

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

to the south, the canton of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

to the south-west, and France to the west. The geography of the canton includes all three natural regions of Switzerland: the

Jura Mountains The Jura Mountains ( ) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the French–Swiss border. While the Jura range proper (" folded Jura", ) is located in France and Switzerla ...

, the Swiss Plateau, and the (Swiss) Alps. It also includes some of the largest lakes of the country:

Lake Geneva Lake Geneva is a deep lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. Sixty percent () ...

and

Lake Neuchâtel Lake Neuchâtel ( ; ; ) is a lake primarily in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, Fribourg, and Bern. It comprises one of the lakes in th ...

. It is a major tourist destination, renowned for its landscapes and gastronomy. The largest city is

, followed by

Yverdon-les-Bains Yverdon-les-Bains () (called Eburodunum and Ebredunum during the Ancient Rome, Roman era) is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Jura-North Vaudois District, Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It ...

and

Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...

. As of , the canton had a population of . It is one of the four cantons where French is an official language, and it is a canton with a number of French speakers. Formerly a Bernese bailiwick, Vaud joined the Swiss Confederation as an independent canton in 1803.

History

Humans lived alongside the Vaud lakes in prehistoric times. Later, the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

tribe of the

Helvetii The Helvetii (, , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. According to Ju ...

inhabited the area.

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

's troops defeated the Helvetii in 58 BC and as a consequence the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

settled in the area. The many towns established by the Romans include

Vevey Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...

() and Lausanne (''Lausonium'' or ''Lausonna''). While the exact date of the founding of Aventicum is not exact, it was likely established during or shortly after Augustus' reign. There are still many Roman remains around the town today. Between the 2nd and the 4th centuries

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic peoples, Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213 CE ...

c tribes repeatedly invaded the area, and in the 5th century the

Burgundians The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...

occupied the territory. The

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

Franks later replaced the Burgundians. Their control did not last long either, and in 888 the area of the canton of Vaud became part of the

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...

(the successor state to the Merovingians). In 1032 the Zähringens of Germany defeated the Burgundians. The Zähringens themselves were succeeded in 1218 by the counts of

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

. It was only under the counts of Savoy that the area gained political unity as the

Barony of Vaud The Barony of Vaud was an appanage of the County of Savoy, corresponding roughly to the modern Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was created by a process of acquisition on the part of a younger brother of the reigning count beginning in 1234 and cu ...

. A part stretching from

Attalens Attalens (; , locally or ''Talin'') is a municipality in the district of Veveyse in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Attalens is first mentioned in 867 as ''Haltningum''. Geography Attalens has an area of . Of this area, or ...

to the river

Sarine Sarine may refer to: * Sarine District, one of Switzerland's seven districts *Saane/Sarine, a Swiss river * Sarine Voltage, an American musician *Sarine, Lebanon Saraaine El Tahta () (also spelled Sareen, Serraine El Tahta, Saraain El Taht ...

, in the north, was absorbed by the canton of Fribourg. Lausanne Saint-Maire

As the power of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

declined at the beginning of the 15th century, troops from

occupied the land. By 1536 Bern had completely annexed the area. Vaud's

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

started with co-workers of

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

Pierre Viret Pierre Viret (1509/1510 – 4 April 1571) was a Swiss Reformed theologian, evangelist and Protestant reformer. Early life Pierre Viret was born in 1509 or 1510 in Orbe, then in the Barony of Vaud, now in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. He ...

(a famous debate took place at the cathedral of Lausanne), but it was only decisively implemented when Bern put its full force behind it. The Bernese occupiers were not popular amongst the population. In 1723 Major

Abraham Davel Jean Daniel Abraham Davel (20 October 1670 - 24 April 1723), known as Major Davel, was a Swiss soldier and patriot of Vaud. He was sentenced to death and beheaded for calling for Vaud's independence from the Bern authorities. Early life and mil ...

led a revolt against Bern, in protest at what he saw as the denial of political rights of the French-speaking Vaudois by the German-speaking Bernese; he was subsequently beheaded.''Histoire de la Suisse'', Éditions Fragnière, Fribourg, Switzerland. Later, inspired by the French Revolution of 1789–1799, the Vaudois drove out the Bernese governor in 1798 and declared the Lemanic Republic. Vaud nationalists like

Frédéric-César de La Harpe Frédéric-César de La Harpe (; 6 April 1754 – 30 March 1838) was a Swiss political leader, writer and journalist, best known for his pivotal role in the independence of the canton of Vaud from Bern and in the formation of the Helvetic Republ ...

, born in Rolle, had called for French intervention in liberating the area, and French Revolutionary troops moved in, taking over the whole of Switzerland itself in the process and setting up the

Helvetic Republic The Helvetic Republic (; ; ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...

. Under

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

(Emperor 1804–1815), Vaud became (1798–1803) the

canton of Léman Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an ...

. Unrest about the abolition of

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

rights and taxes led to increased discontent, which culminated in the revolt of the

Bourla-papey Bourla-Papey was the name given to a List of peasant revolts, popular revolt that took place between February and May 1802 in the Canton of Léman, in Switzerland, during the days of the Helvetic Republic. The uprising was in response to the resto ...

in spring 1802, closely followed by the

Stecklikrieg The ("War of Sticks") was a civil war in Switzerland in 1802 that resulted in the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the renewed French occupation of Switzerland and ultimately the Act of Mediation dictated by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February ...

(August to October 1802) that brought the end of the entire Helvetic Republic in 1803. In 1803 Vaud joined the re-installed

. In spite of Bernese attempts to reclaim Vaud, it has remained a sovereign canton ever since. In the 19th century, the canton of Vaud was an outspoken opponent of the ''Sonderbund'' Catholic separatist movement, which led to intervention by 99,000 Swiss Federal troops under General

Henri Dufour Guillaume Henri Dufour (; 15 September 178714 July 1875) was a Swiss military officer, structural engineer and topographer. He served under Napoleon I and held the Swiss office of General four times in his career, firstly in 1847 when he led th ...

against 79,000 separatists, in the Sonderbund War (November 1847). Separation was prevented at the cost of very few lives. The current cantonal constitution dates from 14 April 2003, replacing the constitution of 1885.

Geography

The canton stretches from

in the north, where it borders the

canton of Neuchâtel The Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel (; ; ; ) is a mostly French-speaking canton in western Switzerland. In 2007, its population was 169,782, of whom 39,654 (or 23.4%) were foreigners. The capital is Neuchâtel. History County of Neuchâtel ...

, to

() in the south, where it borders the

canton of Geneva The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five Municipality, municipalities, and the seat of the governme ...

, the French department of

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...

(lake border) and the

canton of Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

(

Chablais The Chablais (; ; ) was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains. The Chablais was elevated to a duchy in 1311 by Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor. This region is currently divided into three territories, the '' Chablais s ...

). In the

Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( ) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the French–Swiss border. While the Jura range proper (" folded Jura", ) is located in France and Switzerla ...

in the west, the canton borders the French departments of

Ain Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...

, Jura, and

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

and

. The total area is . Along with the canton of Berne, Vaud is one of the two cantons whose territory extends from the Jura to the Alps, through the three distinct geographic regions of Switzerland. The areas in the south east are mountainous, situated on the north side of the

Bernese Alps The Bernese Alps are a mountain range of the Alps located in western Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Berner Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Va ...

. This region is commonly named the ''Vaud Alps'' (). The

Diablerets The Diablerets (; lit. "the abode of devils") are a huge ice-covered mountain massif of the Alps, culminating at the Sommet des Diablerets (VS) at above sea level and almost straddling the border between the Swiss cantons of Vaud (VD) and V ...

massif, peaking at , is the highest mountain of the canton. Other summits such as the

Grand Muveran The Grand Muveran is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Vaud and Valais. At 3,051 metres, it is the highest summit of the group lying between the Rhone knee and the Pas de Cheville and the westernmost thr ...

and the

Tour d'Aï The Tour d'Aï is a mountain in the western Bernese Alps, overlooking Leysin in the canton of Vaud. It is located near the Tour de Mayen, on the range lying between the Rhone and Col des Mosses, south of Lake Geneva Lake Geneva is a ...

are visible from most of the canton. The area also hosts several popular skiing destinations such as Villars,

Les Diablerets Les Diablerets is a village and ski resort located in the municipality of Ormont-Dessus in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The village lies at an altitude of on the north side of the massif of the Diablerets, , in the Swiss Alps. It can be a ...

and

Leysin Leysin is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in the Aigle (district), Aigle district of Switzerland. It is first mentioned around 1231–32 as ''Leissins'', in 1352 as ''Leisins''. Located ...

. The central area of the canton, in contrast, consists of

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...

s and is hilly. There are plains along the lakes. In the north, Avenches is in an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

of the canton surrounded by the canton of Fribourg and Lake Neuchâtel. On the other hand, there are three enclaves of the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...

of Fribourg (Estavayer-le-lac, Vuissens, Surpierre), as well as two enclaves of the canton of

(Céligny), that are surrounded by the canton of Vaud. The north-western part of the canton is also mountainous but in a more modest way with mountains generally not above ; the

. The

Vallée de Joux The Vallée de Joux () is a valley of the Jura Mountains mainly in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. The valley also continues into France ( Jura département) at its higher, southwestern, end. Located north of Geneva and northwest of Lausanne, its mea ...

is one of the most popular destinations in the region and also a centre of luxury mechanical

Swiss watch Swiss made is a label or marking used to indicate that a product was made on the territory of Switzerland. It is also a geographical indication protected under different Swiss and international laws and treaties. According to the Swiss Federal ...

manufacturing.

Politics

Salle du Grand Conseil du canton de vaud

Members of the national council

Source ():

Members of the council of states

Federal election results

: before 2009: FDP; since 2009: FDP.The Liberals : "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton. : Part of the FDP for this election. : before 2021: CVP/PDC/PPD/PCD; since 2021: The Centre : BDP/PBD: On 1 January 2021, the party merged with the Christian Democratic People's Party to form the new party The Centre.

Political subdivisions

Districts

The canton of Vaud is divided into 10 districts: *

Aigle Aigle ( French for "eagle", ; ) is a historic town and a municipality and the capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The official language of Aigle is Swiss French. Geography Aigle lies at an elevation of a ...

with capital

* Broye-Vully with capital

Payerne Payerne (; ) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully. The German name ''Peterlingen'' for the town is out of use. History The earliest traces of ...

* Gros-de-Vaud with capital

Échallens Échallens is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud District, Gros-de-Vaud in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. History The territory of the municipality was already settled very ea ...

* Jura-Nord vaudois with capital

with capital

* Lavaux-Oron with capital

Cully Cully may refer to: Places *Cully, Calvados, a former commune in the Allier department, France *Cully, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Vaud *Cully, Portland, Oregon, United States, a neighborhood in northeast Portland People Given na ...

Morges Morges (; , Plurale tantum, plural, probably Ablative (Latin), ablative, else dative; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud and the seat of the Morges District, distri ...

with capital

Nyon Nyon (; historically German language, German: or and Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometer ...

with capital

* Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut with capital

* Ouest Lausannois with capital

Renens Renens () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is located in the district of Ouest Lausannois District, Ouest Lausannois, and is a suburb of the city of Lausanne. It is the fourth largest city in ...

Municipalities

There are 300 municipalities in the canton ().

Demographics

The population is French-speaking and historically was mostly

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(Calvinist), dating from the early years of the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. Recently, however, this has been changing due to immigration from Southern Europe. In 2000, the population was nearly evenly split between Protestants (40%) and

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

s (34%). The population of the canton (as of ) was . , the population included about 28% foreigners, including many Italians. The major population centres of the canton are: Lausanne ( inhabitants on ),

(Montreux: Vevey: inhabitants) and

( inhabitants). The region around

is often considered part of the agglomeration of

. All of these are on Lake Geneva (called Léman in French), except for Yverdon, which is on Lake Neuchâtel.

Languages

Main languages spoken at home in the canton (2020): French: 82.40%
English: 9.10%
Portuguese: 7.51%
German: 5.15%
Italian: 5.00%
Spanish: 3.88%

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: 2.37%

South Slavic languages The South Slavic languages are one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches (West Slavic la ...

: 1.61%
Other languages: 6.75%
''Note: Respondents were permitted to choose more than one language.''

Economy

The capital,

, is the major city of the canton. There are light industries concentrated around it. In 1998, 71.7% of the workers worked in the tertiary sector and 20.8% in the secondary. The canton is the second-largest producer of wine in Switzerland. Most of the wine produced in the canton is white, and most vineyards are located on the steep shores of Lake Geneva such as the

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. There is agriculture in the areas away from Lake Geneva. Sugar beet is important around

Orbe Orbe (; ; older , ; ) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the former district of Orbe and is now part of the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois. History Orbe is first mentioned about 280 as ''Urba''. In 1179, it wa ...

, tobacco in La Broye Valley, and fruit at the foot of the

. Cattle breeding and pasture are common in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

and the Jura mountains. There is a

salt mine Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations. History Before the advent of the modern internal combustio ...

Bex Bex (; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the Aigle (district), district of Aigle. It is a few kilometers south of its sister town municipality of Aigle. History Bex is first ment ...

. Tourism is important in many towns along Lake Geneva. Major lakeside resorts include Lausanne,

, and

. The

Union Cycliste Internationale The Union Cycliste Internationale (; UCI; ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces di ...

is based in Aigle, and many of its defamation lawsuits against critics have been heard in the Est Vaudois district court of Vevey.

Education

Two Swiss public universities are located within the canton: *

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

(EPFL) *

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; ) in Lausanne, Switzerland, was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second-oldest in Switzerland, and one of the oldest universities ...

(UNIL) Additionally, there are several public ''hautes écoles'' offering a limited selection of programmes: * Haute école d'art et de design (ECAL) * Vaud School of Business and Engineering (HEIG-VD) * University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) ** Haute École de Santé La Source (HEdS-La Source) **

Haute École de travail social et de la santé Haute may refer to: People * Nicholas Haute (1357 – c.1415), English knight, landowner and politician ** William Haute (MP) (1390-1462), son of Nicholas, Member of Parliament, English politician ** William Hawte or Haute (c. 1430 - 1497), son of ...

(EESP) **

École hôtelière de Lausanne EHL Hospitality Business School, formerly known as École hôtelière de Lausanne, is a hospitality management school in Switzerland. The school is often seen as one of the best of its kind in the world, training its students to obtain manager ...

(EHL) **

Changins Agroscope is the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation's center of excellence for Agricultural science, agricultural research and is affiliated with the Federal Office for Agriculture, which is subordinate to the Federal Department of Economic Affai ...

** Haute école des arts et de la scène (Manufacture) * Haute École de Santé Vaud (HESAV) * Haute école de musique (HEMU) * Haute école pédagogique du Canton de Vaud (HEP Vaud)

Gastronomy

The canton is often referred to as the "culinary capital of Switzerland" and is renowned for its many cheeses, wines and charcuterie. It is also home to a high number of gourmet restaurants, such as the Hôtel de ville in

Crissier Crissier () is a municipality in the district of Ouest Lausannois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a suburb of Lausanne. History Crissier is first mentioned in 1199 as ''Crissiaco''. In 1228 it was mentioned as ''Crissie''. Geograp ...

, founded by

Frédy Girardet Frédy Girardet (born 17 November 1936) is a Swiss chef who cooks in the French tradition. Often considered one of the greatest chefs of the 20th Century, his self-named restaurant Chez Girardet (now Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville) in Crissier, ...

. Papet Vaudois is a very popular dish of the canton. It consists of potatoes and leeks accompanied by regional sausages, notably ''Saucisse aux choux''.

Taillé aux greubons ''Taillé aux greubons'' is a salted bakery specialty from Vaud, in Switzerland. "''Greubon''" is a Swiss term for the Pork rind, crackling produced as residue from rendering lard. The ''taillés'' are made of puff pastry with the ''greubons'' ...

are a salted bakery specialty of the region consisting of crackling encased in

puff pastry Puff pastry, also known as , is a light, flaky pastry, its base dough () composed of wheat flour and water. Butter or other solid fat () is then layered into the dough. The dough is repeatedly rolled and folded, rested, re-rolled and folded, encas ...

. Another of the canton's specialties is carac, a sweet tart consisting of a sweetcrust pastry case (

pâte sucrée Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) Flan (pie), flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chic ...

) filled with chocolate

ganache Ganache ( or ; ) is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream. In the broad sense of the term, ganache is an emulsion between (melted) solid chocolate (which is made with cocoa butter, the fat phase) and ...

, covered by a characteristic green icing or

fondant Fondant is a mixture of sugar and water used as a confection, filling, or icing. Sometimes gelatin and glycerine are used as softeners or stabilizers. There are numerous varieties of fondant, with the most basic being poured fondant. Others inc ...

layer topped with a dot of chocolate.

Notable people

Caroline Amiguet Caroline Amiguet (born 23 May 1977) is a French actress, film producer, and model, best known for her roles in the films ''Love All You Have Left'' (2017), ''Angels Fallen'' (2020), and ''Everybody Dies by the End'' (2022), and for producing the ...

(born 1977), French actress and model *

Brigitte Balleys Brigitte Balleys (born 18 June 1959) is a Swiss mezzo-soprano in opera and concert. Biography Born in the canton of Vaud, Brigitte Balleys studied at Sion, then at the Conservatory of Bern where she graduated from the singing class of Jakob St� ...

(born 1959) a Swiss mezzo-soprano in opera and concert. * Raymond Burki (1949 in Épalinges – 2016) a Swiss cartoonist. *

Henri Dès Henri Dès (born Henri Destraz 14 December 1940) is a Swiss French-language children's singer and songwriter immensely popular in European Francophone countries. In 1970, he released his first album, ''Retour''. Dès also founded his own record l ...

(born 1940 in Renens) a Swiss French-language children's singer and songwriter *

Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros Louis Ducros aka Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros or Du Cros, as appears on his birth certificate (Moudon, 21 July 1748 – Lausanne, 18 February 1810), was a Swiss painter, water-colourist and engraver, and was a main figure in the ' pre-Romantic' m ...

(1748 in Moudon – 1810) a Swiss painter, watercolourist and engraver * Pierre Gilliard (1879 in Fiez – 1962) a Swiss academic and author, French language tutor to the five children of Emperor

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

from 1905 to 1918. * Marcel Regamey (1905–1982), Swiss essayist and journalist *

Flore Revalles Flore (or Flora) Revalles (January 25, 1889 – August 29, 1966) was a Swiss entertainer active over the early decades of the twentieth century. Revalles began as a singer in Switzerland, danced with the Ballets Russes in Europe and America and a ...

(1889 in Rolle – 1966) a Swiss entertainer, singer and dancer * Anatoly Shteiger (1907 — 1944 in Leysin) a Russian poet * Gabriel Tschumi (1883 in Moudon – 1957) Master Chef to Queen Victoria, Kings Edward VII and George V. *

Jean-Louis Wagnière Jean-Louis Wagnière (15 October 1739, Rueyres, Vaud, Switzerland7 April 1802, Ferney-Voltaire) was Voltaire's secretary from 1756 to 1778, when Voltaire died. In Voltaire’s Service Wagnière entered Voltaire’s service as his valet de cha ...

(1739 in Rueyres – 1802)

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

's secretary from 1756 to 1778. *

Charles-Emmanuel de Warnery Charles Emanuel de Warnery (13 March 1720 – 3 May 1776) was a royal Prussian colonel, later a royal Polish general. He was born 13 March 1720 at Morges on Lake Geneva, Canton Vaud, served in the Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinian service on the ''Re ...

(1720 at Morges - 1776) royal Prussian colonel, later a royal Polish general.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Laurent Flutsch and Séverine André (with the collaboration of Bernadette Gross), ''Y en a point comme nous. Un portrait des Vaudois aujourd'hui''

here are none like us. A portrait of the Vaudois of today Here may refer to: Music * ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994 * ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016 * ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979 * ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012 * ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004 * ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...

Éditions Infolio, 2015, 368 pages ().

External links

* *
Cantonal government

Vaud Tourist Office

Official Statistics Vaud (SCRIS)

Vaud Directory

''The canton of Vaud in 2015''
{{Authority control

Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...

Wine regions of Switzerland

1803 establishments in Switzerland States and territories established in 1803

History

Geography

Politics

Members of the national council

Members of the council of states

Federal election results

Political subdivisions

Districts

Municipalities

Demographics

Languages

Economy

Education

Gastronomy

Notable people

See also

Notes and references

Bibliography

External links