The Lausanne Guide Contributors
Valentina
Events & Lifestyle
Valentina moved to Lausanne in 2016 after a work experience in Wales and quickly fell in love with this city and its views. She’s a scientist at CHUV, involved in the development of new immunotherapies for cancer treatment. In her spare time, she hikes, goes for long walks in Lavaux, and being Italian will never say no to a glass of wine with friends.
Vernon
Arts, Culture & Sport
As a discerning New Yorker, it is no surprise that Vernon would at least have to settle in Monocle’s Best Small City. An art dealer for the past 11 years, he is regularly out on the town checking vernissages, artist studios and of course the latest spots. Otherwise as an aspiring triathlete you can catch him for an espresso before hitting the roads and trails of the region.
Natalie
Gastronomy, Culture, & All Things Social
Natalie moved to Switzerland in 2011 for a 3-month work contract and never left. She is from the south of England, which is characterized by her love of drinking tea, queueing sensibly, and complaining about the weather. Natalie is a communications professional, energized by working in an international environment. She loves walking calmly in forests, cycling slowly around lakes, and is a big fan of the wine festivals in Lavaux.
Nicola
Adventure, Sport & Lifestyle
Originating from Yorkshire, Nicola (Nix) landed in Lausanne in 2010 thinking it would be for a couple of years. After falling in love with Lavaux (and the rest of Switzerland), building a community of friends, and discovering the endless opportunities to get outside, she adopted Lausanne as her home. She works in HR for a humanitarian organisation and spends the rest of her time delighting in the adventures that life has to offer.
Jagoda
Photographer
Originally from Poland, Jagoda studied photography & film in Scotland until she got fed up with the rain. She then moved to Switzerland in 2014 and earned an MA in Art Direction at ECAL in Lausanne. She is a full-time independent photographer, maneuvering between personal and commissioned projects. She loves photographing people, perusing photo publications and collecting photobooks. She learned to ski at the age of 30, and enjoys spending her free time outside, rock climbing, hiking & traveling in her van.
Clara
Design & Culture
Clara is from California and grew up in Florence, Italy. After completing a BA and MA in the US, she returned to Europe. While living in Paris and managing private collections of contemporary art, she met a Frenchman and followed him to Switzerland. Wife of one (the aforementioned Frenchman) and mother of two, she has been happy to call Lausanne her home for over a decade, and never plans on leaving. Clara is a journalist and event coordinator for the home interiors magazine Espaces contemporains.
Natalie
Wine & Culture
With roots in two of America’s notoriously ‘bon vivant’ cities (New Orleans and Charleston, SC), Natalie comes by a love of food and wine naturally. She first moved to Switzerland 20 years ago, freshly hitched to her Lausannois husband. 10 years & a couple of little boys later, they repatriated to the States where they spent the following 9 years. It was there that she was first exposed to natural wine and began her sommelier studies. Relocating to the vinous slopes of Lausanne last summer, a major highlight of the return was the discovery of the evolving shift to a ‘vin vivant’ approach among local wine producers.
Arti
Lifestyle & Travel
Arti grew up in various cities across India, spent a year in Berlin and finally landed up in Lausanne 13 years ago. Now married, a mum to a gorgeous boy, she’s seen Lausanne through the eyes of a single person, and now as a full-time working mum; and loves (sometimes exhaustingly so) every minute of it! A big fan of all the different swimming pools in Lausanne during the summer (hello working from home!), Arti loves cargo e-biking, train traveling and experimenting with different ways of juggling work and childcare & life in general.
Marc
Adventure & Culture
A long time inhabitant of Lausanne, Marc is originally from Finland and lived in several other European countries prior to finding this small paradise. Working mainly in the startup ecosystem, he also conducts in-person workshops in Lausanne. Curious about the hidden treasures of the Lemanic region, drawn to the mountains and a geek for history, he enjoys discovering the natural wonders that this area offers.
Hayley
Photography
Hayley is originally from the UK, now living in Lausanne. She’s a mother of three boys and a seasoned photographer with a long history of capturing people and stories. She fell in love with photography after the birth of her first child, so much so that she left her career as a scientist to take on photography full-time. When she’s not behind the lens, you’ll find Hayley out running along the lake, exploring pockets of nature with her family, or out with friends discovering new spots in and around Lausanne.
Gwen
Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel
Gwen came for the first time to Lausanne to get her bachelor in Political Science in 2008. She fell in love with Lausanne but life made her move several times (Canada, then back to France) but for some reason, she continues coming back and calls Lausanne “home”. Now, she has been back for a few weeks and plans on staying this time. She works in Social Media for the banking sector and loves to discover new restaurants and places to take care of ourselves.
