Aquatis, the Lausanne aquarium

Jack, Wallace and Narga are the big stars here. They are an Amazonian piranha, a Mississippi alligator and a Komodo dragon respectively. These creatures are the mascots of the Aquatis aquarium in Lausanne.

Set high above Lausanne, this aquarium houses 46 tanks, vivariums and terrariums. More than 10,000 fish, reptiles and amphibians from all over the world have made Switzerland their home. There are also more than 300 species of plants in the greenhouses.

Designed by the firm Ritcher and Dahl Rocha, the building complies with environmental standards by optimising the use of the ground, the choice of materials and the management of energy and water (recovery of river water, treatment of water in the pools). The fascinating façade of the museum is clad in mirrors that glisten like fish scales.

The museum is divided into two floors: the first is dedicated to freshwater aquatic fauna and the second plunges us into a tropical atmosphere between rivers and streams.

Water is the common thread running through the museum, crossing the five continents, between flora and fauna. The aquarium contains over 2 million litres of freshwater and offers a 3500m2 world tour.

Aquatis in Lausanne wholeheartedly supports national and international programmes to protect endangered species and fragile natural environments.

To arouse visitors' curiosity, the museum is using new technologies to bring its spaces and pools to life. Discovering water in all its forms promises to be fun and interactive, with touch pools, animated workshops, conferences, themed exhibitions and discovery rooms. Everything is done to help visitors become responsible players who are aware of the issues at stake.

In the river and lake section, the Boas group has set up a scenographic trail with digital reconstructions similar to those in the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche. Projections on the floor and mirrors, and illusionary images transport visitors around the world... from a glacial cave to a boat, via a train on Lake Geneva, or flying over the skies of the Camargue. The special effects are worthy of Hollywood studios: morphing, 3D, models, automata, light and sound effects.

Among the effects not to be missed is the sight of a spinosaurus (one of the largest known aquatic dinosaurs) on the staircase leading to the second level. It's on the 2nd floor that you can finally see Wallace, the alligator that lives peacefully with other fish, a large lake sturgeon and a paddlefish.

Arriving in the Africa zone, you can admire the small, colourful tropical fish, cyprinids from Lake Malawi. In Asia, the atmosphere changes and becomes more exotic. Naga, the Komodo dragon, awaits you on his tree trunk under his heat lamp. A short walk takes you close to the enclosure of the giant monitor lizard.

Heading towards the American heat, the mangroves are the main feature of this wetland. There are iguanas, stingrays and, above all, Jack the piranha and his family. The tropical journey ends with a scientist's explanation of rivers and rainfall.

⭐ Where to sleep?

Aquatis has incorporated its own hotel into its museum. Adjacent to a conference centre, the hotel once again immerses us in an aquarium, between white, blue and turquoise... It offers 131 comfortable rooms with photos of the seabed. The hotel also has a restaurant, a relaxation area and a children's playroom.

One of the experiences on offer is the discovery of the nursery. For young and old alike, this nursery for endangered species allows visitors to learn more about the development of babies such as crocodiles, stingrays, frogs, fish, vipers, etc. It is also a place where the keepers work and live, and visitors can follow the teams in action. Visitors can follow the teams in action, and a standard ticket gives access to the nursery.