Château de Dorigny

Château de Dorigny in Lausanne is a former country house of the de Loys family, now standing at the centre of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) campus on the city's western edge, close to Lake Geneva. It is a refined 18th-century manor that stands out among the modern university buildings around it.

What is the history of the Château de Dorigny?

A heritage inventory dates the core of the building to about 1683 and records its conversion into a country house in 1770–73. University sources credit the de Loys family, owners of the estate, with the château's present form. Accounts of the earliest phase differ, so the 1770s remodelling is the safest date to rely on.

The last Loys resident, Marguerite, left in 1910. The house was then let out, and the family of Prince Aga Khan is named among the tenants. The canton of Vaud bought the estate in 1965, and the university moved here from central Lausanne in 1970.

What is inside today?

The château belongs to UNIL and is used by university departments, including the International Relations Office, which also handles bookings for its conference room. It is not a museum, so there is no permanent exhibition or ticket desk. A visit means admiring the façade and grounds.

What else is nearby?

Dorigny was once a rural estate, and the open spaces of the campus still hint at that. Pierre de Coubertin considered the land as a permanent Olympic site, with a stadium planned where the Unithèque library stands today. Within walking distance are the Dorigny forest, the lakeshore and the campus sports centre, and the EPFL campus adjoins it. UNIL also runs a self-guided discovery walk of the campus that covers the château.

How do you get there?

The campus lies in western Lausanne and is served by the M1 metro line and several bus routes, the easiest way to arrive from the city centre or the main station. The grounds are open to everyone, and the walk from the stops takes a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside the Château de Dorigny? It works as a university building, so interiors are not open like a museum's. You can view it freely from outside while strolling the campus.

Is there an entrance fee? No. The surroundings are part of the open campus.

When is the best time to visit? Weekdays in term time are lively; summer and weekends are quieter and pair well with a walk along the lake.

Is it a medieval castle? No. Its current look comes from the 1770–73 conversion into a country residence.