🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium opened just over 4 years ago, and I had been wanting to take the boys ever since! And so MBFF was delighted to be invited just before the Christmas holidays. I kept it a secret from the boys until we arrived, just to add to the excitement; both boys being huge animal lovers (yes, including 🐊 reptiles and 🐸 amphibians!), I knew they’d be delighted to visit!

[ disclaimer: our tickets to 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium were offered; our opinions remain our very own! ]

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A brief overview of 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium

Opened in 2017, 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium is 🐠 the largest freshwater aquarium-vivarium in Europe, and visitors are taken on ” a journey across five continents to discover more than 300 different species, 10,000 freshwater fish and over 100 reptiles and amphibians. ” – AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium website;

A visit to the aquarium-vivarium will introduce you to many endemic species of 🌎 Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Oceania . . .

The design of the aquarium – both the architecture and the indoor scenography – is beautiful and varied, and your different senses will be engaged throughout the visit!

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Your visit to 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium

Here are some of the delights on your visit :

• be sure to look up and down (often under your feet!) for fabulous reflections, projections and movement;

• there is an aquatic tunnel to walk through, and cinematic aquariums to sit and watch, observe, discuss . . .

• information is provided in an interractive way – read, watch and listen . . . and there are interractive games, great for children;

• environmental concerns are raised;

Your journey through 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium very fittingly starts with the introduction of some of the freshwater (eau douce) species of nearby 💦 Lac Léman and 💦 the Rhône river . . . for those of us that swim in the lake, it is fascinating to see some of the fish that lurk in its depths!

On 🌍 the African continent, you’ll be fascinated by 🐊 the crocodiles (and perhaps you’ll be glad by the barriers separating you from them?) . . .

In 🌍 the Americas, you’ll find lots of colour overhead . . .

You’ll especially love 🌿 the green-house open zone, where you feel you are in the wild . . .

A very special area of the aquarium-vivarium is the nursery: an area dedicated to reproducing endangered species. Here you can watch baby animals hatch and grow! This area is also  the new workplace for the care teams, and thanks to microphones and a camera installed inside, you can ask the team about their work.

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AQUATIS hotel and restaurant

At 🐠🐊 AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium you’ll find two restaurants and a picnic area too . . .

• 🐠 Restaurant The Garden – located at the entrance, piranhas will keep you company as you dine!

• Espace bateau pirate – this is a play space and also an area where you can picnic! It’s convenintly located about halfway through the parcours, next to the nursery !

AQUATIS Hotel – a modern hotel with the theme of water, you can stay here and be right next to the aquarium!

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Practical Information

🗓 opening hours – AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium is open every day, all year round, mostly from 10h until 18h!

💶 price – adults: CHF 29 / children (6 to 15 years): CHF 19 / children under 6 years: FREE! / family (2 adults & 2 children): CHF 79 (this price is only available at the Caisses!);

🎫 booking tickets online: it can be cheaper to book online, with up to -30% discount on some tickets! / happy hour – every day from 17h, an online booking can be made for CHF 10! / ⇒ book online here;

♿️ wheelchair access – AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium prides its design on being fully accessible to wheelchair users (and easy access for baby pushchairs too);

🚗 getting there:

• 🚗 by car: autoroute A9 – sortie n°10 Lausanne-Vennes;
• 🚞 by train: upon arriving at the train station CFF de Lausanne, take the underground passage to métro M2 (direction Croisettes) – arrêt Vennes;

🅿️ parking: there is a very convenient (paying) underground car park on-site . . . (50% discount with your ticket to the aquarium-vivarium; you’ll just need to validate your ticket at the Caisses or in the shop, and on Sundays the discount is automatic!) . . . you take the lift from the car park, and you’re directly at the entrance to the aquarium-vivarium!

😷 Covid regulations –  you’ll need a Certificat Covid de 2G or pass sanitaire and ID (+16 years) / you’ll need to weat a mask throughout the aquarium-vivarium visit;

🎁 shop – there is a wonderful shop (which like most visits these days, you pass through to get to the exit!) with cuddly toys, games and books . . . be sure to be very clear about what is permitted here, to avoid meltdowns after a lovely visit!

website /FB page / Instagram

address: AQUATIS aquarium-vivarium, route de Berne 144, 1010, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

tel: +41 (0)21 654 23 23