When I first moved to Switzerland for my Master’s degree, I wasn’t keen about decorating my flat. I had no idea where to start. There is a reason why my bedroom still hasn’t been decorated. I change my mind every so often about how I want it to look like. When it comes to Christmas decor, I am full of ideas. That’s due to the decorations being up for a short period of time. It is easy to find inspiration online on how you want to decorate your space or have the same style as everyone else.
That is the beauty of living in Switzerland. You don’t have the option of having the same type of decorations and pieces that you see on social media. It simply doesn’t exist. Once I learnt to embrace what this country had to offer, it made life a lot easier when it came to decor. Today, I’m going to share some places that you can buy Christmas Decor in Lausanne. If you haven’t started decorating your space yet, check out some of these places.
Maxi Bazar For Christmas Decor
Maxi Bazar is a Pinterest shop in the flesh. That’s the best way to describe it. Anything that you are looking for, it doesn’t matter how obscure the item is, you will find it here. This is always my first stop when it comes to decorating regardless if it is Christmas or not. You can find the traditional Christmas decor such as garlands and baubles, as well as non-traditional items like trinkets and seasonal lanterns.
When I went in about a week ago, they had just started their Christmas sale, 50% off all seasonal-related items. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sale this big since moving to Switzerland. Another bonus is that they give you an ‘bon d’achat’ and you can use that voucher to purchase anything in the store from 11th December to 31st December. It’s pretty much an incentive to buy decorations for next year to save yourself from doing it all over again.
Manor
If you are looking for premium items and the latest trends in anything, Manor should be your first stop. It’s the biggest department store chain in Switzerland and it is also where you’ll find Sephora. One thing that Manor does really well compared to Maxi Bazar is providing you with a variety of choices from Christmas lights to Christmas candles. There are more options regardless if you are focusing on outdoor or indoor decorations.
What I particularly like is that you will find items that feed into the commercialisation of the season but it is balanced with items that tie in the true meaning of the season. You will see a lot of nativity scene ornament with the matching figures, stars and comet decorations.
In my opinion, these are the two best places to buy Christmas decor in Lausanne and you’ll find something that suits your budget too!
Christmas Trees
I have no idea where you can buy a decent fake Christmas tree in Lausanne. If you know of a good place, please drop them in the comments below to help any future Lausanners. I had to buy my fake tree from the UK as I had no idea where to get one and find one at a good price.
The Swiss really like buying real trees for Christmas. I do understand the hype as I went through this process in 2018. There is something magical and therapeutic about perusing for THAT tree. If you have never had a real tree before, it is definitely something to try but I must warn you that it is not for the weak. Having a real tree is high maintenance as you need to water it and clear up any pines that fall off.
Eco Sapin
Eco Sapin is a sustainable concept which I’m in love with. Instead of throwing your real Christmas tree away on January 6th, Eco Sapin will deliver and pick up your tree according to your schedule and re-plant in nature. I know that some Christmas tree sellers do this but not all. As climate change and the climate crisis continuously builds up, this is a sustainable method that I would personally get into if I was buying a real tree each year. You don’t have to be in Lausanne to benefit from this concept. They also have concepts across the Suisse Romande, the German-speaking and Italian-speaking part.
Christmas Decor at Place de la Riponne
Place de la Riponne is another place that you can buy a Christmas tree in Lausanne. This is where I bought my tree in 2018. It is really cold right now so I suggest dressing up warm so you don’t freeze while searching for THAT tree. It is also another market within the bigger Bô Noël in Lausanne and they usually have cabins and stalls set up in front of the metro stop ‘Riponne Maurice Béjart’ where you can buy more seasonal decorations. It is open every day from 5th December to 24th December 2022. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, they are open from 8.30am to 7.30pm. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, they are open from 3pm to 7.30pm. On the nocturnes (17th December to 23rd December), they are open from 8.30am to 8pm.
There you have it! All the best places to buy a variety of Christmas decor ranging from budget items to premium items, as well as sustainable concepts to do our part in saving the planet. If you know of any other great places to buy Christmas decor in Lausanne, please help a fellow Lausanner and sound off in the comments. Don’t forget to like, comment and join the blog squad so you don’t miss out on the rest of blogmas. Follow me on Instagram for more powerlifting, wellness and style.
Until next time,
Folakemi
