Escaliers du Marché

Escaliers du Marché / Market Stairs, Lausanne
In the upper part, its course is interrupted by the rue Pierre-Viret, which was built in 1911 as an extension of the Pont Bessières and then artificially restored by the construction of an underpass in 1975. On a square to the right of the stairs, which is shaded by trees below the rue Pierre-Viret, the market square, from which it owes its name, was located until the 14th century. The row of houses bordering the stairs to the east, with its boutiques and cafés, represents an impressive, exceptional ensemble that stretches in a dynamic development from the Place de la Palud to the rue Pierre-Viret. Some elements date back to the 16th century, e.g. the lower floors at no. 17 with their old pointed arch windows. At the top, the bell tower of the cathedral extends the spectacular ascending movement.
Text / Source: Lausanne Tourisme – administration, Avenue de Rhodanie 2, Lausanne lausanne-tourisme.ch/de/entdecken/escaliers-du-marche

The Escaliers du Marché are a covered staircase that leads from the bottom of Rue Mercerie to Cathedral Square.
The year of their construction is not known, but they are mentioned in a document in the 13th century; Back then it was a very steep road, formed by long, spaced steps to make the climb easier. The city's market, held near the cathedral, gave them their name. They have been part of the Vaudois cultural heritage since 1900.

The branched roofed trepen today seem almost like falling out of time.