Geneva

An international city on Lake Geneva, home to the Jet d'Eau, the United Nations' Palais des Nations and famous watchmakers, and a base for Lausanne, Chillon Castle in Montreux, and Chamonix–Mont-Blanc.

Geneva sits in the southwest corner of Switzerland at the western end of Lake Geneva, where the Rhône flows out, and is surrounded on three sides by France. It is the center of French-speaking Switzerland, the European headquarters of the United Nations and the seat of the International Committee of the Red Cross and more than 200 other international organizations, and also one of the birthplaces of fine watchmaking. The climate is mild; May–Sep is best, and in summer you can swim in the lake. Early August brings the Fêtes de Genève with fireworks. Winters are gray, cold and foggy, but you can head to Chamonix–Mont-Blanc in France, about an hour away by road, to ski or ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car. Where to go: the lakefront (the Jet d'Eau, the Flower Clock and English Garden, Quai du Mont-Blanc); the Old Town on the south bank (St. Pierre Cathedral, Place du Bourg-de-Four, the Reformation Wall); the International District to the north (the Palais des Nations and the Red Cross Museum); and CERN's Science Gateway to the west. Lausanne (Olympic Museum), the Lavaux vineyard terraces, Vevey and Montreux, and Chillon Castle on the north shore of Lake Geneva can all be visited as day trips by train or boat, and this route is also part of Switzerland's Golden Pass and Grand Tour of Switzerland. Getting around: a train from Geneva Airport reaches Cornavin station in the city center in about 7 minutes; hotel guests receive a Geneva Transport Card for free public transport during their stay, including the little yellow ferries on the lake. It takes about 2 hours 45 minutes by train from Zurich and about 3 hours 15 minutes by TGV from Paris. Suggested time: 1–2 days in the city, plus 1–2 days along Lake Geneva. Note: prices are very high, with a simple meal costing about CHF 25–40; the currency is the Swiss franc (some shops accept euros but give change in francs); most shops are closed on Sundays; Palais des Nations tours must be booked in advance, and you must bring your passport.

Top sights

• Jet d'Eau – A fountain shooting water about 140 m into the air above Lake Geneva. It is the city's emblem, and on sunny days it often forms rainbows.
• St. Pierre Cathedral & Old Town – The centre of the Reformation, where Calvin once preached. Visitors can climb the north tower for lake views, and an archaeological site li…
• Palais des Nations – The former headquarters of the League of Nations, now the United Nations' largest office in Europe. Guided tours take you into the Human Ri…
• Old Town & Place du Bourg-de-Four – Geneva's oldest square and hilltop old town, with stone-stepped alleys, fountains and open-air cafés.
• Flower Clock & Jardin Anglais – A flower clock made from about 6,500 plants, a symbol of Geneva as the capital of watchmaking, located at the entrance to the English Garde…
• Reformation Wall – A roughly 100-meter stone wall beside the University of Geneva, where giant statues of four Reformation leaders, including Calvin, stand si…
• Patek Philippe Museum – A private museum for watch enthusiasts, displaying top European timepieces and enamelwork from the 16th to 20th centuries, along with landm…
• CERN Science Gateway – The free science centre of the world's largest particle physics laboratory, designed by Renzo Piano, where you can learn about the Large Ha…
• Maison Tavel – Geneva's oldest surviving private mansion, now the City of Geneva History Museum, with free admission to its permanent exhibition.
• Musée d'Art et d'Histoire – One of Switzerland's largest general museums, whose greatest treasure is Konrad Witz's The Miraculous Draft of Fishes, a painting set on La…
• International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum – A humanitarian-themed museum in Geneva, birthplace of the Red Cross, located directly across the road from the Palais des Nations.
• Broken Chair – A roughly 12-metre-tall wooden chair with three legs in front of the Palais des Nations, calling for a comprehensive ban on landmines and c…
• Bains des Pâquis – A century-old public bathing complex on a stone jetty in the lake, offering lake swimming and sunbathing in summer, saunas and winter swimm…
• Carouge – A small town planned in the Turin style during the Kingdom of Sardinia era, dubbed 'the Greenwich Village of Geneva', with dense Italianate…
• Parc La Grange – One of the largest parks on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, where the terraced rose garden blooms with hundreds of varieties every June.
• Musée Ariana – The Swiss National Museum of Ceramics and Glass, housed in a neoclassical palace right beside the Palais des Nations park.
• Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva – A large botanical garden on the north shore of the lake, free to enter, with greenhouses, a rock garden and a small zoo that is great for f…
• Brunswick Monument – A Gothic monument beside the Mont-Blanc pier, modelled on a tomb in Verona, and one of the landmarks along the lakeshore.
• Cascades du Hérisson – A series of seven cascades along the Hérisson River valley in the Jura department of France, linked by riverside trails and a signature nat…

Where to eat

• Café de Paris (Chez Boubier) – The historic restaurant that created the famous "Café de Paris butter" in 1930, serving only one set steak menu, locate…
• Café du Soleil – A historic bistro on Place du Petit-Saconnex, famous for its Gruyère cheese fondue and widely regarded by locals as a b…
• Les Armures – A Swiss restaurant set in a 17th-century residence in the Old Town, serving cheese fondue year-round, just steps from S…
• La Buvette des Bains des Pâquis – An affordable lakeside eatery at Bains des Pâquis, popular with locals for its daily changing menu, sparkling wine chee…

Itineraries

• Classic Swiss Alps & Lakes: Zurich to Geneva – In via Zurich and out via Geneva, connecting Lucerne, Jungfrau, Zermatt, and Lake Geneva.
• Lyon, Annecy & Chamonix Rail & Bus Tour – Connect Lyon Old Town, Lake Annecy, and Mont Blanc without a car, departing from Geneva
• Geneva, Haute-Savoie Lakes & Mont Blanc Self-Drive Loop – Drive from the villages of Lake Geneva over the mountains to Mont Blanc, returning via the Col des Aravis to Annecy
• Lake Geneva Riviera & Gruyères – Travel east along the lake through the Lavaux Vineyards and Chillon Castle, and head to Gruyères for traditional cheese.