Highlights

• Lake Geneva
• Jet d’Eau de Genève (Water Jet)
• L’Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock)
• Plage des Eaux-Vives (Beach)
• Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons in the English Garden
• Old Town Geneva
• Temple de la Madeleine- played a major role during the Reformation including Jean Calvin
• Fontaine Square
• St Pierre Cathedral
• Parc des Bastions
• Reformation Wall by Paul Landowski
• Place de Neuve
• Palais de l’Athénée
• Tavel House museum about Swiss urban life
• Musée Barbier-Mueller – artworks & artifacts from the tribal cultures & classical antiquity
• Musée d’Art et d’Histoire
• Museum Foundation Tatiana Zoubov– only open for guided tours on Wednesday and Friday evenings
• Musée Rath – beautiful building with changing exhibitions
• Museum of Far Eastern Art
• Victoria Hall for concerts
• Patek Philippe Watch Museum
• MEG – Musée d’ethnographie de Genève
• MAMCO Genève Modern Art Museum
• Cemetery of Kings (Plainpalais Cemetery)
• Muséum d’histoire naturelle (Natural History)
• Parc La Grange and Villa La Grange
• International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

Before you go

• Switzerland is expensive in general, so budget accordingly
• Geneva is not the capital of Switzerland but it is the second most populous city after Zurich
• Most shops are closed on Sundays, except for a few near the rail station
• French is the most commonly spoken language in this area, but in Switzerland people often speak a mix of German, Swiss German, French, Italian and English
• Geneva is Genève in French
• The United Nations has a large building in Geneva
• For longer distance trains, it is often cheaper to book in advance
• Public transport around the city is convenient and affordable
• Weather is generally moderate, and colder in the winter, warmer in the summer
• Be prepared for sudden rain especially during the winter
• Lake Geneva is huge and extends far beyond the city. It’s a great place to take walks
• Although I didn’t find particular foods from Geneva, I recommend to try Swiss cheeses, local breads and chocolates
• The Geneva Conventions are a set of international laws that govern how civilians and soldiers should be treated during war
• In 1863, the Red Cross was established in Geneva and now it is an international organisation

Transport

• Geneva airport is located about 6 kilometres north of Geneva.
• I recommend getting the tpg+ app for local transport, as then you can buy your tickets on your phone. However, there are machines at larger stops and stations.
• For trains, use the SBB app or you can buy tickets at machines at the station. Be sure you choose the full fare if you do not have a resident discount card

Accommodation

• If possible, try to stay near the Old Town. It is a beautiful area and offers great access to places of interest and Lake Geneva. Luckily, I was visiting a friend who lived right in the middle of the Old Town.
• As usual I recommend checking hotel reviews on Google Reviews or using AirBnB

Food

Restaurants

Nearby my friend’s place was a friendly restaurant called Crêperie du Molard. They had a great selection of savoury and sweet crepes, and I had a Florentine (spinach and egg) crepe for lunch.

We tried the vegetarian platter from L’As du Falafel, and it was very tasty with a lot of food. However, for actual vegetarians, they may want to keep an eye on the preparation. The guy wiped the pitta bread on the greasy meat before grilling it.

Bains des Pâquis are the baths located on the lake, and there is a restaurant/bar located there. You can order wine, cakes, snacks or a full meal. I ended up having chocolate cake and wine. It’s a fun location with a nice view.

Bakeries and Sweets

Auer Chocolate is a chocolatier in Geneva, and it offers fine chocolates. They are delicious but pricey.

Guillaume Bichet pâtisserie is one of the best in the area, and offers beautiful patisserie. My friend bought some during the day so we could enjoy them for dessert after dinner.

On a Sunday, it was a pleasant surprise to find A. Pougnier patisserie open with a variety of tasty pastries.

While I was running around Geneva, I stopped for patisseries at Boulangerie de Montchoisy and Martel pâtisserie and chocolaterie.

Another place to visit for culinary delights is the Halle de Rive, which is an indoor and outdoor market. There are plenty of prepared foods as well as unusual ingredients such as pigeons.