Geneva Attractions and Activities
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Geneva, the smallest of the world's metropolises, is a world for everyone: quiet apart from the rest of Switzerland and though "urban", a city with many green places. Geneva, deservedly called the city of parks, a perfect destination for strolling and shopping, but also offering numerous other activities and attractive sights within city limits as well as in the Lake Geneva Region. This page provides information about Geneva's highlights.
Excursions: >> Mountain ExcursionsCity Excursionsother Excursions
Mountain Excursions:
Mt. Saleve (1,380 m / 4,526 ft):
Half-day excursion. The Salève, "Genevans’ mountain" is located in nearby France! Just a few steps from the Veyrier border, the cable car brings you to the top within five minutes. Mt. Saleve is a kingdom for lovers of nature, fresh air, fauna and flora, and offers a unique panorama over Geneva, its quais and the lake, with the Jura mountains as a backdrop. Moreover, its southern side offers an incomparable view of the Alps and the Mont Blanc. Mt. Salève is a paradise for strollers and a favorite venue for climbers, mountain bikers, paragliders, and delta wingers, and in winter for cross-country skiers.
Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m / 12,602 ft):
Full-day excursion (approx. 2.5 hours by train / 100 minutes by coach from Geneva to Chamonix). This rocky peak close to the Mont Blanc is reached from Chamonix in 20 minutes by a two-stage cable car. The summit offers unique panoramic views of the Chamonix Valley and major peaks of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.
Mer de Glace - Montenvers (1,913 m / 6,275 ft):
Full-day excursion (approx. 2.5 hours by train / 100 minutes by coach from Geneva to Chamonix). A comfortable electric rack-railway conveys passengers from Chamonix to Montenvers, vantage point with fine views of the "Mer de Glace". This magnificent glacier is 7 km (4.4 miles) long and an average of 1.2 km (0.75 miles) large.
City Excursions:
Lausanne - Olympic Capital:
Half- or Full-day excursion (approx. 35 minutes by train from Geneva). Lausanne is one of Switzerland's secret destinations, renowned for its elegance, the historic Old Town with the well preserved Gothic Cathedral and the Olympic Committee headquarters. Lausanne is a city waiting to be discovered at every turn: monuments, architecture, flower-bedecked quays, parks and gardens. The city hosts two dozen museums of note - remarkable certainly the Collection de l'Art Brut and the Olympic Museum.
Montreux - City of the Swiss Riviera:
Half or Full-day excursion (approx. 1 hour by train from Geneva). This attractive excursion takes you along the shores of Lake Geneva through the beautiful terraced vineyards of Lavaux that are part of the UNESCO world heritage. While in Montreux, you want to consider visiting one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Switzerland, the Chateau de Chillon: in the 13th century this castle was built in a unique setting on the shores of Lake Geneva, and today also serves as a typical postcard souvenir from Switzerland.
Bern - Switzerland's captivating Capital:
Full-day excursion (approx. 110 minutes by train from Geneva). Founded in 1191, this is a city of medieval magic, listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Attractions of Bern include several historic sites such as the famous Clock Tower, the bearpits (home to the city's heraldic animals), the House of Parliament, the Paul Klee Center, the Swiss Alpine Museum, and excellent shopping arcades. Consider returning to Geneva from Bern via Thun (incl. stopover) and taking the Golden Pass scenic train from Spiez through the Simmental Valley via Zweisimmen and Gstaad to Montreux(or vice versa).
Other Excursions / Sights:
Excursions by Coach:
Visitors to Geneva staying several days, and not intending to move on to other destinations, find it attractive to discover other parts of Switzerland (and neighboring France) making daily excursions by coach. There are various itineraries - short excursions to explore the Geneva countryside, excursions including mountain resorts and peaks such as Gstaad with Glacier 3000 or Chamonix with Aiguille du Midi, city excursions to Lausanne, Montreux or Bern, or special interest excursions to visit a cheese or chocolate factory, or a Christmas Market.
Guided City Tours:
The Geneva Tourist Office organizes a range of guided tours that allow you to discover the city and its history, its lifestyle, and of course its multicultural and cosmopolitan riches. There are various options to discover Geneva's must see locations and hidden treasures on foot, by bus or by mini-train, accompanied by a professional guide. Contact the tourist office upon arrival to choose your tour depending on time and interests.
Lake Geneva Cruises:
CGN - the "Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman" offers numerous cruises throughout the year; point-to-point cruises as well as special events round-trip cruises (e.g. New Year's Eve Cruise or Swiss National Day Cruise). Enjoy the scenery with the impressive Alps and the Riviera while on a gourmet lunch cruise.
Jet d'eau (Water Fountain):
In 1891, the City of Geneva decided to install the "Jet d'eau" where it is today, on the Rade, together with electric lighting, and over the years, this water fountain has grown to be the symbol of Geneva. To project half a cubic meter of water per second up to 140 meters (460 ft) high requires two powerful groups of motor pumps representing a global weight of over 16 tons and a total power of close to 1000 kilowatts, fed by an electric tension of 2400 volts. The water is drawn in a circular water-sump and is directed towards an exit pipe where the speed reaches 200 km/h (130 miles per hour).
Flower Clock:
A symbol of the Geneva watch industry of world renown, the famous flower clock, located at the edge of the Jardin Anglais (English Garden) since 1955, is a masterpiece of technology and floral art. Formerly only decorative with its sole dial comprising over 6,500 flowers, the new millennium provided it with decisive artistic dimensions thanks to the ingenuity of the gardeners of the Service of Green Spaces and the Environment. It is now composed of eight concentric circles, the colours of which vary with the seasons and the plants which make up the display. The seconds hand of Geneva's Flower Clock is the largest in the world (it is more than 2.5 meters long)!
St. Peter's Cathedral:
The first phase of the cathedral’s construction dates back to the year 1160. Many events, including a series of fires, led to restorations and reconstructions, modifying its original design. Then, in the middle of the 16th century, the advent of the Reformation, with its philosophy of austerity, upset the entire interior of the building as all ornaments were removed and the coloured decors whitewashed. Only the stained glass windows were spared. You will also be charmed by the Clémence, the queen of the bells, weighing over 6 tons and hoisted to this very tower in 1407. 157 steps lead to the summit of the cathedral’s north tower and to a fabulous panorama overlooking the city and the lake.
United Nations Building:
Constructed between 1929 and 1936 to house the League of Nations, the "Palais des Nations" became the headquarters of the United Nations in 1946 when the former organisation was dissolved. The vast wooded park overlooking the lake, where it is located, was donated by the City of Geneva. Today, and after the completion of a new wing in 1973, it is the second most important center of the United Nations after New York. Its surface is that of the Palais de Versailles and its Assembly Room, seating 2,000, is as large as the Paris Opera House.
Sports: >> Summer SportsWinter Sports
Summer Sports:
Strolling:
Geneva's close links with the surrounding country-side give it the privileged position of having less pollution of any city in Europe. In addition, Geneva has an area of 330 hectares of green places, parks and gardens such as La Grange, Les Eaux-Vives or Mon-Repos. Therefore, Geneva is an attractive destination for strolling around - along the shores of Lake Geneva, or on the Grand-Rue in the Old Town on to the Place de Bourg-de-Four, Geneva's oldest square (once a Roman forum), and relax in one of the many beautiful parks or gardens. There are a number of suggested promenades for which there are maps available at the tourist office.
Watersports:
Geneva's location on the shores of Lake Geneva invite to all kind of sports activities in and on the water. Designated areas for swimming and sunbathing are open May through September. The city's most popular public beach at Port-Noir offers several options: a heated Olympic-size pool, a waterslide, basketball and volleyball courts, a giant chessboard, and a landing stage for water skiing and windsurfing. There are numerous nautic clubs offering various sports such as water skiing, yachting, sailing, wind surfing and scuba diving.
River Rafting:
A tingle of excitement is inevitable when boarding one of these huge sausage-like craft. Duly strapped in your isothermic suit, you are ready to paddle down on the Arve River - 8 km (5 miles), 6 waterfalls and rapids, duration 3 hours. Although calm and safe, this ride ensures immense pleasure and unforgettable memories. It is organised in Geneva between the Pont de Sierne and the Jonction by several specialised agencies.
Cycling:
Geneva is a great city to getting around by bicycle. Except for the Old Town, the city is fairly flat, and though there are some streets that are dangerous to ride, there is almost always a safe, fast route. Urban and suburban Geneva boasts a large network of cycling lanes and signposted itineraries to discover the sights and lovely scenery of Geneva’s surrounding countryside in a leisurely, ecological, healthy and invigorating manner. During summer months, there's a Free Bike Loan.
Other Summer Sports
include indoor sports such as Badminton, Squash and Tennis, Billard, Pool and Bowling, and Fitness; outdoor leisure activities such as Fishing, Horseback Riding, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Minigolf or Mountain-Biking; or adventure sports such as Climbing or Paragliding.
Winter Sports:
Geneva is not known as a destination for great winter sports - however, several mountain resorts are located within 1 - 2 hours driving distance in the nearby French Alps, such as the famous ski resorts of Chamonix, Megeve and Avoriaz-Morzine, and there also are smaller resorts offering all sorts of winter sports activities including: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, curling, ice climbing, sledding, cross country skiing and snowshoe trekking. The popular Swiss resorts in the Bernese Oberland, the Alps Vaudoise and the Valais are within 2 - 3 hours driving distance.
Ski Resorts near Geneva:
La Dole (Swiss Jura mountains); 1 hour by car from Geneva
Lélex-Crozet and Mijoux-La Faucille (French Jura mountains); 1 hour by car from Geneva
Samoëns (French Alps - Le Giffre region); 1.25 hour by car from Geneva
Flaine (French Alps - Le Giffre region); 1.75 hour by car from Geneva
Les Gets (French Alps - Portes-du Soleil region); 1 hour by car from Geneva
Avoriaz (French Alps - Portes-du Soleil region); 1.75 hour by car from Geneva
St. Gervais (French Alps - Mont Blanc region); 1 hour by car from Geneva
Combloux (French Alps - Mont Blanc region); 1.25 hour by car from Geneva
Megeve (French Alps - Mont Blanc region); 1.5 hour by car from Geneva
Chamonix (French Alps - Mont Blanc region); 1.5 hour by car from Geneva
Other Wintersports
include indoor sports such as Badminton, Squash and Tennis, Billard, Pool and Bowling, Fitness and swimming (indoor pools); outdoor leisure activities such as Hiking and Ice Skating (two outdoor and two indoor ice rinks).
Go Out: (Dining / Entertainment Nightlife)
As can be expected in any larger city, Geneva offers a large variety of eating and drinking options. In fact, there are more than 50 restaurants featured in the Guide Michelin or with GaultMillau, making Geneva the culinary capital of Switzerland. Haute cuisine restaurants and bistros with classic or innovative cuisine attract a remarkable number of people, and despite all the enthusiasm for the new and unknown, the people of Geneva don’t forget their traditional dishes.
After dinner, you find numerous nightlife options such as movie theatres, bars, discos, dancings and nightclubs spread all over the city.
Opera House:
The Geneva Opera House is without doubt one of the best known in Switzerland and indeed Europe. A varied program has made it one of the city's most-frequented cultural institution. Its reputation has grown steadily throughout the world ever since it opened in 1876.
Shopping:
Despite its small size, Geneva rivals London and Paris as a major shopping destination in Europe. Geneva specializes in the finer things in life and, though they are not cheap, the selection is staggering and makes for world class window shopping. Geneva is a shopper's paradise - with a myriad of boutiques and department stores, this city offers something for everyone. Geneva is the watch capital of the world, a center for exquisite jewelry, and a place to find high quality Swiss and imported items. There are some very nice streets which are a must for shoppers: Rue Basses, Rue du Rhone, Rue de la Confédération, Rue du Marché, Rue de la Croix-d'Or and Rue du Mont-Blanc.
Opening Hours:
Major stores and specialist shops are open Monday to Wednesday from 9 AM to 7 PM, to 9 PM on Thursday, to 7:30 PM on Friday and on Saturdays until 6 PM.
Most shops are closed on Sundays.
Markets:
In Geneva, there's some kind of market on every day (except on Sundays) - fruits and vegetables, craftsmen or a flea market; ask for details at the tourist office upon arrival, or click on this Link for more details.
Events:
International Motor Show: (in March)
The largest fair of its kind in Europe with car-makers of the whole world, the Geneva International Motor Show is acknowledged by the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) as the only annual fair in Europe. Considered as the most open and representative car exhibition in the world, it always displays a large range of premieres, news and prototypes in the individual cars, bodywork and accessories fields.
Exhibition of Inventions: (in April)
The world most important fair for inventors with over 700 exhibitors presenting more than 1,000 inventions and products. Industrial and commercial companies, universities, inventors and researchers, associations, private and state organisms and institutes, present their inventions, the results oftheir research and their new products.
Bol d'Or: (in June)
Organised for the first time in 1939, the Bol d’Or has become the most important World regatta on an inland lake. A large and popular nautical festival, the Bol d’Or is one of the great classics of the international regatta agenda. Each year, champions from all over Europe meet on the starting line, in the company of nearly six hundred sailboats.
Geneva Festival: (late July / early August)
Geneva welcomes a huge popular festival where all kinds of people and nationalities meet. Created in 1947, it has become the biggest annual tourist event in Switzerland and now ia famous all over the world. The Geneva Festival is made of several entertainment areas located around the lake to satisfy fans of fun fairs, music of all types, humorists, night-clubbing, folklore, popular balls, fashion, global gastronomy, etc. The musical fireworks are undoubtedly the grand finale of the Festival, a fantastic show let off by the world's most famous firework manufacturers who put the lake on fire.
Museums:
Geneva hosts about 50 museums; the various collections cater for all interests, be it archaeology, ethnography, nature, fine arts, applied arts, science or technology - we just mention the highlights... In addition to the Center for Contemporary Art (s. below), Geneva also offers numerous Art Galleries - about 60 that are spread over the entire city.
Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross:
The Museum of the I.C.R.C. is one of the best in Europe, providing detailed photographic and other physical evidence of the I.C.R.C.'s service to humanity during countless wars and natural disasters. The displays are striking and affecting, but somehow manage to avoid taking sides. The museum shows photos, films, objects and documents are presented through audio-visual displays and computer terminals. The Café Dunant is a multimedia area which provides information on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in an interactive and entertaining way.
Horology Museum:
The Patek Philippe Museum exhibits important collections of horology and enamelling of Genevese, Swiss and European origin, dating from the 16th to the 20th century. A fascinating presentation including a great number of masterpieces that have left their mark on the history of horology. Audiovisual multilingual presentations of selected masterpieces animate the exhibit. A library entirely dedicated to horology and its related subjects documents these historic collections which are essentially composed of watches, musical automata and portrait miniatures painted on enamel as well as the Genevabased firm’s prestigious creations since its foundation in 1839.
International Museum of the Reformation:
The International Museum of the Reformation retraces the history of the Reformation movement initiated by John Calvin. Through objects, books, manuscripts, paintings, engravings and state-of-the-art audio-visuals, the museum recounts the epic history of a movement that was born in Geneva in the 16th century and became one of the main families of Christianity. An underground passageway connects the museum to the archaeological site under the Saint-Pierre cathedral and its towers.
Natural History Museum:
The largest museum of natural history of Switzerland (with over 8,000 m2 of exhibit space, more than 200,000 visitors annually and a renowned staff of scientists) is also a regional favorite cultural attraction, for children in particular. Don't miss the reconstruction of Lucy, the dinosaurs' podium or the dioramas of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Temporary exhibitions notably on scientific challenges of the future, on current and environmental issues are regularly presented to the public.
Art and History Museum:
Erected between 1903 and 1910 and designed as an encyclopedic museum, it covers the whole of western culture, from its origins to the present days. Its three sectors comprise Archaeology (prehistoric, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman); Fine Arts (some 400 paintings from the Renaissance to modern times, and sculptures by artists such as Houdon, Pradier, Rodin, Arp, Giacometti, Tinguely, etc.); Applied Arts (objects from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, such as furniture, textiles, pewterware, arms and armor).
Center for Contemporary Art:
Founded in 1974 as the Kunsthalle of Geneva, the "Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève" was the first contemporary art institution in Suisse Romande. This museum has anticipated trends in contemporary art and has discovered many talents, presenting many now renowned Swiss and international artists at the beginning of their careers (Pipilotti Rist, Thomas Scheibitz, Shirana Shabazi and Gary Webb amongst others). With its program of exhibitions, performances and multimedia events, the Center attempts to satisfy the growing public interest in art with its innovative agenda. It provides a unique forum for artists to reflect upon and experiment with the multi faceted aspects of culture. The Center also houses an art reference library with over 3000 works, as well as the children's workshop with support from Firmenich.
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