Best things to do in Geneva
Take in the cultural attractions of this most urbane of European cities, wander the elegant streets, and then head down to the waterfront to relax and recharge your batteries.
Viewpoints and panoramas
Jet d’Eau: Iconic lakeside fountain that spurts a single jet of water an incredible 140m into the air; it’s quite the sight. Best spots for a photo are the Pont du Mont-Blanc and the Promenade du Lac alongside the lake’s left bank.
Mont Salève: Head out to the first ridge of the Alps rising southeast of Geneva, where a cable car whisks you to the summit and glorious views.
The best districts
Les Pâquis: Engaging street life abounds in this multiethnic district where restaurants serve cuisines from around the world.
Carouge: Its low Italianate houses and leafy streets now house fashion designers and small galleries, and the area’s reputation as an outpost of tolerance and hedonism lives on in its numerous cafés and music bars.
Museums
Musée de la Croix-Rouge: Museum-with-a-conscience whose interactive displays reveal how the Red Cross has helped to alleviate the suffering of conflict.
UN tour: Not a museum as such but a chance to see multinational diplomacy in action amid the halls and corridors of the UN’s European home.
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire: This gigantic museum covers, in encyclopedic fashion, the whole sweep of Western culture from antiquity to the present.
Parks and gardens
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques: Boasting 70 acres of gardens and one of the world’s largest collections of preserved plants.
Parc des Bastions: A tranquil area of shady greenery, enlivened by open-air games of chess that are played out in the shadow of the big gates onto the Place Neuve.
Parc la Grange: Beautiful riverside park where areas of expansive greenery are festooned with an astonishing 40,000 rose bushes.
Historical monuments
Cathédrale St-Pierre: Geneva’s Calvinist heritage is laid bare in the stark interior of this historic church.
Russian Church: Forming the focal point of a neighbourhood of grand townhouses known as Les Tranchées, this atmospheric church was built in 1863 with money donated by Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna Constancia, an aunt of Queen Victoria and a longtime Geneva resident.
Mur de la Réformation: A stark, 100m-long wall erected in 1917 and dominated by forbidding, 5m-high statues of the four major Genevan reformers: Guillaume Farel, first to preach the Reformation in Geneva; Jean Calvin, spiritual father of the city; Théodore de Bèze, successor to Calvin; and John Knox, founder of Scottish Presbyterianism.
Day trips in the area
Mont Salève: Even though it lies across the border in France this is the Genevois’ principal retreat into nature, with views over the city and the Jura hills in one direction and towards the Savoy Alps and Mont Blanc in the other.
Lausanne: Tiered above Lake Geneva and crowned by a stunning Gothic cathedral, Lausanne is a beautiful city with lively street life and some fascinating museums.
Activities for families in Geneva
Geneva is a terrific city for families, with plenty of activities - both land and water-bound - to keep kids entertained.
Interactive museums: At CERN, kids can experience the world’s largest science experiment, where physicists seek answers to fundamental questions about the universe - fun and educational.
Boat trips and rental: The CGN has plenty of cruises, starting from the Mont-Blanc jetty, including Les Belles Rives Genevoises – an hour-long circular tour of both lakeshores. Smaller companies ranged along both lakefronts offer more regular departures; just wander along until you see a trip you fancy.
Free things to do in Geneva
There is plenty for budget travellers, with its attractive lake, beautiful Old Town and many free galleries.
Markets: Visiting one of Geneva’s open-air markets is a must: the best is at Plaine de Plainpalais, a diamond-shaped plaza where a farmers’ market selling fruit and veg operates on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays; on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the space is given over to a busy flea market.
Self-guided walks: Pick up an audioguide from the tourist office, covering two informative routes, one through the Old Town and one through the international area. Official guided walks through the Old Town depart from the tourist office.
Free events: La Batie is a premier annual arts festival, held in late August until mid-September on the waterfront with theatre, street entertainers and music of all kinds. Each June Parc la Grange hosts the International New Roses Competition, and throughout the summer free music concerts are staged in the outdoor theatre.
Nature and outdoor activities in Geneva
Geneva’s lakeside setting and proximity to many mountain ranges make it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Canoeing and rafting: Rafting Genève runs canoeing, rafting and kayaking trips daily on the Arve’s 8km of rapids, as well as whitewater trips on the Dranse and elsewhere. They also rent canoes and kayaks and make tandem paragliding jumps off Mont Salève.
Hiking: Salève is a lovely hiking spot just a short bus ride away from the city centre – so close in fact that it’s known as Geneva’s local mountain even though it’s just across the border in France. More challenging are the Jura Mountains, also just across the border.
Skiing and snowboarding: Geneva is one of the main bases for trips into the neighbouring ski resorts of Chamonix and Les Gets - you can quite easily head off for a day’s skiing and be back in the city for dinner.
