Destination Geneva
Geneva is situated in the heart of Europe and is one of the world's best known destinations. The city is at the tip of Lake Geneva which is Europe's biggest lake, and nestled between rolling hills, vineyards and snowcapped mountains. This smallest of the world's metropolises is a paradise for luxury shopping, high-end accommodation and is among the top three cities in the world in terms of quality of life. It is also referred as peace capital of the world, hosts more than 3500 events per year and in many ways is quite apart from the rest of Switzerland.
Known for being headquarters for many international organizations, Geneva also features the world's tallest fountain, the Jet d'Eau; Cathedrals, numerous museums and libraries, the University, the Opera and the Orchestra of the Suisse Romande. Visit the Horology Museum that highlights the importance of clock and watch making to the local economy, the Red Cross Museum or the Natural History Museum. Head to one of Geneva's spectacular rose gardens - Park La Grange, Promenade Gustave-Ador or the Park des Franchises - and contemplate and breathe in the incredible aroma.
The river Rhône bisects Geneva with the main train station in the North and the old part of the town in the South. The Île Rousseau is a good starting point for a scenic walk around the city. Pass by Rousseau's birthplace on the Grand-Rue in the medieval city on your way to the Place de Bourg-de-Four, Geneva's oldest square which once was a Roman forum. Take the Rue de la Fontaine to the shores of the lake and marvel at the Jet d'Eau's 140m plume. The St. Pierre Cathedral, composed of Gothic and Romanesque influences, is the cathedral where John Calvin preached in the Reformation. Climb the tower and take in the spectacular panorama of the entire city and lake. Relax in one of the many beautiful parks or gardens that skirt the lake shore.
Geneva is cosmopolitan, cultured, immaculate... and among Europe's most interesting cities to visit offering a wide variety of attractions and activities - too many to list here!
Discover Geneva
Due to Geneva's small size it is easy to get around this verdant city steeped in history. You will be leaving with a multitude of unforgettable memories and will long to come back soon. The charm of Geneva is hard to resist!
Geneva Card
The Geneva Pass entitles its holders to free entries, gifts and up to 50% off in places. It is one of the best value city cards in Europe for 1, 2 or 3 days.
Highlights
Take a peaceful walk along the spectacular waterfront through a few of Geneva's beautiful parks. Then head to Geneva's Old Town which is home to the St. Peters Cathedral, the Reformation Wall and the Museum of the Reformation. The many boutiques and cafés make for a lively ambiance. Carouge, Geneva's Mediterranean style "Greenwich Village", on the other side of the river. During the summer month you should not miss local culture by taking a refreshing swim at The Paquis Bath, Geneva's own city beach, with the best view of the Water Fountain. Geneva is also Switzerland 3rd largest winegrowing area, host of the Patek Philippe Museum and where scientists at the CERN are studying the mysteries of particle physics.
Mount Saleve
Hiking up the Saleve, the chain of hills that skirts Geneva in France
is a wonderful excursion. Riding a cable car is another way to sample
the mountain's incredible views of Geneva, the French Alps, and
the lake.
Berne - Capital of Switzerland
Berne, Switzerland's captivating Capital is only a 2 hour rail trip from Zurich. This is a city of medieval magic, listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Attractions include the famous clock tower, the newly recreated bear park - home to Berne's heraldic animals - and excellent shopping arcades.
Lausanne
Lausanne is a truly elegant city and less than an hour by train from Geneva, on Lake Geneva. Its hillside setting on the lake facing the Alps is truly spectacular. Lausanne is a university city with a vibrant student population. The Swiss Hotel School is located here, as well as the International Olympic Committee headquarters, which has a fascinating Museum on the Olympics with all kinds of exhibits and a library of Olympic videos.
Lavaux Wine Region UNESCO Heritage Site
This lovely area is just one hour away from Geneva was dedicated in 2007. For millenniums, the hills facing Lake Geneva and the Alps were uncultivated until man transformed them into vineyards. This region which is bursting with sunshine is eye-catching and captures the imagination. In order to grow terraced vines on these steep slopes for centuries, man had to show great patience and willpower.
Summer
Strolling
Environment - Parks
The word «urban district» is often used to call Geneva.
However you only have to fly over the City to notice that it has
very close links with the surrounding country-side and this gives
it the privileged position of having less pollution of any city
in Europe.
The City of Geneva is therefore deservedly called the city of parks.
Geneva has an area of 330 hectares of parks of which the following
are the most famous : La Grange, Les Eaux-Vives and Mon-Repos. Around
the shores of Lake Geneva, concrete walkways give way to trees and
lawns and making it another perfect area for strolling.
Swimming
Designated areas for swimming in Lake Geneva and sunbathing are
open May to September.
The city's most popular beach at Port-Noir offers a mutlitude of options. The Jura Mountains are a stunning
backdrop to the immaculate green lawns and flowerbeds. The facility
has a heated Olympic-size pool, a waterslide, basketball and volleyball
courts, a giant chessboard, and a landing stage for water skiing
and windsurfing.
Rafting
For rough-water action, there's Rafting
Geneva, across the Acacias Bridge from downtown. The company
runs daily canoeing, rafting, and hydrospeed trips, as well as paragliding
off Mount Saleve.
Winter
Famous Winter Resorts
Geneva is very close to the following famous winter resorts: Villars, Leysin, Champery, Chamonix, Megeve, St. Gervais and Avoriaz-Morzine. You will have the opportunity for all sorts of winter activities including: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, curling, ice climbing, sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoe trekking, snow tubing and zorbing.
Indoor sports facilities are readily available in Geneva including swimming, tennis, squash, bowling, fitness and much more.
Entertainment
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
There are some very nice streets in Geneva 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.
Dozens of watch stores, elegant fashion stores, department stores,
boutiques with top quality products. There's an excellent web site
by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry with lots of great information, including links to watch brands.
Events
Fete
de Geneve
Every year between late July and early August, Geneva welcomes a
huge popular festival where all kinds of people and nationalities
meet. Created in 1947 and now famous all over the world,
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.
The Music Festival offers hundreds of concerts of all types in Geneva streets, performed by local amateurs and well-known professionals.
Geneva's 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.
Geneva International Hot Air Balloons Fiesta
In March, 30 balloons will gather together above the city of Geneva,
a beautiful site highly appreciated by the world's best pilots.
Museums, International Organizations & Art
International Organizations
United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
Geneva has always been a friendly city and is very international. This
is confirmed by the presence on its soil of 17 international organizations,
around 150 non-governmental organizations (NGO's) and 140 permanent
missions to the United Nations and over 400 international companies.
The European home of the United Nations is located at the Palais
des Nations and the Museum of the League of Nations and the Rockerfeller
Library are just next to it. Geneva is also the founding city and
home to the International
Red Cross.
The Red Cross Museum shows photos, films, objects and documents are presented through audio-visual displays and computer terminals. The unique setting of the Today area plunges you into the thick of current actions and gives you access to the latest news from the field. 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.
Art Galleries
Geneva includes more than a 100 Art Galleries that are spread over the entire city.
How to get to Geneva
Geneva is located between the Alps and the Jura mountains, at the extreme south-west of Switzerland and almost completely encircled by France. It is the central cross-roads of Western Europe.
By plane...
Geneva holds a privileged geographical position and it is only one hour far from Paris or Milan by plane and less than two hours from London, Rome or Madrid. A train service every quarter of an hour whisks passengers to the city center in just ten minutes; the taxi journey takes about twenty minutes.
By rail...
Geneva is only 30 minutes from Lausanne or Annecy by taking the train and a little more than an hour from Bern, Lyon or Chamonix. Direct and frequent services to all the large Swiss cities and major European destinations guarantee a pleasant journey.
By car...
A well developed motorway network links Geneva with other large Swiss cities and neighboring France, ensuring shortest possible journey times.
Geneva is situated 272 km (111 miles) from Zurich, 240 km (miles) from Basel and 152 km (miles) from Bern. Travel time from Zurich is 3.5 hours by car and 3 hours by train
Geneva Hotels by MagicSwitzerland
Geneva is the most International Swiss city and offers over 130 hotels for most demanding visitors. We present you our favorites; selected because of quality and service or uniqueness. The highlighted links will get you to a detailed page of each hotel that includes pricing and room options. From there you will be able to send an e-mail directly to the hotel to make a reservation request:
The Hotel
Beau Rivage is a historic 5-star Hotel with 93 rooms. It
is located on the shores of Lake Geneva in the very heart of Geneva.
The hotel has a long tradition with royal personalities such as
"Sissi", the Empress of Austria, Peter of Russia, or Emperor
Akihito of Japan who among others have stayed there. Still today,
international politicians, celebrities and artists prefer the Beau
Rivage for its atmosphere of peaceful luxury. Read more...
The
Hotel EastWest is a small and intimate 4-star Boutique Hotel in close proximity to Lake Geneva and the city center. The Hotel EastWest features 41 rooms which are an attractive alternative to Geneva's bigger luxury hotels. All rooms at the Hotel EastWest feature luxurious amenities, state-of-the-art technology and thoughtful little extras including a bathroom with bathtub and extra large shower. Read more...
The
Hotel Tiffany is a chic and charming 4-star Boutique Hotel in close proximity to Geneva's most interesting leisure travel attractions. This Art Deco hotel was completely renovated in 2008 and is now offering 46 air conditioned rooms and suites which are elegantly decorated, combining comfort and technology. The Hotel Tiffany also features a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Read more...
The
Hotel Bristol is an elegant 4-star deluxe property in
the heart of Geneva. It features 100 rooms and is located only a
few steps from the lake and a short 5-minute walk to the railway
station. The Hotel Bristol has recently been renovated and easily
exceeds the Swiss standard of hospitality and a personalized service
in a sophisticate atmosphere that will make your stay in Geneva
a memorable experience. Read more...
After a complete renovation in 1999, the 4-star 
The Hotel Eden is a traditional 3-star hotel with 56 rooms overlooking
the beautiful Mon Repos Park. All rooms have been recently redecorated
and the hotel is famous for its warm and welcoming atmosphere. It
is located a few steps from the lake and the Botanical Garden and
close to the City center, the United Nations and other International
Organizations. Read more...
The Hotel Strasbourg is a renovated 3-star property located in the city center of Geneva. This hotel is only two minutes walking distance from the Geneva Railway Station, in the neighborhood of Switzerland's largest banks and few minutes away from Geneva Lake. The Hotel Strasbourg is an elegant hotel and due to its position offers many advantages in an exceptional location. Read more...
The Hotel Bernina is a traditional 3-star hotel with 77 rooms, including 5 family rooms for up to 4 adults, in the center of town across the railway station. The Hotel Bernina looks back on a long history of 80 years of experience to meet traveler's expectation and guarantee them personalized services. Read more...