Geneva has tons of offering for tourists. In one of my previous posts, I wrote about making the best of a business trip. This was one of those trips.
Geneva is truly a global city. It’s a financial centre, and hub for international diplomacy. It boasts of numerous international organizations. The Geneva convention brought this city into prominence. The city is often referred to as the “Peace Capital.” If you have a very limited time in Geneva, here are a few places you must visit. This is for summer only. This is a french speaking part of Switzerland, so get your Bonjour and your Au Revoir’s ready.
The most famous Geneva Landmark is the Jet d’Eau which is a large fountain that rises up to an altitude of 140 metres. Unsuspecting visitors to the fountain(which includes your’s truly)—may be surprised to find themselves drenched after a slight change in wind direction.
The next famous part of Geneva is Lake Geneva and one of the best things to do is to take a cruise around Lake Geneva and look at some spectacular settings. Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is its popularly known runs in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and its beauty is unquestionable.
One of the most enjoyable thing to do in Geneva is to take the small train and take a ride into old town. The buildings are right out of fairy tales and lead you back into 18th Century Europe with fantastic architecture and charming fountains everywhere. It’s as enjoyable as all the tourist books make it out to be.
For fantastic panoramic view of Geneva, you must visit the St. Pierre Cathedral. Inside the church is a wooden chair used by Calvin. There are a flight of stairs that lead you to the rooftop and gives you unrestricted views of the city. I wish I had time to do that this time around, but I know I’ll be back for this.
One of the best things to do in the summer is to chill before the ‘Reformation Wall’. The wall honours many of the main individuals, events, and documents of the Protestant Reformation by depicting them in statues. It is in the grounds of the University of Geneva. This is a great place for a family.
How can any one come to Switzerland and not go on a window shopping spree to luxury watch makers and swiss chocolate places. Rue du Rhone, is one of the most expensive streets in Europe. It’s not hard to see why. This is definitely a must do. Just make sure you wear shoes and a decent t-shirt if you want to be taken seriously on this street.
Swiss Army Knives are known all around the world and Victorinox is almost ubiquitous with it. The Victorinox flagship store in Geneva houses an amazing collection of Swiss Army knives which is sure to blow your socks away (and then hopefully, fix the socks as well).
In the limited time that I had I missed a lot of other places like the Patek Philippe Museum, The CERN university, Museum of Natural History. You should plan to spend at least 3 days in Geneva soaking up the culture.
Some more essential reading on Geneva.
Tripadvisor tips for Geneva : http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g188057-Activities-Geneva.html
Geneva Info : http://www.geneva.info/
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