A CITY THAT FITS ITS SEAT AS A WORLDWIDE CENTER FOR DIPLOMACY

I wasn’t originally planning to go to Geneva but a hostel mate encouraged me to cut back to Lyon after Zurich before heading to Brussels. Geneva was on the way, so I added the stop.

The city is charming and easy to spend a day in; I spent three nights there - and that was more than needed, though I was grateful for a couple of days to sit around and rest. It’s a city built along a lake, though I thought it wasn’t as well integrated or beautiful as Lake Zurich had been in Zurich. It’s a compact, densely professional city that feels like a center for diplomacy and global collaboration; it somehow seems like a natural fit to be the world’s “peace capital.”

It’s also very expensive; even my diet of pasta and bread with hummus broke my budget.

SIT AROUND LAKE GENEVA

Lake Geneva and its enormous fountain (Jet d’Eau) are the center point of the city and what your eyes will naturally be drawn to throughout. As you walk along the lake, there are a lot of benches and small park spaces, so it’s easy to sit and look out. If you head to Parc de La Grange, there’s also a small beach section near there and is, I think, the nicest place to sit and enjoy the lake in the city.

I think if I hadn’t just spent a few days in Zurich, I would’ve been more enthralled by Lake Geneva.

EXPLORE GENEVA’S DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS

What I’ll remember most about Geneva is how different the neighborhoods felt. The Old Town and its cobblestone streets, where you’ll get to visit the quiet but stunning St. Pierre Cathedral, have an old-world charm that is more pristine and preserved that in much of Europe. Carouse, an Italian-styled district that used to be its own town, feels more like a small village in Italy and offers a very different flavor of quaint. And then there’s Quartier does Grottes - which feels shockingly out of place. Housing about 10% of Geneva’s population, full of a younger, more chaotic energy than the rest of the city, the buildings of Les Grottes remind of Gaudi’s more eccentric work in Barcelona - full of bright color pops, curvy building patterns, and otherworldly stairs. The incongruence of the city’s districts can be both shocking and delightful.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Geneva is full of museums, so you’ll have lots of options for art, history, and science exhibits. If you find yourself with an extra day, you can take a day trip to Lausanne or the Lavaux wineries.