Destination: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Geneva, Switzerland is one of the world's major centers of international diplomacy, having served as the site of the initial headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross before that. Although the United Nations is now headquartered in New York, the organization still retains a large presence in Geneva at the Palais des Nations and many of its sister/child organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF have their world headquarters here.

Geneva is officially a French-speaking city, although with the large international presence English takes a close second. Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and Arabic speakers abound, and of course you will also occasionally hear Swiss German, and Italian.

UNDERSTAND GENEVA

In 1536 a young man named Jean Calvin, fleeing Catholic persecution in France, spent a night in Geneva- the city he ended up spending his life in. After being expelled from Geneva for nearly three years, Calvin returned triumphantly in 1541 to help elevate the city to the rank of a «Protestant Rome ». The intellectual influence of the Reformation extended to all realms of Genevan life: politics, economy and administration.

Geneva was an independent republic from at least the 16th century until it became a Swiss Canton on 31 December, 1813. This is a point of some pride to the Genevois, who still refer to their Canton as the Republique et Canton de Genève. A favorite festival is the yearly celebration of the Escalade, which commemorates a failed attempt in 1602 by the forces of the Dukes of Savoy to invade the city by climbing and otherwise breaching the city walls. Having turned aside this invasion attempt at the cost of only 16 lives, Geneva had secured its liberty, since the House of Savoy was never again strong enough on this side of the Alps to attempt such an invasion.

Geneva is still a very proud city. Some find it downright stuffy although there is quite a bit more life to be found if you look under the surface, especially if you speak some French.

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THINGS TO SEE IN GENEVA

Landmarks

Jet d'Eau, the Rade (visible from most of the Lac Leman waterfront). 10AM-11PM, all year round. One of the crowning symbols of Geneva is the monumental Jet d'Eau, a fountain of water pumped 140 meters into the air. The spectacular plume was once an occasional pressure release for hydro-power generation on the Rhone River, but people liked it so much that in 1891 the city created a permanent pumped fountain. It's beautifully lit at night. Best viewed from a distance -- the surrounding half a kilometer is soaked with water. Free.
Cathedrale St-Pierre, Place St. Pierre (At the highest point in the Old Town). The new Espace Saint Pierre pass includes entrance to all three sites of Cour Saint-Pierre, a noteworthy space of unique spiritual and cultural importance. The Cathedral and its towers, which both embody the high point of the Reformed tradition and explore the origins of Christianity with an extensive archaeological site, are now complemented by the International Museum of the Reformation, on the ground floor of the Maison Mallet. An underground passage, reopened when the Museum was created, connects the two buildings.
Nearby, the Auditoire, where Calvin taught, completes a complex that is both representative of the past and open to current questions. The new Espace Saint-Pierre thus aims to contribute to our understanding of today’s world – between tradition and modernity, cultural experimentation and spiritual practice. These three buildings invite the visitor to explore the city’s history. Religious denominations aside, Espace Saint Pierre represents a spirit that continues to guide the city and citizens of Geneva today.
Palais des Nations. Originally built to house the League of Nations, the Palais is worth visiting just to take in the magnificent Assembly Hall, in addition to the large collection of public art, the library, and the landscaped grounds.

Museums and Galleries

International Museum of the Reformation. Installed on the ground floor of the magnificent Maison Mallet (next to Saint-Pierre Cathedral), this new Museum presents the main spiritual and cultural elements of the Reformation. Unique objects, manuscripts, rare books, engravings and paintings illustrate the close ties between Geneva and the Reformation. State-of-the-art technology welcomes a modern audience: films, a music room and demonstrations, including many for children, invite visitors to both rediscover the past and imagine the future.
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.
Musee ARIANA. Occupying a big chunk of what would otherwise be the UN campus, the Ariana Museum offers a huge collection (16,000 pieces) of ceramics from around Europe and the far East.
Musee d'Art Moderne et Contemporain. Late modern, post-modern, and contemporary works by internationally known artists, as well as a special collection of Swiss conceptual work.
Musee d'Histoire naturelle. Geneva has a nice museum which is worth a visit, especially if you have youth and children. And it's free for all.

Telepherique du Salève. Just over the French Border, this high alpine ridge has a stunning view of Mt. Blanc and the Lake Geneva area and miles of walking trails. A cute little corner shop in Pas de l'Echelle Village (France) sells about 100 varieties of French cheeses and is open on Sundays. Don't forget your passport.

Events

March Motor Show (best in Europe)
June Bol D'Or Yacht Race (biggest in Europe)
June Fête de la Musique. For three days in June (the next edition will take place the 22-23-24 June 2007) the whole City of Geneva is a stage. Actually there are on the order of 40 of them. The musical offerings include children's choirs, punk rock, chamber orchestras, jam bands, avant-guard jazz, klezmer, and drum & bass DJs .. hopefully you get the idea. The venues are as diverse as the music, with stages inside and out of l'Usine, Parc des Bastions, and even Cathedral St. Pierre. And it's absolutely FREE, every single show.
August Fete de Geneve (week long party including best fireworks display in Europe)
December L'Escalade

Parks

It's worth taking at least a day to explore the green places of Geneva, of which there are quite a few, not the least because some of the more interesting parts of town are between those green places. There are a number of suggested promenades for which there are maps available at the tourist office on the Ile de la Machine.

Parc des Bastions. Entrance at Place Neuve, or just down rue St. Leger from Place Bourg de Four. This lovely tree lined park which is home to the liberal arts campus of the University of Geneva features giant chessboards and even larger statues of Geneva's Calvinist founding fathers, and it's directly between the old town and Plain de Plainpalais, so it makes a good transitional area for exploring. Free WiFi access in the whole park.
Parc des Eaux Vives. Entrance at the far end of Rue des Eaux Vives and the number 2 bus line. There´s also a boat dock, with service from the Pâquis. This park offers promenades and views over the lake of the U.N. campus and the Palais des Nations. Geneva beach is at the end furthest from the city, on the lakefront.
Bois de la Bâtie Just over the river Arve from Jonction. Most of this woodsy bluff has been left in a more-or-less natural state, though there are walking trails around the edges. The trails connect eventually with a sidewalk which crosses a railroad bridge to the St. Jean neighborhood. There is also a small zoo at the western edge of the woods.

SHOPPING IN GENEVA

Chocolate can be bought at any number of specialty stores, but the stuff at the grocery is just as good for a fraction of the price (1-3 CHF a bar). Meanwhile, if you have a place to prepare meals the grocery stores in Switzerland offer the best possible dining deal for your money. For many fresh foods you'll pay a lot more than you are accustomed to paying in the U.S. or Britain.

Wine and spirits cost much less than in Anglophone countries, and the local stuff is particularly cheap, and not just drinkable but quite good. Some say that the only reason Swiss wines are not well known internationally is that the Swiss drink all of it.

Shopping for clothing and accessories can be disappointing in Geneva. Most offerings are usually expensive and uninteresting, unless you're really after that floor-length purple fur coat with the rhinestone trim. Geneva is home to several watch manufacturers, and there are many jewelers and horologers with a great selection.

If you are interested in taking or sending home some outwardly Swiss souvenirs you can certainly find them in Geneva, mainly along the main streets leading down to the lake from Gare Cornavin. There are also a couple of good spots on the other side of the lake near the end of the Mont Blanc bridge. You should be able to easily find at reasonable prices:

Cuckoo clocks (in fact originally from southern Germany and produced in Hongkong... but who cares!)
Swiss Army Knifes, with Wenger and Victorinox being the two most well-known brands
Almost any sort of object with a cow or a Swiss flag printed on it
Pinocchio Jouets. If there is someone small traveling with you, or waiting back home you should consider a visit to Pinocchio in the old-town, where you'll find a huge collection of toys and games which you might not be able to find back home including, for example, a very cute if unlikely escargot à bascule or rocking snail.

TRIPS OUT OF GENEVA

Swiss destinations are almost all served by the CFF from the central train station (Gare Cornavin) while ski resorts in the French alps and the Jura can be reached by bus from the central bus station off of Rue de Mont Blanc or from SNCF's Gare des Eaux Vives. The price of the bus ticket often covers ski lift tickets as well, be sure to ask.

Here are just a few places which make a good day trip from Geneva:

Lausanne
Montreux
Chamonix
Evian
Annecy

For more information on Geneva, visit the source at Wikitravel

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Geneva, Switzerland