Top 10 things to do in Geneva

Geneva is by far one of the most beautiful and original cities I have visited until now. Each and every day convinces me that this is where I want to finish my masters. There is just such a unique atmosphere; everyone just concentrates on what they want to do and I feel like it is easier to get what you need to get done. Anyway back to the touristic side, luckily Geneva is very small - therefore there is a lot to see but it is all in the vicinities. I reckon if you are in Geneva for only a few days then that is all you really need to see the majority of Geneva. This post will be concentrating on the top 10 things to do in Geneva, but my next post will be more of a top 10 things to see, so keep tuned on my blog.

Walk in Eaux-Vives

I am someone who absolutely adores walking around, enjoying the views, taking photos of interesting architecture and simply taking it all in. One of the most picturesque walks have been down from the Jardin Anglais (starting at the Mont Blanc bridge) all the way to Parc de Cologny. This whole stretch is beautiful; you will pass the Jet d’eau, which is the symbolic fountain of Geneva. It is at it’s best when there is sun as you can sometimes see a rainbow and it is absolutely stunning! From Eaux-vives you will also be able to take the mouettes which is the boat that crosses the lake across to different destinations. This line will take you directly to Paquis and it is a good way to view Geneva from a different perspective.

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Walk in the Jardin Botanique

I went through the Jardin botanique with my boyfriend the first time and it was such a fun experience. It is free entry and open in the winter from 8AM-17PM and in the summer time it closes at 19. 30PM. There is so much to discover here; there is the most important library for botanical sciences, the base of CJB (the scientists that research about the study of plants), tropical greenhouses, a rock garden and numerous amounts of flowers and trees which flower all year round. The walk is pretty fascinating and definitely a must see if you come to Geneva. You can also stroll back to the center of Geneva from the botanical garden, which is a 20-30 minute walk along the side of the lake but it is incredibly beautiful!

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Have a Fondue at "La Buvette des Bains"

La Buvette des Bains is a restaurant/buffet located on the lake next to the popular beach “Bains des Pâquis”. It is reviewed the best place to go and have a Fondue in Geneva, therefore you cannot leave without trying it. It is a very casual and easy place you can just go and have a quick lunch at. The fondue itself costs 23 CHF for one but I have shared it between 3 before. It is in a star location meaning that it is easily accessible by boat (from Eaux-Vives to Port Paquis) or by bus to Mont-Blanc and walk along the lake for 6-8 minutes. My next blog will be about La Buvette des Bains, so for more and in-depth details check it out in the “places section” on my profile.

Take a boat trip to view the Mont Blanc

Another thing that you must do when you come to Geneva is taking the boat to see the Mont Blanc. I know this may sound like a very touristy thing to do but I promise the view is spectacular. The tour takes 50 minutes and it goes around the lake of Geneva giving you an amazing 360° view of this beautiful city and you can see the Mont Blanc in a secondary plan which is absolutely breathtaking.

Enjoy the view from Mont Salève

Taking the funicular up to the Mont Salève is something you must do if you have enough time in Geneva. You take the bus n. 8 from Cornavin station to Veryier-Douane and walk 5 minutes. An adult ticket costs 8. 30 euros and a reduced student ticket costs 6. 30 euros. It takes 10 minutes to reach the top and I can assure you that the view from the top of the mountain over Geneva is incredible. It is such a peaceful retreat after a couple of days of hardcore exploring. Also, if you love hiking then this is the expedition for you, as they have two separate routes to reach the top of the mountain and they each take between 2-2. 5 hours. If it’s a beautiful day then I also recommend you take a picnic up with you and eat it on the fields overlooking Geneva. For more information on the routes check out their website.

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Patek Philippe Museum

If you come to the city of watches, there is no way you can leave without understanding a bit of history behind one of the major Swiss watch companies. The Patek Philippe museum is located in Plainpalais and it is a very interesting museum in terms of its layout. I will post a blog post about this later on.

Markets in Planpalais

On Saturday Planpalais hosts one of the biggest flea markets in Geneva. They have bargains on numerous items such as antiques, clothes, second hand toys and furniture. Furthermore on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s you can enjoy Geneva’s larges farmers markets where you will find stalls with authentic Swiss cheese, freshly baked bread, oriental street food and classic fruit and veg stalls which are amazing – mangos are only 1 CHF! So if you are planning to live here hold out on the fruit and veg shopping and wait until you can buy from this incredibly cheap farmers market!

Carouge Farmers Market

This is a more Italian style market of Geneva. It is found in the Italian quarter and held on Saturday mornings. You can find the most well composed stalls of fruit, vegetables and cheese. It is such a lovely atmosphere as it is not overly busy but along the pavement there are cafés with people sat outside and strangely enough (hopefully I wont jinx it) its always sunny on Saturday mornings. I remember the best time to see these markets is in the autumn because they have some awesome and particular pumpkins and root vegetables to admire.

Walk through the Vieille Ville

The Vieille Ville is Geneva’s old town and it is the largest in Europe. I find that it it is such a beautiful and interesting walk. You walk up to it from Place de Neuve or from Rue du Marché and it is as if you go back to the medieval ages. The cobble roads and the patriotic flags give a historical touch to this fantastic old town. There are a couple of important historic things to see such as Mason Tavel and St. Peters Cathédral, but also numerous little boutiques to go to such as Antoine et Lili, La Muse and little antique shops.

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Parc des Bastions

Parc des Bastions is situated in Place de Neuve and it is a large park where you can stroll about admiring nature and have a warm drink in its famous Café des Bastions. It is so beautiful in the autumn when the tree leaves are changing color. It is home to one of Geneva’s University campuses and famous library, the Reformation wall, which is symbolic and represents the personalities of the Reformation, the Palais Eynard which is home to the executive authorities of the city. Famous are also the life-size chess sets. The park is also child friendly as there is a playground and a skate park for older kids.

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