20 Unmissable Attractions in Geneva, Switzerland

© Nick Carphotography/ Flickr
© Nick Carphotography/ Flickr | © Nick Carphotography/ Flickr
Sean Mowbray

It may not be the first place that you think of for a city break, but Geneva is packed full of places that you’ll want to include on your holiday itinerary. From the heady heights of international politics at the Palais des Nations, to the actually dizzyingly high Mont Salève, there’s something for everyone. Read on to discover 20 attractions that you simply can’t miss out on during your trip to Geneva.

CERN

You don’t have to have a degree in particle physics to enjoy CERN. Its Microcosm and the CERN Laboratory are open with guided tours, so all that tough jargon is nicely decoded for you. If you time your trip right (when the particle accelerator isn’t on), you can go inside the Large Hadron Collider.
1974: Work in progress for SPS tunnel at #CERN — #ThrowbackThursday #TBT — This photo shows an optical effect of the metal structure used when pouring the concrete walls of the Super Proton Synchrotron, SPS. The SPS, with its 7 km circular tunnel, extended CERN beyond its existing site. Its construction began in 1972 and it is still in use today as the second largest machine in CERN’s accelerator complex. — Read more about SPS: http://cern.ch/go/Rt9G — Image credit © CERN
A post shared by CERN (@cern) on Feb 16, 2017 at 6:19am PST

ICRC Museum

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum is a fascinating, yet harrowing exhibition of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its history. Taking you through some of the most traumatic events in human history, you will leave with a greater understanding of why organisations like the Red Cross and Crescent are needed today.
International Red Cross museum 🚑 in Geneva 🇨🇭 متحف الصليب الأحمر الدولي #icrcmuseum #icrc #cicr
A post shared by Sultan Al Jaberi (@sultanaljaberi) on Aug 1, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT

The Jet d’Eau is one of the tallest fountains in the world, and fires 500 litres of water 140 metres in the air every second. It’s the extravagant symbol of the city that you are likely not to miss, whether by chance or by choice.

Carouge

Built in the 18th century and designed by Italian architects, Carouge was an independent town that has been encompassed by the city of Geneva. A short trip from the city centre takes you into a Mediterranean feeling town, totally distinct from the rest of Geneva and its environs.

Place des Nations

Just outside the gates of the United Nations and surrounded by traffic, is the Place des Nations. In the centre, there is the gigantic Broken Chair built in opposition to land mines, and spread out across the square are choreographed water jets.

Place des Nations

Bains des Paquis

A popular place to swim and sunbathe during the summer months and one of the best places for a cheese fondue in winter, the Bains des Paquis are a must if you want to live like the locals on your trip.
#summer #sun #enjoy #genèva #bestcity
A post shared by New Page⚓️ (@bestofgeneva) on Jun 27, 2017 at 3:55am PDT

Musée Ariana

The Musée Ariana is the only museum in Switzerland that is dedicated to kilncraft. It has a collection of over 20,000 objects from Switzerland, Europe and countries in the East. Plus, the building is pretty nice to look at.
Gustave Revilliod, collectionneur et mécène, fait construire entre 1877 et 1884, par les architectes Émile Grobéty et Jacques-Élysée Goss, un musée privé destiné à recevoir ses collections personnelles (céramiques, peintures, sculptures, monnaies, etc.). Celui-ci devient propriété de la Ville après son décès en 1890. Rattaché au Musée d’art et d’histoire en 1934, il est par la suite spécialisé dans le domaine de la céramique (grès, faïence, porcelaine). En 1993, le musée est rouvert au public après douze ans de travaux de rénovation et la construction d’un abri des biens culturels. Depuis mai 2010, le Musée Ariana est indépendant du Musée d’art et d’histoire et rejoint en tant que cinquième institution muséale la communauté des musées municipaux genevois. #MuseeAriana
A post shared by Musée Ariana (@museearianageneve) on Apr 24, 2017 at 7:27am PDT

Parc des Bastions

The former home of Geneva’s botanic gardens still retains a certain charm. Its tree line promenade is a relaxing place to wander through and escape the summer’s heat. There are sculptures dedicated to some famous faces scattered through the park and there is also the Reformation Wall.

Parc des Bastions

Reformation Wall

Built in 1909, the Reformation Wall is part of the old city walls of Geneva that run through Parc des Bastions. It is testament to the lives of those who shaped the Protestant Reformation. The wall features huge figures of John Calvin, who founded the University of Geneva in whose grounds the wall stands; John Knox, William Farel and Theodore Beza.

The Reformation Wall, Geneva

L’horloge fleurie

Once the largest clock of its kind in the world, until it was trumped in by one in Tehran, Iran. Geneva’s flower clock is made up of as many as 6,000 flowers and pays respect to the city’s watchmakers past and present.

Geneva’s Flower Clock

Palais des Nations

Home to the United Nations Office in Geneva and where solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues are resolved. The building is not particularly enthralling, but the history behind this building makes Palais des Nations one of the must-see sights of Geneva.

Spot your flag at the Palais des Nations

Jardin Botanique

Stroll through Geneva’s botanic gardens and wonder at over 12,000 species of plants, flowers and trees. Each section is laid out according to region, so you can learn about everything that surrounds you. All around is bird song, the buzzing of bees and the trickling of water in this natural escape.

Educate yourself on the flowers of Switzerland at the Jardin Botanique

Old Town

Get yourself lost in Geneva’s old town, a maze of streets filled with cafés, art galleries and little squares that are the perfect place to watch the world go by. Start your journey in the Place du Bourg-de-Four, the oldest place in the city.
More cathédrale spam from yesterday. #cathedralesaintpierre #architecture #genevaoldtown #blackandwhitephotography #switzerland
A post shared by Elyse (@elysemc_) on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:54am PDT

Parc de La Grange

The largest park in Geneva boasts the most rose bushes in the city, around one rosebush for every square metre. It’s a little out of the city and close by to the popular Baby Plage. Take the trip, bring a book along and surround yourself in some nature.

St. Pierre Cathedral

Standing in the centre of Geneva’s old town is the St. Pierre Cathedral, which is over 850 years old. It is a building that is steeped in history and is where John Calvin preached for many of the later years of his life. Climb the church’s two towers for spectacular 360° views of Geneva.

Place du Bourg-de-Four

The Place du Bourg-de-Four is known as the oldest place in Geneva. In its prime, it was likely used as a cattle market, and stood outside of the city’s main walls. Nowadays, it’s a pleasant place to sit with a coffee or browse the boutique shops that are scattered around the square.

Maison Tavel

Geneva’s history is kept inside the walls of its oldest house. The Maison Tavel was built in the 12th century by the Maison family and it now houses several floors charting Geneva’s development over the years.
Dans 25 jours vous regarderez vos MAH différemment : stay tuned ! ➖➖➖➖ #iGersGeneva #MahGeneve #MyBigGeneva Photo @julienboulin
A post shared by Instagramers Geneva 🇨🇭 (@igersgeneva) on Mar 6, 2017 at 3:18am PST

Salève

For some of the best views of Geneva and the surrounding mountains, head across the border into France and climb the Salève. From nearby Veyrier, a short bus ride from Geneva’s main station, there is a cable car that climbs to the top of the Salève, or there are plenty of trails for the more adventurous.

The Jet d’Eau becomes a tiny speck from the Salève

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