Most people who fly into Geneva, do so to head up the alps and go skiing, however Geneva itself is a gem more than worth stepping into and visiting as it offers so much without the hordes of tourists alongside you.
Phillipe Patek Museum
Open Tuesday to Saturday, this is one of the most surprising museums I’ve ever visited, when I was paying in, I expected to race around in 30 minutes and leave. However I spent close to 3 hours finding out about this deluxe watch company’s history, and marvelling at all the medieval and historic watches in stock.
UN Headquarters
Open for tours Monday-Friday. The UN headquarters on the outskirts of Geneva are the UN’s European headquarters, with an imposing 3 legged chair on the plaza facing the HQ (opposing the use of mines against civilians)
St. Pierre Cathedral (John Calvin’s Church)
The adopted home church of one of the godfather’s of Protestantism, and unlike many of the ornate Catholic Cathedrals, this is bare on the inside (where you can see John Calvin’s chair).
International Monument to the Reformation
Another reason why Geneva is known as the Protestant Vatican, this wall offers sculptures of some of the main reformationists (but oddly not Martin Luther).
Jet d’eau Water Fountain
The jet was used to release pressure from a hydraulic power network, however today it has become one of Geneva’s most recognisable sights as it blasts water from Lake Geneva skywards.
Marvel at the shops
When you arrive in Geneva airport and see ‘Rolex’ clocks on the walls you realise you’re in a millionaires playground, and then you see sports cars parked on the street. The high streets of Geneva are home to many luxury brands from Versace and Louis Vuitton, to Audemar and Patek luxury watch shops (with watches on display in the window fetching upwards of £200,000). Oh how the 1% live.
Explore the City
Geneva offers many quaint restaurants, bars and cafes, but it is also home to open plazas with skateboarders practising tricks, and an interesting orthodox style church.
CERN Headquarters
Home to the ‘hadron collider’, the CERN headquarters is one of the largest particle physics laboratories in the world. It’s open to take a tour around if you’re a science buff on Monday-Saturday from 8:30-5, though book in advance.
Geneva Botanic Gardens
Located close to the Palais des Nations UN headquarters is Geneva’s Botanic gardens, perfect for a walk if the weather is agreeable.
Relax at the Waterfront
The aforementioned Jet isn’t all the waterfront has to offer, there is a beautiful park on the waterfront too, featuring a working clockface built into a flowerbed.
I often rave about Geneva being one of my favourite cities I’ve visited, if you get the chance to see it’s beauty up close, I urge you to do so.