Luxury hotels in Geneva

Geneva guide

Geneva: the lake, the Jet d'Eau and the old town

A fountain 140 metres high, the international city, and Mont Blanc and Lavaux within reach.

The Jet d'Eau, a fountain shooting water about 140 metres above Lake Geneva, is the city's most cited landmark, and a walk along the lakefront promenades to the Jardin Anglais and its flower clock is the classic way to see it. The old town, with St. Pierre Cathedral, rises above.

The Palais des Nations, the UN's European headquarters, can be visited on guided tours, and the Patek Philippe Museum shows the city's watchmaking heritage. Chamonix and Mont Blanc are about an hour away, and the Lavaux vineyards on the lake's north shore are a UNESCO site.

Chamonix and Mont Blanc

Chamonix, about an hour from Geneva, is the most cited excursion from the city: the Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs to 3,842 metres, with the glass box Step into the Void and views of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe. Clear mornings give the best visibility.

The Montenvers rack railway leads to the Mer de Glace glacier and its ice cave, and in winter the valley is a legendary ski destination. The Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola continues to Italy in summer.

The Palais des Nations and the Patek Philippe Museum

The Palais des Nations, the European headquarters of the United Nations, offers guided tours that include the Assembly Hall and the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room with Miquel Barceló's ceiling, and it is one of Geneva's most cited visits; a passport is required. The Broken Chair sculpture stands outside.

The Patek Philippe Museum tells five centuries of watchmaking, from enamelled pocket watches to astronomical complications, and the International Red Cross Museum is nearby. Geneva's watch boutiques line the Rue du Rhône.