24 Hours in Geneva

And so, lets say, you have a few days off, you'd like to go for a city break, but you can't decide between a sea side city or a skiing resort? Here you go, just chose a lake city, with a pretty mountain landscape, view on a massive lake and a great shopping avenue!

I just had the pleasure of spending two days in Switzerland, and I was delighted in discovering Geneva. It is a pretty, small city, and if you fancy a quick city break, 24 hours will be more than enough to have a tour around and see the most beautiful attraction of this lovely lake city.

The lake shore and Le Jet d'Eau 

The airport is just 15-20 minutes away from the centre, and you can reach it both by tram or bus. I would suggest to jump on bus number 8 and get off the main station (it will take roughly 20 minutes). From there, have a walk on the lake shore to admire the British Garden and their flower watch, then head to the bridge du Mont Blanc, where you can have a view of the famous Jet d'Eau, the biggest in Europe.

Once you reach the opposite shore, you're basically entering the charming Old Town. Before climbing the hill where the city has been built, just wonder around Rue du Rhone, which is embedded with the most famous, beautiful high end boutiques, from Louis Vuitton to Gucci, from Hermes to Burberry, from Cartier to Chrono Time Rolex... I mean, which better place to shop those brands if not on the border with France?

British Gardens and the Flower Clock

A small climb up the hill will bring you to the beautiful Old Town, where St Pierre Cathedral is situated. The Cathedral is famous as it was the place where Calvin started preaching. Along with it you can also see the Temple de la Fusterie, the University and the History and Art Museum.

Narrow, suggestive roads bringing to the Old City

As with all small, old town, the best thing to do is leave your phone in your pockets ad just “get lost” wondering in the tiny roads and old buildings, discovering hidden gems like lovely shops and restaurant and getting to eat the local cuisine (which is oh so good!) and tasty wines.

The oh so yummy crepe in Cafe-Creperie St Pierre

For lunch, a place I would highly recommend is the Cafe-Creperie St Pierre, a little, cute restaurant just in front of St Pierre Cathedral, serving the most delicious crepes I have ever tried. I went for a savoury one (tomato, Swiss cheese and ham), but a group of school girls on a trip sitting just next to me had a few sweet ones, and oh my, they looked amazing! Also, they serve a lovely vin chaude (mulled wine), and given how cold it is down there, you will gladly have a glass!

One more view of the lake shore

Now, lets talk numbers – or better, prices. Geneva is not a cheap city, no. But it is not massively expensive either; just remember, anytime you go shopping, that VAT is not included in the price you see, and it always has to be added up the total.

Little cute fella I met having a walk towards the park

A very good thing to know is an information about public transport: when you arrive to the baggage reclaim in the airport, look for the ticket machine. There you can find the machine giving you a free public transport ticket, that you can use on any public transport in Geneva for 80 minutes. Also, if you stay at any hotel or hostel you are entitled to receive a Free Geneva Transport Card, which will allow you to use all Geneva transportation for free for the whole duration of your stay. Just go the reception and ask for one. Isn't it amazing?

So, pack you bag and book your ticket, Switzerland truly is a beautiful place to visit, and if you're going for more than a day just jump on a train and visit a nearby town in France or Germany. Their typical architectural style, along with yummy food and super friendly people (yes, they truly are friendly and keen to help if you need) will conquer you in a heartbeat.