The 5 Best Places to visit in Geneva

If you plan to visit a great city that will get you back to that Zen mood, you should try Geneva. Believe it or not, I fell in love with shop's glossy windows, with their golden watches, their quite and loud areas, their visitors. Geneva is also the second capital of the United Nations, so if you are lucky you can meet few diplomats and all kinds of people: some rich guys with no limit credit cards, some with strict scales. Many multinational corporations have moved their European headquarters in the city of Geneva.

The best places of Geneva

1. Water Fountain (Jet d'Eau)

This jet of water is unique and pretty famous. Its streams water (500 liters per second) that reaches a height of 140 meters and can be seen from everywhere. In order to see it close, you need to go to the pier of Lake Geneva and take your boat ticket. If you'll get a guide, you will learn more about the city in a common language (English and French). When you get off the boat, you should try lunch in the Bains des Paquins, at the restaurant on the pier.

2. Flower Clock

Take a walk towards the banks area and take your time to admire the Flower Clock, a symbol of the famous Geneva watch industry, located right at the end of the Jardin Anglais (the English garden).

3. The restaurants


From the flower clock, you have a 5 minutes of walk to Patek Philippe Museum (Rues des Vieux-Grenadiers on 7, in an Art Deco building), which is a must to go and spend at least an hour to better understand their 500 years history of watches. You need to learn about how brilliant were these people who created the brand now over 160 years and why they are the strongest in terms of luxury watches. Personally, I would like to spend at least 3 days per year in this sensational museum. For more details, you could access the company's official website. If you're there, you should taste the luxury shopping and then go to dinner in the new city area (if you want traditional food), or you can stop by the Edelweiss, where you can listen to some traditional Swiss musician, and you can practice your Alpine horn blowing skills at Manotel restaurant. If you want to go French all the way, take a walk on Rue Rossi (the Rossi street) and eat at La Certitude or Place de Molard restaurant.

4. Vieille Ville / Old Town

This is an area full of art galleries, antique shops, bookstores and bistros. You should visit Bourg-de Four (it is said that Caesar passed through here), which is the center of the town. From there, visit Rue de la Cite and stop at house number 24, at the intersection with Rue de la Terraces, because there you will find the place where Ferdinand of Saussure lived. 200 feet further the road, check the no 28 house, because there lived Jorge Luis Borges for several years. In that area there is the Africa- Asia Museum, and you should also take a look. From there, it's pretty easy to go and see the house where Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived (who is very praised in Geneva) and then take a walk on Rue Saint Pierre and see the City Hall.

One of the main tourist attractions from Old Town is the St. Peter's Cathedral, where you heart of Calvinism lies. Do not expect lavish decorations, as we speak of a Catholic cathedral that became the largest Calvinist church. Near the cathedral, you can see the Calvin Auditorium (where John Knox preached) and the International Museum of the Reformation. For more information about the museum visit www.musee-reforme.ch. In order to get back to the city, follow the line depicted by the Reformation Wall, an impressive wall dedicated to leading figures of the Swiss Reformation: John Calvin, Theodore bases, John Knox and Guillaume Farel. Their sculptures are proudly placed in the University Park, a place where you can go rollerblading, skateboarding, bicycling, and walk freely on the grass.  I loved to read books there for two or three hours.

5. Having fun in Geneva

If you're looking to have fun in a nice club, go to Sip, near Patek Philippe Museum (where tourists and local folks gather) or Java, which can be found on Quai du Mont, near Theatre du Leman, where it audience something younger and full of life. For a more relaxing night, you can choose between pubs, wineries, piano-bars, champagne-bars, or why not, you can go to a cabaret. Do not miss walking through the Red District (but watch out, it can be dangerous!), preferably on foot, to catch all the interesting details.

Bonus: Other places to visit in Geneva
Place de Nations, MAMCO (Modern and Contemporary Art Museum), Bodmer Museum, Carouge.