In winter Geneva is a city that is tolerated for a few hours by skiers in Moon Boots en route to Alpine resorts, but in summer it’s a place to linger. When the sun shines, bars pop up beside the steely-blue Lake Geneva, families nab a spot on the sandy Baby Plage and, if you peek through your sunnies, the French-influenced hilltop old town could almost double for Montmartre, with its perky cathedral, carousels and mansard roofs.
It’s also a serious city. During the 16th-century Reformation, Geneva was a safe haven for the persecuted; the Red Cross was founded here in 1863 and the city remains the home of the UN. But nowhere else in Europe can you tip your hat to the statues of theological greats including John Calvin and John Knox, at the Reformation Wall, then slink off to drink a cocktail from a glass in the shape of a shoe. Geneva might be a stickler for convention, but it’s also low on formality.
At a glance
Day 1
• Morning: Old town tour with Emilie Bissardon
• Eat at: Les Trois Verres
• Afternoon: Vineyard tour by tuk-tuk
• Drink at: La Clémence
• Evening: Jet d’Eau
• Eat at: Café du Bourg-de-Four
Day 2
• Morning: Class at La Bonbonnière Chocolaterie
• Eat at: Chez Philippe
• Afternoon: International Museum of the Reformation
• Drink at: Mr Barber
• Evening: Bain Bleu Hammam & Spa
• Eat at: Restaurant Les Armures
What to do
• Before Geneva ceased to be an independent city state and became part of Switzerland in 1814, it had witnessed a Roman occupation, become known as the “Protestant Rome”, in the 16th century, and fended off an attack by the Duke of Savoy, in 1602. The local guide Emilie Bissardon unpicks the complexities of the city on a walking tour through the old town, taking in sites otherwise easily missed. These include a statue of Victor Frankenstein’s monster (Mary Shelley began writing her novel here in 1816) and the exquisite 15th-century stained glass of the Chapel of the Maccabees at St Peter’s Cathedral (from £4; geneve.com).
• It’s usually Porsches causing tailbacks in Geneva, so a slow-moving tuk-tuk creating a jam is a novelty. Take an afternoon trip with Juan Aguilera, who will take you out in his electric three-wheeler to the vineyards that surround the village of Satigny, northwest of the city centre. Cheese and meats are provided too, while a tasting with Umberto Luraschi at Domaine Les Perrières leaves you knowing your gamaret from your gamay (from £82pp; welo.swiss).
• More than just a fountain, the 140m-tall Jet d’Eau has been an icon since it was installed next to Lake Geneva in 1891. It’s mesmerising as the wind constantly changes the shape of the shooting water, creating mini rainbows. Get up close with a view from the Quai Gustave-Ador before dusk, when the jet is illuminated (free).
• Founded in 1921, La Bonbonnière Chocolaterie is among the oldest producers in the city, and there’s nowhere finer to learn the craft. Weekly workshops rotate, but one of the two-hour sessions offers the chance to build, fill and decorate a chocolate box to take home. The step-by-step workshop is in French and English, and you’ll learn pipe-working skills. Should your creation look like that of a pre-schooler, nip downstairs and top up with the professional versions of double-cream truffles and passionfruit-flavoured squares (£78pp; labonbonniere.ch).
• When compared with Rome or Paris, Geneva doesn’t pack much of a punch museum-wise, but there are some interesting spots, including the Patek Philippe Museum (dedicated to the watchmaking heritage) and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Mamco). But the tiny and secular International Museum of the Reformation is our pick, bringing European history to the fore via a display of 200 bibles and a moving sound-and-light display, with music from the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Dave Brubeck Trio (£11; musee-reforme.ch).
• There are two floors’ worth of saunas, herbal steam rooms and pools at the purpose-built pamper palace Bain-Bleu Hammam & Spa, but its crowning glory is the open-air rooftop pool with lake views. The baths are open until 9.30pm daily, so watch the sunset from the pool with an aperitif or, of course, more Genevan wines. The treatment menu includes hot-stone massages and full-body clay wraps (from £30pp; bain-bleu.ch).
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Where to eat and drink
Les Trois Verres
Swiss lunchtimes start bang on midday, so make a noon booking for an Italian feast at Les Trois Verres in the trendy Plainpalais neighbourhood, behind the old town. Dishes such as ravioli stuffed with veal, and lamb with a pistachio crust are sleekly presented in a modern dining room featuring black-glass chandeliers (mains from £24; lestroisverres.ch).
La Clémence
This easygoing bar on Place du Bourg-de-Four, in the old town, was made for summer, with plenty of outside tables and local wines, including a white aligoté; or try a malty Valaisanne lager, brewed east of Geneva (wines £5; laclemence.ch). It’s all fuel for the queue at nearby Gelatomania, for a mid-afternoon roasted banana or pineapple-and-balsamic scoop (cones from £5; gelato-mania.ch).
Café du Bourg-de-Four
Don’t be fooled by the salady starters at this French bistro-style gaff in the old town — though the goat’s cheese and smoked chicken options are superb. Things take a turn for the hearty during the main course, with the house speciality of rosti maison (grated potatoes fried in butter), slathered in toppings from colossal sausages to veal, duck and fried eggs (mains from £23; cafedubourgdefour.ch).
Chez Philippe
It’s a surprise to find a New York steakhouse in Geneva, but this one rightly carries a Bib Gourmand rating from Michelin, largely thanks to its smashing wine list. The downstairs bar is casual, but upstairs there’s tuna tartare and wagyu beef burgers. Fish dishes are inventive, including red mullet with an olive tapenade and black pepper curry (mains from £16; chezphilippe.ch).
Mr Barber
This bonkers drinking hole is all low-slung lights, pop art and quirky drinking vessels, including flowerpots. The menu comes in a CD wallet and the drink names are inspired by American rappers, including Nas (the NY State of Mind, containing vodka and tomato juice) and the Coolio, a boozy frozen slush of rum and pineapple served in a bath-shaped glass. Classic cocktails are available too (from £18; mrbarbergeneva.com).
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Restaurant Les Armures
In Switzerland, sometimes only fondue will do, and the oldest café in Geneva is the place to indulge. Dip cornichons, potatoes and meats into a fondue moitié-moitié, a mix of gruyère and vacherin cheeses — a local gamay or sauvignon blanc is the best accompaniment (mains from £29; lesarmures.ch). After something lighter? Head to the Leopard Bar at the Hotel d’Angleterre, where the negronis and spritzes are pricey, but come with a generous platter of snacks (cocktails from £16; dangleterrehotel.com).
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Where to stay
Ruby Claire Hotel
Affordable chic in the old town
Close to the lake at the foot of the old town, this townhouse hotel is part of the stylish European chain Ruby. Rooms are simply styled with white bedding, dark-wood fittings and Marshall radios, and while there’s no on-site restaurant, breakfast is served in the bar or on the terrace. The Nest rooms — the smallest — are great for solos (room-only doubles from £86; ruby-hotels.com).
Hôtel Bristol
Boutique city spa
There are two big benefits to staying here: the historic building, dating from 1851, is a ten-minute stroll from Geneva Cornavin station, and there’s a spa with a sauna, steam bath and hot tub. Rooms have been decorated by the French designer Annie Zéau and are bold, with bright print wallpapers and geometric-patterned carpets, plus there’s a dedicated floor of “Ladies First” rooms, designed for solo travellers and with connecting rooms for small groups (B&B doubles from £238; bristol.ch).
Beau Rivage
Five-star lakeside stay
In 1898 Empress Elisabeth of Austria died at the hotel after being stabbed by an Italian anarchist — happily that’s the only grisly fact about this splendid, family-owned grande dame on the Rive Droite, facing Lake Geneva and Jet d’Eau. It’s one for those who love tradition — marble bathrooms, Clarins smellies, antique wood furniture and furnishings in a gold and red palette. Skip breakfast downstairs in favour of a continental spread brought to your room on a trolley (room-only doubles from £451; beau-rivage.com).
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Getting there
EasyJet flies to Geneva from Gatwick, Luton and Manchester (easyjet.com). Trains from London, via Paris, take about seven hours (sncf-connect.com).
• Geneva travel guide.
• Switzerland travel guide
• 14 best hotels in Switzerland
Getting around
All hotel guests can claim a free Geneva Transport Card digital pass for buses, trains and Mouettes Genevoises river buses via a link that the hotel will provide. Trains from the airport to Geneva Cornavin are covered by the pass.
Laura Jackson was a guest of Geneva Tourism (geneve.com)
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