When landing by plane, this lakeside fountain is your first dramatic glimpse of Geneva. The 140m-tall structure shoots up water with incredible force –…
Must see attractions in Geneva
- Top ChoiceJet d'Eau
- Top ChoiceCERN
Founded in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 8km west of Geneva, is a laboratory for research into particle physics. It…
- CTop ChoiceConservatoire et Jardin Botaniques
Geneva's premier botanical park – renowned for its Botanical Conservatory – boasts over 12,000 species of plants from around the world, meticulously…
- MTop ChoiceMusée d'Ethnographie de Genève
Admission is free to the permanent collection of this excellent hands-on museum, which examines the similarities and differences of our planet's myriad of…
- VVieille Ville
A stroll around Geneva's beautiful Old Town is a must. Its main street, the Grand-Rue, shelters the Maison de Rousseau et de la Literature at No 40, where…
- Cathédrale St-Pierre
Geneva's cathedral is predominantly Gothic with an 18th-century neoclassical facade. Between 1536 and 1564 Protestant John Calvin preached here; see his…
- Palais des Nations
Home to the UN since 1966, the Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 to house the now-defunct League of Nations. Visits are by guided tour …
- QQuai du Mont-Blanc
Flowers, statues, outdoor art exhibitions and views of Mont Blanc (on clear days only) abound on this picturesque northern lakeshore promenade, which…
- MMusée International de la Réforme
This modern museum in an 18th-century mansion zooms in on the Reformation. State-of-the-art exhibits and audiovisuals bring to life everything from the…
- MMusée International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge
Compelling multimedia exhibits at Geneva's fascinating International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum trawl through atrocities perpetuated by humanity…
- MMusée d’Art et d’Histoire
Built between 1903 and 1910, this elegant museum holds masterpieces such as Konrad Witz' La pêche miraculeuse (c 1440–44), portraying Christ walking on…
- JJardin Anglais
Before finding your way into the Vieille Ville, join the crowds taking selfies in front of the Horloge Fleurie, the pièce de résistance of this, Geneva's…
- EEaux-Vives Plage Publique
A new (and free) public beach at Eaux-Vives was in the pipeline for Geneva at the time of research. Scheduled to open in summer 2019, the long sandy beach…
- MMusée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain
Set in an industrial 1950s factory, the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum plays cutting-edge host to young, international and cross-media exhibitions. It…
- HHorloge Fleurie
In the Jardin Anglais you'll find Geneva’s most photographed clock, crafted from 6500 living flowers. It's been ticking since 1955 and boasts the world’s…
- PPatek Philippe Museum
An ode to Swiss timing, this elegant museum by one of Switzerland's leading luxury watchmakers displays exquisite timepieces and enamels from the 16th…
- TTerrasse Agrippa d'Aubigné
A tree-shaded park with benches, sandpit and see-saw for kids, and a fine rooftop and cathedral view.
- PParc des Bastions
It's all statues – not to mention a giant chess board – in this green city park where a laid-back stroll uncovers Red Cross cofounder Henri Dufour (who…
- LLe Rath
Across the traffic-busy square from the green city park, Parc des Bastions, is this historic building – Switzerland's oldest purpose-built museum dating…
- SSite Archéologique de la Cathédrale St-Pierre
The highlights of this small archaeological site in the basement of Geneva's cathedral are its 4th-century floor mosaics and the tomb of an Allobrogian…