Geneva – The Capital of Peace, Small Dogs and Water Fountains

Destination 2 – Geneva, Switzerland

Where? Eastwest Hotel in a multicultural area of Geneva known as ‘Paquis’

When? Sunday 24 May – Wednesday 27 May

Official language? French – Spanish, Italian and German are also widely spoken

Interesting facts I’ve learnt about Geneva:

• Switzerland’s second largest city, after Zurich.
• Geneva and Zurich are the two most expensive cities in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
• Geneva is often referred to as the ‘Capital of Peace’ primarily because it is home to the European headquarters of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
• 40% of the population in Geneva originate from outside of Switzerland, making Geneva the most international city in Europe.

‘Jet D’Eau’ – One of Geneva’s most famous landmarks that reaches a height of 140 metres.

A snapshot of thoughts and insights I have gained over the past few days in Geneva:

• Paquis is an eclectic part of Geneva that is evidently also home to the red-light district as we discovered when we made a late night dash out for dinner!
• Geneva is a really wonderful city to explore because it isn’t all that busy. Unlike other cities such as Paris and Rome that are absolutely brimming with tourists, it feels like Geneva is a little more untouched.
• It’s well worth visiting Montreux (pronounced something like: Mon-true), a beautiful city about a 1 hour train ride away from Geneva that is home to the ‘Chateau de Chillon’, a castle located on Lake Geneva that that has over 1000 years of history.

John and I on our way to Chateau de Chillon walking around Lake Geneva in Montreux.

Chateau de Chillon – The most visited historic building in Switzerland.

The view from the keep in the Chateau!

We arrive into Geneva quite late on Sunday evening after a speedy 1 hour and 20 minute flight direct from Bristol. Roughly the same amount of time it would take to drive half way to Margaret River from Perth! It always blows my mind how close Europe is to the UK!

We pick up a free transport ticket (available to arriving passengers into Geneva) from the airport that takes us to Gare de Cornavin train station, only a short walk from our hotel. After a few wrong turns, catching some glimpses of Lake Geneva and the Jet d’Eau (the giant water fountain), we make it to Eastwest Hotel, a small boutique hotel in the Paquis area of Geneva. It’s furnished in an oriental style with mood lighting and dark wood. Off to the side of the front desk in the lobby, there are three cheeky-looking, volumptious statues of Japanese women wearing short dresses looking as though they’re ballet dancing. John and I have a bit of a chuckle agreeing we’d love them in our imaginary house. It’s nice when a hotel strays from the norm and has a bit of character!

We check-in and John checks out the room service menu to discover that a burger and chips cost the equivalent in Swiss Francs of about $50! I’m not sure our bank accounts are ready for the hit they’re going to take here in Switzerland!

We wake up to the idyllic sound of birds chirping with the sunlight streaming through the window. Starting the day doesn’t get much better than this! We check in with our family back home on Skype before setting off to explore Geneva.

We begin by strolling along Lake Geneva taking in the sights. Lake Geneva is a turquoise misty colour that glistens in the sun. It’s 580km squared and runs through both Switzerland and France. It’s so beautiful.

View of Lake Geneva from the jetty that leads out to the Jet d’Eau.

It’s a public holiday so there are lots of people picnicking, running, rollerblading and taking their dogs walking. There are HEAPS of small dogs in Geneva. Literally there are hundreds. Most are prancing around on leads and there are even some catching a ride in handbags!

Another thing that we notice is that water fountains are scattered everywhere throughout the city. They’re old looking and most are quite pretty so we assume they’re just decorative but it’s not long before we see that most have a little plaque saying ‘Eau Potable’ which translates to ‘drinking water’. There’s something really nice about being able to take an empty water bottle with you when you begin your day and then filling it up from an ancient-looking fountain with cold fresh water as you go.

You don’t have to look too hard in Geneva to see the French influence on the city which is unsurprising really because it is surrounded by France on the east, west and south side. Many of the buildings definitely have that French look with lots of windows, iron railings on the balconies and fancy roofs.

Our couple of days in Geneva have been really lovely. Geneva is a melting pot of cultures as a result of being nestled between so many other European countries. You would think, that with so many outside influences, the city would have somewhat of a mixed identity and it does feel a little that way but is also has a sophistication and sleekness that feels uniquely ‘Geneva’.

Next stop? Lucerne!