Built

Built
on both ideas and ideals, Geneva is a fiercely dynamic city dedicated to the art
of living well and living right. It’s in Geneva that the United
Nations, World Health Organisation, International Committee of the
Red Cross and hundreds of other NGOs and non-profits thrash out
peace agreements, humanitarian law and radical environmental
policies. But as we explore Geneva, watching residents
paddleboarding on the silken lake, picnicking on international
street food on the banks of the Rhône, feasting on fondue after a
lakeside sauna and basking in the city’s abundant artistic and
architectural riches, it’s clear that Geneva takes the good life
seriously on all levels. Aspiration is everywhere you go, and a
city break here feels like a crash course in how to be a happier,
healthier, more cultured and cerebral human.

The first thing that strikes first-time visitors to Geneva is
the startling beauty of the city, which curls around the
south-western shores of Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman, as it’s known
locally) near the French border. But Lake Geneva, the Rhône and
Arve rivers, and the surrounding Alps and Jura mountains are more
than just a pretty backdrop; residents swim in the natural waters
on their lunch breaks and scale the peaks at weekends. At Pointe de
la Jonction, where the Rhône and Arve merge, locals lounge around
on the grass and swim in the bright blue waters of the (warmer)
Rhône, sipping Calanda beers and grilling fish.

Views across Geneva, left, and distinctive street design. |
Photo credit: Kevin Faingnaert

A 30-minute walk away, at Bains des Pâquis, the pier leads to a
no-frills swimming area and lakeside sauna complex, home to La
Buvette des Bains, a cheap-and-cheerful (for Geneva) community-run
café dishing up oysters and fondue. People whizz around town on
bikes and e-bikes, while on weekends they take off on the same two
wheels into the surrounding vineyards and hills. Nature isn’t just
scenery in Switzerland – it’s a playground you are expected to hurl
yourself at with gusto, and at every available opportunity.

Geneva Unpacked: A City Address Book

Where to Stay

Main photo credit: Kevin Faingnaert. This article
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