Visiting Geneva Switzerland: 7 must-to-see places

Visiting Geneva, Switzerland, best things to see and do: in this mini guide you’ll find a complete itinerary of things to see in the most international city of Switzerland in a day.

Visiting Geneva Switzerland: Jet d’Eau

One of the most important stops on your trip to Geneva has to be this stunning fountain called Jet d’Eau.

This fountain is one of the largest in the world and one of the most important monuments of the city of Geneva, so much that it appeared in the official logo of Euro Cup 2008 in Geneva. In addition, (if you are lucky) you could possibly see the spectacular rainbow that generates its large jet of water.

The Jet d’Eau is located right where Lake Leman flows into the Rhone River and can be seen from all over the city.

Lake Leman to see in Geneva, Switzerland

Another great symbol of the Genevan city is its lake, known as Lake Geneva or Lake Leman.

Lake Leman is one of the largest lakes in western Europe and is located north of the Alps. It belongs mostly to Switzerland (60%) and to a lesser extent France (40%).

To be able to fully enjoy this wonderful lake I recommend you to take this PANORAMIC TOUR + BOAT RIDE.

If you have more time and a larger budget I recommend you to take a TOUR to Les Diablerets and Montreux, the city with whom Freddy Mercury fell in love.

During your tour in Montreux you can also visit the commemorative statue of this iconical singer.

To visit in Geneva: Jardin Anglais

Le Jardin Anglais (the English garden) is another must-to-see on your route through the city of Geneva. This park is located near Jet d’Eau and Lake Leman.

The particular characteristic of this park are its flowers that form a clock, hence the city is known as the city of clocks.

St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva

The next stop of our trip through the marvelous city of Geneva is St. Peter’s Cathedral. This religious building stands out for its mix of Gothic and Romanesque architectures and for being the church that adopted one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation (John Calvin).

The entrance is about CHF 5. The best thing about the church are the views you can see from the northern part of its tower. However, to enjoy these spectacular views you have to climb almost 160 steps.

Basilica of Our Lady of Geneva

Unlike St. George’s Cathedral which is the most important place of worship in the city for Protestants, the Basilica of Geneva stands out for being the place where Pope Pius IX is venerated and for being the main Catholic church of the city.

Visiting Geneva Switzerland: UN Headquarters

The last stop (among the essential ones) of our visit are the headquarters of the United Nations. It is located in the Place des Nations in Geneva and is the second largest UN office in the world.

You can visit the outside part for free but if you want to know the history and functions of the UN, I recommend you booking HERE your guided tour inside for 15 CHF (adults).

In this same square is located the Broken Chair monument. This giant chair with a broken leg symbolizes the fight against landmines and bombs. Today it serves as a reminder to both politicians and anyone who visits it.

• Reformation Wall: it was built on the ancient city walls and is located in the Bastions Park.
• Musée d’Art et d’Histoire: Free entrance. This museum contains different works of art including some collections of Ancient Rome and Egypt.
• Viaduc de la Jonction: it is somewhat far from the center of Geneva but you can see the crossing of two rivers and it offers a unique view. From here you can go to the Geneva Zoo.

In short, Geneva is a city with a lot of history and politics. It is small and can be easily visited in a day or at most in two and you can easily take advantage of the visit to take a tour through some other cities in Switzerland.