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Geneva

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

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Jet d'eau

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Overview

Like the swans that frolic on its eponymous Alpine lake (Europe's largest), Geneva (Genève) is a rare bird. Constantly perceived as the Swiss capital (it isn't), Switzerland's second-largest city is slick and cosmopolitan, and its people chatter in almost every language among streets paved by gold.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Jet d'eau, Geneva

    Jet d'Eau

    Geneva

    When landing by plane, this lakeside fountain is your first dramatic glimpse of Geneva. The 140m-tall structure shoots up water with incredible force –…

  • Large Hadron Collider, Geneva, Switzerland

    CERN

    Geneva

    Founded in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 8km west of Geneva, is a laboratory for research into particle physics. It…

  • Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques

    Geneva

    Geneva's premier botanical park – renowned for its Botanical Conservatory – boasts over 12,000 species of plants from around the world, meticulously…

  • Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève

    Geneva

    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…

  • St Pierre Cathedral in old town of Geneva at dusk

    Cathédrale St-Pierre

    Geneva

    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 UN Geneva Switzerland

    Palais des Nations

    Geneva

    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 …

  • Vieille Ville

    Geneva

    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…

  • Quai du Mont-Blanc

    Geneva

    Flowers, statues, outdoor art exhibitions and views of Mont Blanc (on clear days only) abound on this picturesque northern lakeshore promenade, which…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Explore the best things to do in Geneva, from iconic landmarks and signature attractions to culinary institutions and vibrant nightlife.

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Day Trips

This sophisticated polyglot of a Swiss city is but a day trip away from vineyards, Alpine peaks, medieval castles and towns with cultural cachet.

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