Things to do in Geneva

Nature · On the jetty, right bank

A 1930s public bathing jetty sticking out into the lake — swimming, a sauna, and the cheapest decent food in the city centre.

Local tip: It is open all year and the winter sauna sessions are the real institution. The buvette serves a fondue in winter and a plate of the day in summer at prices that make no sense for central Geneva, which is exactly why everyone goes.

Neighborhood · South of the Arve, across the river

An eighteenth-century town laid out by the Kingdom of Sardinia to compete with Calvinist Geneva, now low-rise, Italianate and full of courtyards.

Local tip: It is a separate commune with its own tax rate and its own market on Wednesday and Saturday. The Sardinian street grid means interior courtyards you can only find by walking through the arches — the good bars are in them.

Landmark · Left bank, above the lake

The old town on its hill, with Calvin's cathedral and an archaeological site under it running back to the Roman period.

Local tip: The archaeological crypt under the cathedral is more interesting than the church above and almost empty. Climb the north tower for the only free-standing view over the rade and the Salève.

Culture · Between the old town and the university

A vast gravel diamond that functions as flea market, food market, skate park and festival ground depending on the day.

Local tip: The brocante runs Wednesday and Saturday and is genuinely worth arriving early for. Between markets, the Plaine is where you will find the students, the skaters and, in summer, an outdoor cinema.

Landmark · Where the lake becomes the Rhône

The harbour basin, the 140-metre fountain, and the two banks that Geneva has argued about for centuries.

Local tip: The Jet d'eau began life as a pressure-release valve for the city's hydraulic network, not as decoration. It gets switched off in high wind and in hard frost — if it is off in January, that is why.

Nature · France, 20 minutes from the centre

The limestone wall that dominates every view from Geneva. A cable car climbs it from Étrembières, and the top has paragliders, trails and the whole Mont Blanc massif.

Local tip: Geneva's mountain is in France. Your Swiss transport pass does not cover the téléphérique, you cross a border to get there, and you should carry ID. Locals treat it as an after-work walk; newcomers assume it is a day trip and never go.