On our first full day in Lausanne, we decided to take an excursion to Geneva. We boarded the metro across the street from our hotel to the Lausanne Gare (train station). As always in Switzerland, the train runs like clockwork. It is clean and comfy and has a dining car and even a play space for kids. Here’s what we did during our one day in Geneva Switzerland.
What to do in One day in Geneva Switzerland
Palais des Nations
We hopped on a tram to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), which was once the home of the League of Nations. Today it serves the European headquarters for the UN. I believe you can arrange a tour of the interior, but we only saw the outside for a photo op.
Broken Chair
Across the street, we saw this wooden sculpture of a giant chair missing one leg. This is meant to symbolizes the brokenness that can happen as a result of war, particularly the use of land mines. It is strategically placed just outside the Palais des Nations to serve as a reminder to all of the diplomats to urge their governments to ban the use of weapons such as these and to promote peace.
Parc de Bastion
Walking through the city, we stumbled into this beautiful park at the foothills of old town. It happens to be the “largest historic park in the city center”. There, we saw the monument of the reformers and got a brief history of the reformation from Renato. Also in the park is a lovely restaurant and some life size chess boards.
Old Town
We had a great gluts workout climbing the Promenade de La Treille (or giant hill) to the gates of the Geneva’s old town. There, we enjoyed looking at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, which was the center of the reformation. We walked around and took some pictures in this beautiful area. Most of the shops and galleries were closed, so we did not linger.
Geneva Waterfront
There are plenty of things to see and do here:
- Relax in the Jardin Anglais, a lush park with plenty of fountains, benches and many green spaces.
- View L’horloge fleurie or flower clock at the entrance to the Geneva waterfront. It features over 6,000 fresh flowers that are changed regularly. It’s beautiful.
- Take a ride on the Grande roue! We had a fun ride on this Ferris wheel and took some great photos.
- Check out the Jet d’Eau Fountain. This giant water spout is reminiscent of old faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Built in 1886, “to control and release the excess pressure of a hydraulic plant at La Coulouvrenière”, it has become a symbol of Geneva. On a hot day, the mist of the fountain feels very refreshing!
Patek Phillipe Museum
Sorry, but they have a “no photos inside”policy here. I couldn’t imagine how it was possible to fill such a large space with watches, but they have 2,500 pieces dating back more than 500 years. Some of them are spectacular works of art…painted, enameled, jeweled. We saw beautifully shaped time pieces, like musical instruments and animals, with secret compartments holding the clock. The main floor held instruments for crafting the watches, and even some craftsmen working right there to restore some of the pieces. I’m so glad we decided to visit this museum.
Where to Eat during One day in Geneva Switzerland
Starving and tired after walking so much, we arrived at the high rent district across the road from the waterfront. There we found Balila in the hotel Longemalle. The atmosphere, service and mediterranean food hit the spot.
Sadly, our time here is limited, so we couldn’t see everything. I really wanted to do a 3 hour chocolate walking tour but alas, I was the only person interested in this, so I had to let it go. I’m sure there are many other sites to see in this lovely city, but we did get a good taste of its flavor during our One day in Geneva Switzerland. Exhausted, we took the tram to the train to the metro (which seemed much longer than on the way over especially since my phone battery was dead) and made our way back to Lausanne.
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