Geneva is the first Swiss city that I am visiting. Since Lyon was the main destination on this trip, I had one day and one night for Geneva. When planning this trip, I was a bit concerned that this amount of time would be short. Of course there is always more to see and do, but it was enough for me to meet Geneva and have a first impression. I recommend this combination also because it takes only 1 hour and 50 minutes by train to travel from Lyon to Geneva.
When planning a trip to an expensive city like Geneva, it is possible to find more affordable options by booking accommodation in advance or staying a little out of town.
Geneva is located on the shore of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. After Zurich, it is the second most populous Swiss city and the largest city in the French-speaking “Suisse Romande” region. French is the official language. Besides French, German and Italian are spoken.
Geneva is a small and compact city. According to the 2018 census, 495,249 people live here. Since the headquarters of many international organizations, including the European Nuclear Research Center CERN are located here, the majority of the population consists of foreigners.
It is possible to visit the city center on foot. Keep your head up while wandering, in order not to miss the fascinating historic buildings. One of the indispensable cities for luxury shopping lovers, Geneva is full of luxury brands and banks. It was very enjoyable for me to do window shopping which are arranged in a very stylish way.
The most famous products of Switzerland are watches, cheese and penknives.
The most characteristic mark of Geneva is the water fountain “The Jet d’Eau” which sprays the lake’s water up to 140 meters. The fountain can be seen from all over the city, creating lovely views.
It is great to walk the city center breathing in the very clean air of Geneva, then giving a break to have a drink by the lake.
In the city where luxury is the lifestyle, it is possible to come across sports cars that are the center of attention.
Eating and drinking culture in this sophisticated city is very developed. The employee who prepared various kinds of fowl for sale in the showcase of a gourmet shop caught my attention.
On my only evening in Geneva, I ate at the highly recommended Indian restaurant, Rasoi. That’s because I was saturated with French food in Lyon and I am very fond of Indian food.
Located within the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Rasoi offers traditional Indian cuisine with the interpretation of Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia. Rasoi means kitchen in Hindu language. The philosophy of the restaurant is ordering food in small portions to share.
This philosophy always fits me very well. So in Rasoi, we ordered to share and I could taste most of the dishes I was curious of.
The food was delicious, and the service professional and attentive.
Geneva impresses me a lot with its beauty, very clean air, elegance, and the freedom of development it offers for diverse ideas.
A city definitely to see when in or near Switzerland.
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