Geneva, a Town Surrounded by Stunning Views of the Swiss Alps
“Switzerland is a small, steep country, much more up and down than sideways, and is all stuck over with large brown hotels built on the cuckoo clock style of architecture.” ~ Ernest Hemingway
Back in November 2021, my husband and I traveled to various countries in Europe. One of them was Geneva, Switzerland. We drove from Monaco, stopping at Turin, Italy, for lunch. Driving through the Swiss Alps and Mont Blanc allowed us to see the most spectacular views imaginable. Views you only see in Hallmark movies or on postcards. It was a 3-hour drive but with heavy traffic at some points and our stops; it was more like 3.5 to 4 hours. We arrived in Geneva in the late afternoon of Wednesday, November 3, 2021.
Geneva is home to Europe’s United Nations and is well known for its Swiss banks. One of its main local attractions is Lake Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, in the center of the lake. It is one of the tallest water jet fountains worldwide. Its water spout maximum height is approximately 140 meters (459 feet) with a water velocity of about 200 km/h (124 miles p/h). They built it to release the pressure of a hydraulic plant at La Coulouvreniere. Unfortunately for us, it was closed for its annual maintenance, which is October 29-November 14th, therefore; we could not see it.
Also, you can’t miss the gigantic flower clock in Geneva’s old town either. They maintain it beautifully landscaped with plants, bushes, and some flowers. It must be a lovely spectacle during Spring with so many blooming flowers. Though it was still stunning.
We booked our stay at the Ibis Geneva Centre Lac, which is in the central downtown area of Geneva. We loved it was just a couple of minutes’ walks to the train station, bus lines, shops, Lake Geneva, and restaurants. This hotel was one of the nicest, cleanest, and most comfortable ones we have stayed at during this trip and it included breakfast too!
Geneva was not as busy as Paris and its streets are well clean and well maintained. We walked around with ease and did not get caught in any crowds. The locals were friendly too.
Their traditional culinary meals did not impress us. Therefore we ate steak and fries though we did try their fondue.
We did little in Geneva since our stay was only for two nights and one day. This stop was merely for us to travel the next day to Chamonix-Mont Blanc. It does not mean we did not like Geneva. We realized how much we would have enjoyed it if we had more time. However, from what we’ve seen, we will definitely return to Switzerland again.
Originally published at http://travelerwows.com on March 9, 2022.
